Reflection for Monday August 1, Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (M): Matthew 14:13-21

Gospel: Matthew 14:13-21

When Jesus heard of the 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. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. 

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." He said to them, "There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves." But they said to him, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have here."  

Then he said, "Bring them here to me," 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. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over – twelve wicker baskets full. Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.

+ + + + + + +

Reflection:

Once in a while we need to withdraw from the madding crowd to be by ourselves only and God. We need these regular quite moments with God for us to discern His presence in our lives.  

Upon learning of the beheading of His relative John the Baptist Jesus went to a deserted place by himself for personal reflections. He was sad over the death of His relative and He wanted to be re-charged and be strengthened by God.  

We also need these brief interludes of peace and quite in which there’s nobody else except us and God.  And it’s on these quite moments that we would strongly feel the presence of the Lord in our lives. The Lord who invites us all who are thirsty and weary to go to Him for He will strengthen us.   

Let us not get hooked on the deafening environment of this noisy world wherein money, possessions and power rules or even worshipped by many as God. Let us dig deeper into our spiritual lives and let us discover that beneath our mortal life is the Lord God who wishes to spiritually strengthen us.  

After His solitary recollection Jesus was again ready to continue His mission His first act was to cure the sick who were following Him.  

The disciples wanted to get rid of them that’s why they said to Jesus: “Dismiss the crowd for it’s getting late already (Matthew 14:15). However, Jesus told them: “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves (Matthew 14:16).” Then the miracle of the loaves and fish happened; there were only five loaves and two fish but Jesus was able to feed more than five thousand and there were plenty to spare.   

How did this miracle happen? It happened because of the generosity and love of Jesus if we are stingy with what we have, if we don’t want to give even if we have plenty.  Jesus is not like many of us.  

Jesus is forever generous and loving to us that is why out of His generosity and love He instituted the Eucharist or the Holy Mass to nourish us. And up to this very day He continuous to feed us with His Body and Blood when we receive Him in the Sacrament of Holy Communion.  

Let us learn from the generosity and love of Jesus, let us forever give, let us all remember that it is in our generosity and love that we would receive unfathomable blessings from God. -  Marino J. Dasmarinas