Reflection for August 3, Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time: 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.

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Reflection:

A man who was given a few weeks to live by his doctors was able to live a full life. And the irony of it all is he was even able to outlive some of the doctors who gave him a few weeks to live.  When he was asked why he was able to beat his sickness he simply said this: I have faith that Jesus will heal me.

When a person has faith the impossible becomes possible, the faraway becomes within reach and the unbelievable becomes believable.

In the gospel, when Jesus saw the vast crowd his heart was moved with pity for them (Matthew 14:14). Yet the disciples were telling Jesus to let the crowd go for it was already getting late and there was no available food to feed them. But Jesus was able to feed the more than five thousand crowd and there was still plenty to spare.

Why did the disciples doubt the power of Jesus to feed the vast crowd? Were they (disciples) losing faith in Jesus?

When the odds are against you or when you are faced with a seemingly impossible situation. Never doubt the power of Jesus to see you through out of your difficult situation. Continue to have faith in the miraculous power of Jesus. Continue to believe that Jesus will make a way when there seems to be no way. – Marino J. Dasmarinas