Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 14, 13-21
When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist,
he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.
The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already late;
dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages
and buy food for themselves.”
He said to them, “There is no need for them to go away;
give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”
Then he said, “Bring them here to me,”
and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples,
who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied,
and they picked up the fragments left over–
twelve wicker baskets full.
Those who ate were about five thousand men,
not counting women and children.
Feed them yourselves
1. Desert. It’s important to find your “desert” space where you can connect with yourself. This is especially true in these fast-paced times. Lately, I’ve realized how difficult it is to protect my personal space and time because my own needs and other people’s needs quickly take them away. Recently, I struggled to schedule time for exercise which is so necessary; I even felt guilty if I went to work out instead of addressing pastoral matters. But I’m starting to understand that having your own space is essential; otherwise, people and their needs will consume you. Today, try to protect your personal time and space, just like Jesus did. Take some distance to reconnect with yourself, because it’s meant to multiply your efforts later, not subtract from them.
2. Compassion. There will always be needs around us. The issue is that we get used to constantly seeing others’ needs. It’s good to cultivate compassion and a spirit of solidarity. There’s always someone worse off than me, and there’s also always someone I can help. Let’s ask Jesus to give us the courage to help without getting tired.
3. Five Loaves. You can accomplish a lot with simple, humble things. Offer what you can, and I assure you that with God, you can do what you thought was impossible. Don’t get discouraged. May this week you’re starting be a reminder that you can achieve great things in the lives of others with your willingness and God’s help.
Remember that something good is on the way!
God bless you, be with you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
