Reflection for Friday May 2 Memorial of Saint Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church: John 6:1-15

Gospel: John 6:1-15

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, "Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?" 

He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, "Two hundred days' wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little." One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?" Jesus said, "Have the people recline." 

Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, "Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted. 

"So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, "This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world." Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

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Reflection:

The story is told about a young woman who was doubting whether she would be able to fulfill her childhood ambition of becoming a doctor. So, she asked her mother to pray that she would be able to realize her dream. Her mother said to her, “My daughter, the Lord will help you achieve your childhood dream for as long as you don’t doubt.”

Do you sometimes doubt when you pray before Jesus?

Our doubts will always be a stumbling block to the realization of what we pray for. But why do we doubt? Perhaps our faith is lacking, or perhaps we have not yet developed a close friendship with Jesus—that is why we doubt. Doubt, by itself, is a negative word, and as such, it is neither good nor helpful to us. We must therefore eliminate doubt from our way of thinking so that we can achieve whatever we desire.

In our Gospel for this Sunday, Philip and Andrew were already doubting whether Jesus would be able to feed the large crowd that had been following Him. Philip said to Jesus, "Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little." (John 6:7) Andrew said to Jesus, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?" (John 6:8–9)

Jesus simply told them, “Have the people recline.” (John 6:10) And then the multiplication of the loaves and fish happened. They were able to feed the five thousand men—and there was plenty to spare.

What is the lesson the Lord is trying to communicate to us in this miracle of the loaves and fish? With Jesus, nothing is impossible. Everything is possible for those who do not doubt, who always believe, and who have faith in Him.

Do you want something from the Lord? Trust, believe, have faith—and you will receive it. – Marino J. Dasmarinas