THEY ATE AS MUCH AS THEY WANTED

PRAYER MOMENT  

Saturday 15 February 2014.

THEY ATE AS MUCH AS THEY WANTED

Pause. Be still In God’s presence.

Reading. “They ate as much as they wanted and they collected seven basketfuls of scraps left over.”  (Mark 8:1-10)

Reflection. All four gospels record the feeding of thousands of people. In John 6 Jesus chides the people for not seeing beyond the bread and fish they enjoyed to its meaning. This was a constant concern of Jesus that people did not take time to penetrate the message contained in the signs he did. The abundance of wine at Cana (John2) and bread in the desert (John 6 and here in Mark) points to the abundance of gifts God is offering his people here in this life and overflowing into the life to come. It was “hidden from your eyes” (Luke 19:42). This is always the task of the follower of Jesus; to reflect deeply through reading the bible on the hidden meaning of the words and discover the great gift that God is offering. Pope Francis reminds priests that in their preaching they should facilitate a “dialogue between God and his people.” (Evangelii Gaudium #137). Dialogue (conversation) is always about seeking understanding and nourishment.

Prayer. Lord, help us to understand the meaning of your words. Let us not pass them by quickly but teach us to relish them and draw life from them. Amen.

David Harold-Barry SJ