Reflection for February 13, Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time: Mark 8:14-21

Gospel: Mark 8:14-21

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. They concluded among themselves that it was because they had no bread. 

When he became aware of this he said to them, “Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear? And do you not remember, when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up? 

They answered him, “Twelve.” “When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?” They answered him, “Seven.” He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

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Reflection:

What do you do when you go through life's trials? Do you fully trust the Lord to make things better for you? Do you say, 'Lord, I give you all my worries, trusting that you will take care of them.  

If your mindset is to surrender everything to the Lord, it speaks volumes about your enormous faith in Jesus. Come what may, you will trust Jesus more than yourself or anybody else. Is your faith in Jesus as strong as this, that you trust Him more than anybody else? 

In the gospel, when the disciples together with Jesus were already in the boat they found out that they had only one bread. And they were naturally worried, for how could this one bread fill all of their hungry stomachs? 

In the midst of their worries Jesus reminded them about His miracle of the loaves where He feed the thousands. As if Jesus was telling them: Why are you worried that you will not be able to eat when I am with you? 

The disciples failed their test of faith; they doubted if Jesus would be able to help them. Did they doubt or they momentarily forgot that Jesus was with them in that boat? 

We all face our own set of test of faith. Perhaps many of us also fail this test of faith and we doubt if we would be able to achieve what we want in life. Or for the reason of our many worries we simply forget that we have a powerful friend and God in Jesus. 

Let us doubt no more let us fully trust Jesus for He will never fail us. – Marino J. Dasmarinas