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 isn’t selfish, He doesn’t think solely of himself, and at the same time, He is not “over-selfless” so as to completely forget himself… This is something 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’s part of the Church, everyone who has a role in the community. We should be attentive to the needs of our brothers and sisters and consider that they also give up things; they suffer and struggle. This is one of the keys of shepherding: making life easier for others, helping them to solve problems and not being indifferent to them.
2. With what they had. Jesus doesn’t 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 do your share; however little it may be, with 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 sit down 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) Satisfies. Jesus satiates, fulfills… He wants everyone to eat as much as they desire and go in peace. But it’s 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, because if you are individualistic and consider everything from you own point of view, you might leave many people hungry.
Remember that something good is on the way!
