Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus
It's been a week since I last wrote on the Gospel Readings. I am sorry but couldn't help not write due to the work pressures. I hope that you all are doing well and enjoying the Lenten season. We are fast approaching the mid-Lent and I guess some of us are counting down the days to break our fast. Today's Gospel Reading is from the Gospel of St. Mark 8:1-10. I would like to take your attention to three lessons we can learn here..
The passage is on Jesus feeding 4000 people. But unlike the time when He fed 5000 people with five loaves and two fish (St. Mark 6:35-44), where He fed mostly the Jews, this time He was ministering to a non-Jewish crowd in the Gentile region of the Ten Towns.
"I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat..." - St. Mark 8:2
How many of us feel that God is so busy with managing all the Godly affairs that He would possibly not be aware of our needs? Jesus was concerned about these people who have been with Him for three days for their need for food, He is also concerned about our own personal needs. At another time Jesus said, "Your heavenly Father already knows your needs" (Matt. 6:32). Do you feel that your concerns are not of interest to God? Nothing is too large for Him to handle and no need too small to escape His interest. He is a loving Father who has created you and longs for you and your companionship always.
Secondly, when we go on reading to the next verse, we might just think how hard can the disciples hearts can get? They have been witness to so many of Jesus' miracles and yet be slow to comprehend who Jesus was. Their hearts were full of doubts on how Jesus would feed the 4000 people here after they had just witnessed Him feeding 5000 people.
We are not so different from them. Sometimes we are slow to catch on. Although Jesus has brought us through all the trials and temptations in the past, we doubt whether He would do the same in the future. Don't be like the disciples, remember what Jesus has done for you, and have faith that He will do it yet again.
Lastly, Jesus gave thanks for the food, and He serves as a model for us. How many of us give thanks for the life that has been given us and for the food that has been provided at our tables as nourishment? Life is a gift, and the nourishment life requires, while it comes from the work of many hands, conveys God's material blessings.
Mealtime provides an opportunity to thank God for the daily needs met, for taste and beauty, and for human company and divine companionship. Giving thanks keeps us from regarding a plate of food as a trough, our stomachs as bottomless pits, and our gathering to eat as a bothersome interruption. Keep up the good tradition of praying and thanking God before your meals. Let your gratefulness to God be genuine.
May the Lord Almighty bless and keep you in all your ways and may you have a blessed Lenten season.
Your Brother in Christ
Jobin
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