Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 8, 1-10
In those days when there again was a great crowd without anything to eat,
Jesus summoned the disciples and said,
“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
because they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.
If I send them away hungry to their homes,
they will collapse on the way,
and some of them have come a great distance.”
His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread
to satisfy them here in this deserted place?”
Still he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?”
They replied, “Seven.”
He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.
Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them,
and gave them to his disciples to distribute,
and they distributed them to the crowd.
They also had a few fish.
He said the blessing over them
and ordered them distributed also.
They ate and were satisfied.
They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets.
There were about four thousand people.
He dismissed the crowd and got into the boat with his disciples
and came to the region of Dalmanutha.
I feel sorry for them
1) Pity. Jesus’s heart was moved with pity for the people. He is not selfish, and does not think solely of himself. At the same time, he is not “over-selfless” so as to completely forget himself. This is one of the characteristics of Jesus that we must always remember: be compassionate, think of others, think about those who seek the word of God. I’m not referring solely to priests, but to everyone who is part of the Church. Everyone who has a role in our community. We should be attentive to the needs of our brothers and sisters and consider that they also give up things, suffer, and struggle. This is one of the keys of shepherding. We must work towards making life easier for others, helping them to solve problems, not being indifferent to them.
2) With what they have. Jesus does not solve all problems on His own. He wants there to be a contribution from others. Don’t expect Jesus to do it all for you. You must also give of yourself, give your time, and make your contribution, however tiny it may be, with the help of Jesus it can be a lot. Don’t be like that student who asks for the miracle of passing an exam but doesn’t even strive to study. Or like that man who asks God for a good job but doesn’t even start looking for one. Help God help you!
3) Satiates: Jesus satiates and fulfills. He wants everyone to eat as much as they desire and be at peace. But it is everyone’s effort that leads to their fulfillment. Jesus sure knows how to work as a team! Today, don’t try and become the savior of everything and everyone, not everything is on you alone. Seek God and always work as a team. If you are individualistic and consider everything from your own point of view, you might leave many people hungry.
God bless you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Take care! Don’t forget that Heaven is our goal!
