Morning Message: May 27

The painting depicted here is the work of artist James Tissot.  He illustrated Jesus' most well-known miracle. It is featured in the Brooklyn Museum.

Today we hear how Jesus provided for the needs of the people who came to listen to him.  In Jesus’ actions we see how generous and loving God is.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke.

The day was drawing to a close, and the twelve came to Jesus and said, “Send the crowd away, so that they may go to the surrounding villages and countryside, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a deserted place.”  But Jesus said to them, “You give them something to eat.”  They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish.”  For there were about five thousand men.  And he said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”  They did so and made them all sit down.  And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.  And all ate and were filled.  What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.

Think about this silently in your heart.  What message do you hear in today’s Gospel reading?

Have I ever had an experience of being ‘fed’ by God’s word?

The account of Jesus Feeding the Five Thousand with five loaves and two fish may be the best-known of Jesus' miracles.  It is the only miracle recounted in all four of the Gospels.

"You give them something to eat." Lord, what did you mean by that?  One reading is that many people had brought food with them, but did not want to share it out, until the apostles led the way with their five loaves and two fish. So Jesus turned selfish, suspicious people into generous people, happy to share – a greater miracle than multiplying bread.

Jesus made the crowds welcome!

Lord, we don’t need to solve the problem of hungry multitudes on our own.  But if each one of us will pick up a basket and lend Jesus a hand, trusting in God’s abundance instead of worrying so much about the scarcity of our resources, we might just get to witness a miracle.

Generous and gracious God, help us to trust in your abundant love.  Help us to give what we can to others and to trust that you will provide for us.  We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Risen Lord.   Amen.