GROW AS A DISCIPLE
In one of the best homilies, I ever heard on today’s Gospel, the homilist pointed out that the Lord had seemingly “over multiplied” the loaves and fish. The crowds had eaten to the point of satisfaction, and yet there were twelve baskets of leftovers remaining. “Why so many leftovers? Did the Lord not know how to count?” He asked jokingly, of course. But the point the homilist went on to share that day was that with God, there is always abundance. God doesn’t simply provide the bare minimum of what we need for survival; the Scriptures tell us that he provides “rich fare” that will “satisfy the desire of every living thing.” As we reflect on today’s readings, let us not question the Lord’s ways, but trust in the abundant generosity of God that satisfies all our needs.
GO EVANGELIZE
Moments in which God provides for our every need strengthen our faith in him. Yet when difficulties come, we know that God never abandons us. Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans speaks about the unshakable confidence Paul has in God’s love for us, despite the difficulties (including shipwreck, beatings, and imprisonment) he endured: “What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?” “No,” he says. Nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.” Take stock of times in your life when God’s providence has carried you through difficult times. Consider ways you can share these moments with others as part of your testimony. When our faith rests on a deep awareness of God’s faithful love in our lives, we will be able to bear a compelling witness of his goodness to others.
ACCOMPANIMENT
In the Gospel, God shows his loving care by providing for the needs of his people in practical ways. Consider one way you might be able to accompany others going through periods of challenge or trial by providing practical help. This might look like preparing a meal for a new mom in the throes of postpartum, helping with yardwork for a fellow parishioner recovering from surgery, or helping gather classroom supplies for a teacher serving in an impoverished district. In these simple yet concrete ways, we manifest the abundance of God’s care and concern for each and every person.
By The Faithful Disciple