Ord.Wk 5th: Saturday 13th February, 2021 February 13, 2021
Reflection on the WORD
“Miracles of the Loaves”: In today’s Gospel, Jesus fed four thousand people with a few loaves of bread and small fishes. Jesus “took what was offered, blessed, broke, distributed and collected seven baskets full of scraps.” Do we offer God our abundant graces, wealth, time, talents for Him to bless and use for the good of others?
Mark 8:1-9a
A great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat. So Jesus called his disciples to him and said to them, ‘I feel sorry for all these people; they have been with me for three days now and have nothing to eat. If I send them off home hungry they will collapse on the way; some have come a great distance.’
His disciples replied, ‘Where could anyone get bread o feed these people in a deserted place like this?’ He asked them, ‘How many loaves have you?’ ‘Seven’ they said.
Then he instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and began handing them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed them among the crowd. They had a few small fishes as well, and over these he said a blessing and ordered them to be distributed too. They ate as much as they wanted, and they collected seven basketfuls of the scraps left over. Now there had been about four thousand people.
Today's Pointers on God's Word
As you read the passage what words, phases or meanings caught your attention?
- •When 4,000 people needed to be fed, Jesus first asked, “What is available?” He did the same on another occasion when wine was needed at a Wedding feast. What do we have? “Water.” Bring it up.
- •This is how Jesus helps us also when we need Him. Whatever the problem or trouble, we must first do what we can ourselves.
- •We are not to sit back and wait for Jesus to come to our help. First, we put in our efforts, Jesus will do the rest. We need to depend on Jesus, but it’s another thing to be a parasite; to be too laid back to help ourselves.