Mark 8: 1-10
In those days when there was again a great crowd without anything to eat, Jesus 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.
Take the Next Step
When I read this passage, I think of all the people in need in our world. If I could help them with a miracle like this one, I would! But what does this passage mean I should do today?
Let’s look at Jesus to help us understand. We hear him begin: "I have compassion for the crowd." He encourages us to look around, let our hearts be moved, and share that with others. When I feel overwhelmed by injustice in the world, finding companions who also feel compassion helps me take the next step.
Next, Jesus asks: "How many loaves do you have?" The disciples are already discouraged by the size of the problem, but still, Jesus gently asks: What do you have? What can you do?
I don’t know what the result will be, when I listen to my heart, collaborate with others, and begin together with what we have. But keeping my eyes on Jesus, I can take the next step.
—Beth Franzosa is the Director for Mission Formation at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Prayer
Grant me, O Lord,
to see everything now with new eyes,
to discern and test the spirits
that help me read the signs of the times,
to relish the things that are yours,
and to communicate them to others.
Give me the clarity of understanding
that you gave Ignatius.
—Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ
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