When Jesus went ashore, he saw the crowd gathered there and he had compassion on them.
And he healed their sick.
Late in the afternoon, his disciples came to him and said, “We are in a lonely place and it is
now late. You should send these people away, so they can go to the villages and buy
something for themselves to eat.”
But Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat.” They
answered, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fishes.” Jesus said to
them, “Bring them here to me.” Then he made everyone sit down on the grass. He took
the five loaves and the two fishes, raised his eyes to heaven, pronounced the blessing,
broke the loaves and handed them to the disciples to distribute to the people. And they
all ate, and everyone had enough; then the disciples gathered up the leftovers, filling
twelve baskets. About five thousand men had eaten there, besides women and children.
Reflect
I love reading the advice columns in the daily newspaper. It helps me to learn about
different issues and ways that people think. It can help me learn techniques for dealing
with my problems in a healthy way. One of the most common issues I see in these
columns is anger over a lack of gratitude. Family members often express disappointment
and even anger that recipients never acknowledged the gifts they received and said thank
you.
In today’s first reading, Moses feels much the same way. He is tired of the people’s lack of
gratitude and their constant asking for more. This reading is paired with the story of Jesus
feeding five thousand men with only five loaves and two fish. The Gospel tells us that Jesus
said the blessing, giving thanks to God for providing for his people. This miracle prefigures
the Eucharist which we celebrate today – God feeding his people with his own Body and
Blood. The Greek word from which the word “Eucharist” comes means thanksgiving. As the
Eucharist is at the heart of the Christian life, so too should gratitude be. Let us face each
day with a grateful heart.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023
