Reflection for January 7, Tuesday after Epiphany: Mark 6:34-44

Gospel: Mark 6:34-44

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. By now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already very late. Dismiss them so that they can go to the surrounding farms and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 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?” 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.”

So he gave orders to have them sit down in groups on the green grass. The people took their places in rows by hundreds and by fifties. 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. They all ate and were satisfied. And they picked up twelve wicker baskets full of fragments and what was left of the fish. Those who ate of the loaves were five thousand men.

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Reflection:

When Jesus saw the vast crowd insistently following Him, He was moved with compassion for them. That compassion was born out of His infinite love for the vast crowd.   Then after the compassion or pity comes the actual action of Jesus’ love for them. He feed them all with five loaves and two fish and there was plenty more to spare.

This is how Jesus loves us, full with compassion and love in action. But are we mindful of this love that He has been giving us all these years? Do we ever acknowledge these great love and compassion of Jesus? Jesus feed the more than five thousand not only to fill their empty stomachs. He feed them because He loved them.  

There are times or perhaps often times we tend to forget this infinite love of Jesus. But even if we forget Him, His infinite love and compassion is always there for us. It’s ours for the taking and it’s ours to claim, there’s no ransom for Jesus love.

Let us therefore claim this infinite gift of love of Jesus by our presence in the Eucharistic Celebration/Holy Mass. Jesus is there ever willing to fill our empty and sometimes wondering selves. – Marino J. Dasmarinas