Gospel – Matthew 15:29-37
After Jesus had left that place, he passed along the Sea of Galilee, and he went up the mountain, where he sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the mute, and many others. They put them at his feet, and he cured them, so that the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing.
And they praised the God of Israel. Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.” The disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a crowd?” Jesus asked them, “How many loaves have you?”
They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” Then ordering the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish; and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all of them ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.
The Gospel of the Lord
The Mass intention is for Teresa Brett RIP
Reflection:
Today Jesus beings his Kingdom by drawing people to him, healing the mute and the lame, and feeding them! In 2016, Pope Francis reminded us about depth of compassion that Christ manifested in this story, and how he inspired others to share in this compassion:
“When Jesus, with his compassion and his love, gives us a grace, forgives us our sins, embraces us, loves us; he does nothing halfway but completely. As it happens here: all are satisfied. Jesus fills our heart and our life with his love, with his forgiveness, with his compassion. Thus, Jesus allows his disciples to carry out his command. In this way they know the path to follow: to feed the people and keep them united; that is, to be at the service of life and of communion.”
We carry on Christ’s Mission, by feeding our brothers and sisters, but let us never forget that Jesus is the one who feeds us first. Allow your heart to hear the words of Jesus, I have compassion for you, I (Jesus) care for you! How do we then carry out the Mission of the Gospel?
- There are times in my life when I need to be healed from over-anxiousness, shame, anger or a broken relationship.
- Am I willing to place my need for healing before the risen Jesus and allow him to help me?