Daily Gospel Reflection
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February 12, 2022
In those days when there again was a great crowd without anything to eat,
Jesus summoned the disciples and said,
“My heart is moved with pity 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 collapse on the way,
and some of them have come a great distance.”
His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread
to satisfy them here in this deserted place?”
Still he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?”
They replied, “Seven.”
He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.
Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them,
and gave them to his disciples to distribute,
and they distributed them to the crowd.
They also had a few fish.
He said the blessing over them
and ordered them distributed also.
They ate and were satisfied.
They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets.
There were about four thousand people.
He dismissed the crowd and got into the boat with his disciples
and came to the region of Dalmanutha.
“I know this story,” I thought to myself.
These images appear in six different gospel accounts: a large, hungry crowd, a few loaves of bread and fish, and Jesus, the compassionate miracle-worker who transforms a small offering into an abundance of food. The words echo in our Eucharistic prayers as well—bread that is blessed and broken, given to all.
Today, though, a new yet all-too-familiar word catches my attention: enough. “Where can anyone get enough bread to satisfy them here in this deserted place?” the disciples asked.
I can relate to the disciples’ doubt. Enough is a word that tends to invade my thoughts at the end of the day. More than I’d like to admit, I evaluate my efforts against that standard.
Did I do enough?
Have I taught my children enough?
Was I patient enough?
Do I believe enough?
Jesus’ simple response encourages me in a new way: “How many loaves do you have?”
It strikes me that Jesus did not ask the disciples to feed the multitudes. He asked only that they bring what they have with them to the table, knowing that he can transform it into something more. And he did not let their doubts get in the way of his grace.
Similarly, he does not expect us to provide everything, to do everything, or to question whether we are enough. Christ asks us to participate and to trust, because he needs what we have, even when it feels insignificant. He wants us to be part of the miracle.
Lord, grant us the courage to trust that you can use what we have to offer and multiply it. Help us be part of your grace that brings abundance to deserted places.
Prayer
Jesus, Lamb of God, you call us to walk in your footsteps, by taking up our daily crosses, and giving our lives away in love. Help us to accept our daily burdens on behalf of others as expressions of love for you and your people. Help us to see how our acts of selfless love, inspired by you, bring your saving presence into the world. Give us the strength and generosity of spirit to carry our burdens joyfully. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Meletius of Antioch is an important early Christian saint, who became bishop of one of the largest and most ancient congregations of Christianity—the Syrian city of Antioch.
Meletius was born in Armenia in the first half of the fourth century. Meletius was born into a distinguished family, leading him to seek a distinguished ecclesial office in the church. Meletius was appointed the bishop of the Christian city of Sebaste.
During the fourth century, debates over the divinity of Christ raged throughout Eastern and Western Christianity. Antioch was, for a long time, a stronghold of orthodox Christianity, where Christians believed in Christ's two natures—divine and human—united in the one person of Jesus.
Meletius resisted both the rise of Arianism and the Eastern emperor, Constantius II, who supported the Arian Christians. During these ecclesial bickerings, the important Christian city of Antioch was being pulled between many different bishops. The people of Antioch were divided between these heretical bishops vying for the see. Finally, they appointed Meletius, who was an orthodox Christian, but who focused mostly on the moral Christian life and living a life of Christian charity in imitation of the saints of the Hebrew Scriptures. The divided people of Antioch admired their saintly bishop and adhered to his example.
Meletius became known as a hero among the faithful in Antioch, for uniting the church that had been divided by heresies. The good bishop Meletius anointed one of Antioch's most famous bishops, John Chrysostom, a deacon. John Chrysostom later praised him in one of his homilies, eulogizing him for his great wisdom and his calm and holy leadership. Meletius died while attending the Second Council of Constantinople in 381.
St. Meletius of Antioch, faithful bishop, and shepherd of a divided people—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Meletius is in the public domain. Last accessed January 23, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
