Abbondanza!

Sr. Pat McNiff, osf

There is an old TV commercial for spaghetti sauce which features a man seated at the table with a full bowl of pasta and he joyfully exclaims, “abbondanza…that’s Italian.” Abbondanza is an Italian noun meaning plenty, more than enough. Summer is abbondanza. It is a tangible time that leads us to God’s plenty, more than enough, abbondanza. Summer if filled with the experience of God’s generosity and love. We find this gift in the wind and the sea, in food and friends, in joy and laughter. The gift of summer bring us into the sacred presence where God is! Summer is time to live from the center of our hearts.

Recently, Jesus, the face of the Father, called us to encounter the Gospel of the loaves and fishes, the story of God’s generosity and love. Jesus transforms a crowd of all ages and backgrounds into a community of generosity. He is able to provide the crowd with what a young boy is willing to share. From the young man’s gift though it was small, Jesus feeds everyone. When the fragments are collected, there are twelve baskets left over…plenty, more than enough. This wonder from Jesus is a prefiguration of the Eucharist. For us Eucharist is possible when self defers to community, when serving others is exhaulted over being served, when feet are washed. We are called by Christ to become Eucharist as we share with one another the “fragments” of God’s generosity to us. As St. Augustine tells us, “see who you are and become who you receive.”

While we enjoy the beauty and fruitfulness of summer, let us reflect on our personal loaves and fishes, God’s generosity to us. So too may we experience the joy that is God as we share God’s abbondanza with each other. 

Peace and blessings!

Sr. Pt McNiff