Mk 8: 1-10
In those days when there was again a great crowd without anything to eat, he called his disciples and said to them, “I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way—and some of them have come from a great distance.”
His disciples replied, “How can one feed these people with bread here in the desert?” He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” Then he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed them to the crowd. They had also a few small fish; and after blessing them, he ordered that these too should be distributed.
They ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. Now there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
All That We Need And More
This is a very practical miracle. Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish because people were hungry and he wanted to take care of their physical needs. The crowds had been with Jesus for three days and had run out of food. What caused them to continue to stick around? Was it because they were hungry for the spiritual food Jesus was giving them? Had they experienced or heard about his miracles and were waiting to see another one? Was Jesus such a charismatic speaker that they couldn’t bear to leave? Or maybe all of the above?
The crowd received all they needed and then some. If we stick around, we’ll find that Jesus will do the same for us. I’ve heard it said that when it comes to prayer, we just need to keep showing up. If we are faithful and continue to show up in prayer, even when it feels like nothing is happening, eventually we’ll find that Jesus gives us all that we need and more.
—Mandy Dillon is a Retreat Coordinator at Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House in Barrington, IL and is also in the Spiritual Direction Internship program there.
Prayer
Thank you, Lord, for all the times you have given me all that I need and then some. Help me to continue to show up faithfully in prayer, ever grateful for the many blessings in my life. Amen.
—Mandy Dillon