Dear friends,
The miracle of the multiplication of bread and the feeding of thousands of people teaches us the truth about Jesus’s merciful and compassionate heart. In the gospels, we are always told that Jesus was always moved with pity at the sight of the crowd, for they were like sheep without a shepherd.
The same situation happens in today’s gospel reading. The crowd has been following and listening to Jesus in a deserted place. His disciples, out of concern for them, go and ask Him to let them go to find food for themselves. Concern for others should be in the heart of discipleship and truly commended. However, Jesus reminds his disciples that such concern for others should always be followed or supported with life changing actions.
“Give them some food yourselves.” This is the response Jesus gives to his disciples. But what can they do with only five loaves and two fish to feed a crowd of “five thousand men, not counting women and children”? The truth the disciples seem to forget about here is that nothing is impossible for God. It does not matter how much they have; with trust in the Lord and his endless love, they can make a difference. Jesus invites us to give the little we have with loving heart and He will take care of the rest. A loving heart is a giving heart. And what matters is not how much we give to make a difference but how much loving is the heart that gives.
The disciples thought all they had would not be enough for them and for the crowd, but Jesus reverses the boat. There is no greater love than giving one’s life for the sake of others. This love, I shall insist, is not always translated through material donation. The little we have to share with others could be just a loving smile that enlightens someone’s life; a warmth greeting that strengthens and lifts up a hopeless person, and so on. This is because Jesus who feeds us today in the Eucharist as we gather around Him in this deserted place gathers us together as one family aimed at supporting and embracing one another. He feeds us to enable us to feed others in return.
As we leave this holy place, let us continue to carry the love of Jesus we just shared through communion in His Body, and let us continue to pray for one another and for our parish family.
Fr. Emery