Today’s Scripture Readings

Gospel Reading

NRSV

In those days when there was again a great crowd without anything to eat, he called his disciples and said to them, ‘I have compassion 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 faint on the way—and some of them have come from a great distance.’ His disciples replied, ‘How can one feed these people with bread here in the desert?’ He asked them, ‘How many loaves do you have?’ They said, ‘Seven.’ Then he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed them to the crowd. They had also a few small fish; and after blessing them, he ordered that these too should be distributed. They ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. Now there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.

Often I find myself daunted by the magnitude of what is asked of me. I quickly think that I don’t have the time, the skills, the resources or the energy to take on another task. Overcome by the enormity of expectations, I fall into a state of paralysis and find it difficult to even think: how do I get started? what is one step I can take? or Is it possible to do anything?

The disciples seemed to be facing this same dilemma, when Jesus asks them what do they have to feed a hungry crowd of over four thousand people, who have been with them “for three days and have nothing to eat.” Seemingly bereft of ideas as to how to tackle this enormous task, Jesus asks whether they have any bread on hand. “Seven” they reply. In John’s account, Andrew replies: “But what are they among so many people.” (John 6:9)

In each of the Gospel miraculous feeding accounts, Jesus takes what little there is present among them, gives thanks and distributes the food till all are filled and there is ample food left over. The starting point is recognising what we already have and then giving thanks to God and sharing this so others are fed.

Today, let us name what are the seven loaves we have been given by God and discern how we are being called to share generously with others so that their hungers are met. It might be a word of affirmation, an unexpected visit, a food hamper or standing up for someone being bullied. If we use what we have, we will do great things.

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