There was a TV reality game show,Extra Challenge, where contestants competed against each other with tasks that test their abilities to cope with difficulties. Sounds like what we go through in our daily lives, right? How we navigate through life’s challenges sometimes pushes us to our limits. Frustrating as they are, struggles are a part of our lives and we need to know how to deal with them.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus posed a challenge to His disciples—how to feed 5,000 men. It’s a challenge we face to this day. There’s a multitude of people who are hungry and in dire need of God in their lives—neighbors struggling to get by, friends battling with illness, coworkers with marital problems, and many others. Our extra challenge is to go beyond praying for them—to “feed” them with God’s love and goodness.

So, share a blessing, take time to listen, and lend a shoulder. 

These little acts of kindness are God’s modern-day miracles. 

Jane Gonzales-Rauch (mgr516@gmail.com)

reflect

“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” (Jane Goodall)

Lord Jesus, renew my strength to overcome my personal struggles. Gant me the grace to make a difference in the lives of others. Amen.

Blessed André Bessette, religious, pray for us.

It is important for us to love God, but what is even more important is that whe know how much He loves us. His love for us makes all good things possible. God is love; it is impossible for Him not to love us, for He gave us life. As we grow deeper in our faith, we will discover areas of our lives that need the healing balm of God’s love. Let us be open to receive it.

⁷ Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. ⁸ Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. ⁹ In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only-begotten Son into the world so that we might have life through him. ¹⁰ In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 72:1-2, 3-4, 7-8

R: Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

¹ O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king’s son; ² He shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment. (R) ³ The mountains shall yield peace for the people, and the hills justice. ⁴ He shall defend the afflicted among the people, save the children of the poor. (R) ⁷ Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more. ⁸ May he rule from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth. (R)

Gospel | Mark 6:34-44

Today’s Gospel tells us that Jesus’ heart is filled with pity for the people. He longs to fill the emptiness in our hearts that is left by life’s challenges and hurts. We have those empty spaces within us that need the healing love of God. Let us reflect on our lives as the Holy Spirit leads us and allow God to fill and heal our emptiness.

Gospel Acclamation

The Lord has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor and to proclaim liberty to captives.

³⁴ When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. ³⁵ By now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already very late. ³⁶ Dismiss them so that they can go to the surrounding farms and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” ³⁷ He said to them in reply, “Give them some food yourselves.” But they said to him, “Are we to buy two hundred days’ wages worth of food and give it to them to eat?” ³⁸ He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out they said, “Five loaves and two fish.” ³⁹ So he gave orders to have them sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰ The people took their places in rows by hundreds and by fifties. ⁴¹ Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; he also divided the two fish among them all. ⁴² They all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they picked up twelve wicker baskets full of fragments and what was left of the fish. ⁴⁴ Those who ate of the loaves were five thousand men.

Reflect

What is your experience of God’s love recently? 

How did this experience fill you with hope and healing?

Read the Bible in one year! Read MATTHEW 1 - 4 today.

After a whole of day of teaching, it got late and the Apostles suggested to Jesus that He send the people away. Jesus disagreed sternly. Instead, He tasked the Apostles to find a way to feed them themselves. After asking around, they discovered that there were five loaves and two fish available. Of course, Jesus could miraculously feed everyone there present (which He later did) by miraculously multiplying the five loaves and two fish. But before the miracle of the multiplication, Jesus wanted to instill in the Apostles the sense of being responsible for the other.

Could it be that the disciples knew there were some bread and fish available? But they knew it was not enough. Could they have suggested sending others away so they could have it for themselves?

We see here in full display two attitudes: the narcissistic and the Eucharistic. 

The narcissistic attitude says, “Send them away, that I may not be inconvenienced anymore.” The Eucharistic attitude says, “Gather them together, that they may be fed, that they may be taken care of.”

I’m sure the Apostles (and the people as well) were awed at the miracle of the multiplication that followed. But Jesus intended more. He didn’t need and want fans. He wanted disciples who will follow Him in the way of self-giving: the willingness and readiness to be bread, broken and shared for the other.

At every Mass, we hear the presider repeat the words of Jesus: “Do this in memory of Me.” This is not an appeal for sentimental remembrance. This is a summons to be Eucharist—to make of ourselves a gift for the other. Are you up to the challenge? 

Fr. Joel O. Jason

reflection question

Do you run away from every instance of being inconvenienced by the need of others?

Lord, when I am disturbed, comfort me. When I am too comfortable, disturb me. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _______________________________