Broccoli, Carrots, and Peas — the greatest church picnic of all time

A grandmother was enjoying a day alone with her six-year-old grandson. At lunch, the boy refused to eat anything she put in front of him. Frustrated, the grandmother said, “Honey, you don’t like broccoli, you don’t like carrots and you don’t like peas. So please tell me, dear, what do you like?” With a little grin, the boy answered, “I like you, Grandma.”

Most of us take for granted the goodness of God, who provides food to nourish our bodies. Indeed, for many of us, it’s not too little but too much food that can be a problem. At the same time, we know that millions worldwide go to bed hungry each night, which should deeply concern us. But hunger is not the problem for most of us here today who can satisfy our hunger with all the broccoli, carrots, and peas we can eat — or anything else from God’s bounty.

Today’s Gospel Lesson tells what happened when a crowd of more than five…