Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 9, 11b-17
Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God,
and he healed those who needed to be cured.
As the day was drawing to a close,
the Twelve approached him and said,
“Dismiss the crowd
so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms
and find lodging and provisions;
for we are in a deserted place here.”
He said to them, “Give them some food yourselves.”
They replied, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have,
unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people.”
Now the men there numbered about five thousand.
Then he said to his disciples,
“Have them sit down in groups of about fifty.”
They did so and made them all sit down.
Then taking the five loaves and the two fish,
and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing over them, broke them,
and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.
They all ate and were satisfied.
And when the leftover fragments were picked up,
they filled twelve wicker baskets.
Life and food
1. Communion. In the early days of Christianity, communion was an act of unity. Every Sunday, Christians gathered to pray with God in their midst, believing that Jesus would be present where two or more were assembled in His name. During challenging times, the Church found refuge and solace in the Eucharist. It’s important to remember that in the beginning, persecution was terrible. Mass was often celebrated in cemeteries and in secret. So, don’t be alarmed by present-day attacks on the Church; we have endured even more difficult situations. And the Eucharist continues to unite us and sustain us. Let’s always go to the Eucharist to maintain our communion.
2. Thanksgiving. Be grateful for everything. Often, we forget to show gratitude to life and to God. Life requires action, not just norms. As Catholics, we’re called to act more and talk less, letting our actions be a form of thanksgiving to the Lord and thus shed grace on those around us.
3. Sacrifice. The Eucharist teaches us to make sacred what we do daily. Life needs sacrifice, as the Eucharist is God’s sacrifice out of love. What about you, have you ever sacrificed for love?
Always remember something good is on the way.
God bless you and be with you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
