A lady had set aside money to pay for an important bill. But before the due date, a problem came up and she had to use the money. Despite her great worry, she prayed, “Lord, this is all I have left. I trust that You will help me.” Unexpectedly, a friend offered her a side hustle. The pay wasn’t enough to cover the unexpected expense, but she did it anyway. Later, a refund request from work was credited to her account. The total amount of the two was more than enough for the bill she had to pay! She shed tears of joy, believing that God provided for what she needed—and even more!

The Apostles in the Gospel only had little food. But when they gave it to Jesus, He did the impossible and fed five thousand men. There were even lots of leftovers!

Dear friend, what little do you have? Little money, little skill, little faith? Believe that if you just go to God and surrender what you have to Him, He will bless you not only with what you need, but also with what you want.

Kring Talladen (kringtalladen@gmail.com)

reflect

What have you offered God that He has blessed abundantly? What do you still need to surrender to Him so He can work a miracle in your life?

Thank You, Jesus, because You are the ultimate multiplier of my blessings!

St. John Marie Vianney, priest, pray for us.

In the dialogue between Moses and God, we see an example of genuine prayer. Moses is real. He expresses all his frustrations and hurt to God. And God does not reject Moses because of his honesty. God will not reject us, too, when we express to Him what is truly in our hearts. In fact, this is what God our Father wants: our honesty and sincerity.

⁴ The children of Israel lamented, “Would that we had meat for food! ⁵ We remember the fish we used to eat without cost in Egypt, and the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. ⁶ But now we are famished; we see nothing before us but this manna.” ⁷ Manna was like coriander seed and had the color of resin. ⁸ When they had gone about and gathered it up, the people would grind it between millstones or pound it in a mortar, then cook it in a pot and make it into loaves, which tasted like cakes made with oil. ⁹ At night, when the dew fell upon the camp, the manna also fell. ¹⁰ When Moses heard the people, family after family, crying at the entrance of their tents, so that the Lord became very angry, he was grieved. ¹¹ “Why do you treat your servant so badly?” Moses asked the Lord. “Why are you so displeased with me that you burden me with all this people? ¹² Was it I who conceived all this people? Or was it I who gave them birth, that you tell me to carry them at my bosom, like a foster father carrying an infant, to the land you have promised under oath to their fathers? ¹³ Where can I get meat to give to all this people? For they are crying to me, ‘Give us meat for our food.’ ¹⁴ I cannot carry all this people by myself, for they are too heavy for me. ¹⁵ If this is the way you will deal with me, then please do me the favor of killing me at once, so that I need no longer face this distress.”

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 81:12-13, 14-15, 16-17

R: Sing with joy to God our help.

¹² “My people heard not my voice, and Israel obeyed me not; ¹³ so I gave them up to the hardness of their hearts; they walked according to their own counsels.” (R) ¹⁴ “If only my people would hear me, and Israel walk in my ways, ¹⁵ quickly would I humble their enemies; against their foes I would turn my hand.” (R) ¹⁶ “Those who hated the Lord would seek to flatter me, but their fate would endure forever, ¹⁷ while Israel I would feed with the best of wheat, and with honey from the rock I would fill them.” (R)

Gospel | Matthew 14:13-21

In this story where Jesus feeds the five thousand, we see a foretaste of the greater feeding that He will provide through His Body and Blood. The food that Jesus feeds the crowd nourishes their physical bodies. In the Holy Eucharist, Jesus nourishes our souls and gives us food for eternal life. 

Gospel Acclamation

One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

¹³ When Jesus heard of 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. ¹⁴ When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. ¹⁵ 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.” ¹⁶ He said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.” ¹⁷ But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.” ¹⁸ Then he said, “Bring them here to me,” ¹⁹ 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. ²⁰ They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over—twelve wicker baskets full. ²¹ Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.

Reflect:

“The Eucharist is the sacrament of love: it signifies love, it produces love. 

The Eucharist is the consummation of the whole spiritual life.” (St. Thomas Aquinas)

Read the Bible in one year! Read 1 MACCABEES 9 - 10 today.

Of Onions and Tears

Onions always bring tears to my eyes when I chop them. I hated the task then as they irritated my eyes. I hate the task now as it irritates my sensitive, allergy-prone skin.

Onions, leeks, and garlic also made the Israelites, who were out in the desert, cry—they wanted them badly but had none of them. They pined for what they enjoyed abundantly back in Egypt prior to their desert experience.

Having onions and having to cut them can make us cry. Not having onions and missing them terribly could also make us cry. Like the ancient Israelites, we have plenty of reasons to cry at times. Life, if I may be allowed to use conflicting images, is not a bowl of cherries (or a mound of lanzones), but the importuning of the people of Israel did bring something good. It led Moses to take things up with the Lord. It led him to earnest intercessory prayer.

The First Reading does not say so directly, but it seems that the whole process of transforming complaints to prayer rubbed off on the hapless people who thought they were being given a raw deal. Owing to Moses’ fervent petitions on behalf of his people, they would soon see reasons to proclaim with confidence: “Sing with joy to God our help.” The Gospel passage from Matthew gives concrete actualization to what it was that they hoped for—the saving action of a provident God who feeds the hungry multitudes.

My life continues to be about onions and tears. But it is also about being graced and being blessed in every way. I’ve had bad days and I’ve had good days. And through it all, I know I can say with confidence: “Sing with joy to God our help!” 

Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

reflection question

What makes you cry and for what reason?

Lord, may I always remember the good that You have done in my life whenever I experience setbacks. Amen.

Today, I pray for: __________________________________________