Give them something yourselves
- 12 hours ago
- 2 min read
I am always struck by the line in today's Gospel from Matthew 14:13-21, when Jesus says to his disciples, ‘Give them something to eat yourselves.’ They didn’t think they had much, just a few loaves and a couple of fish. There first reaction was to have the people just sent away to buy food so the problem would be out of sight out of mind.
Jesus doesn’t leave the disciples to their own devices but wants them to be involved. He takes the little they have and transforms it and then gives it back to them to be given away and there is more than enough. There is always more than enough if we are connected with Christ and know that he is with us.
If we can recall the times we have been in our own lonely desolate places and how Christ has revealed his presence to us, if we have clearly benefited and received from his abundance, if we are humbled by his gifts of compassion and mercy, we will want to enable others to share in those gifts.
Jesus is a generous host and invites us as his disciples to partake of that generosity and to be instruments enabling others to do the same.
The song below was inspired by St Ignatius of Loyola. His feast day was on Friday. He invites us to make choices that are conducive to the greater service of God and the universal good.
Hunger still affects a large proportion of the world. The much loved former general of the Jesuits, Pedro Arrupe in writing about “The Eucharist and Hunger” said the eucharist we celebrate will never be complete as long as people still go hungry in our world. ‘Give them something to eat yourselves’ clearly involves a fair distribution of the earth’s resources to the those most in need.
Blessings on your week
More always more
More and more and more and more
More to come
More to feel
And unfold
Like a ripple or an echo and a glimpse of light
with the sunrise in the morning to dispel the night
More something more
More and more and more and more
What more for you
What more to do
For such love
In our living and our giving
May we serve you more
From the centre of our being
May we love you more
More always more, more
Instrumental
In our living and our giving
May we serve you more
From the centre of our being
May we love you more
More always more
More always more
More