Reflection for January 5, 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:

What impels us to do extraordinary things for our fellowmen? For example, to give food to the hungry or to do something especial for somebody without expecting anything in return. It’s love, the root of our extraordinary actions for our fellowmen is love. When we love somebody we would be willing to give something of ourselves for the people or person that we love.   

In our gospel the many that have been following Jesus has nowhere to go for it was getting late and there was no food available for them. Jesus knew about this and He could have simply told the crowd to disperse. And look for their own food and then comeback on the next day. But He did not for He dearly loved them, thereafter Jesus asked His disciples, how much food do you have?  

The disciples told Him five loaves and two fish.  And the five loaves and two fish suddenly were multiplied by Jesus to become hundreds and were able to feed more than five thousand. Jesus did the miracle of loaves out of His infinite love for them all. 

You too are dearly loved by Jesus for He supplies you food everyday. You may think that the food that you have on the table is courtesy of your own hard work. No, it’s not from your hard work it’s actually given to you by the Lord out of His great love for you.       

What have you given Jesus in return for His love? – Marino J. Dasmarinas