Faith Daily | 4 January 2022

PRAYER of the DAY - APBA p 479

O God,

by the leading of a star

you manifested your only-begotten Son to the Gentiles:

mercifully grant, that we, who know you now by faith,

may after this life be led to the vision

of your glorious Godhead;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

GOSPEL for the Day: Mark 6: 34-44

34As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. 35When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; 36send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.” 37But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?” 38And he said to them, “How many loaves have you? Go and see.” When they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. 41Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. 42And all ate and were filled; 43and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.

GOSPEL Reflection: Contributed by: Jane Markotsis

The feeding of the 5,000 is the only miracle of Jesus which appears in all four gospels. If you went to Sunday school or participated in religious instruction at school, you would have probably heard this miraculous passage of scripture from a young age. It’s one of those gospel gems that demonstrates how Jesus puts the people’s needs first. He calls on the twelve to serve these thousands, gather up the fragments and then go back without him. Tough challenges for them! A message for me? Do I share his concern for the many in today’s world who are like sheep without a shepherd?

The fact is I do share his concern for those whose lives have been devastated by war, are experiencing the loss of loved ones, and for those who have lost much due to the Covid 19 pandemic - and you most likely do too. But how can we mere humans help to bring to them the light they so desperately need in their lives right now?

The Gospel today speaks of the generosity of God and his kindness towards us. When God gives, he gives abundantly. He gives us more than we need for ourselves so that we can share with those who lack what they need. We must also remember that Jesus too, was human, and like him we can seek to share with others through our relationship with God. Jesus met the needs of the multitude and His disciples, while seeking the Father to meet His own need. There is truly no need that God cannot meet. One of the challenges this passage lays upon us is to trust in God to provide for the big things and the little things.

Just as Jesus spoke to his Father in times of need, so to do we need pray regularly and often. Prayer is a fundamental part of our relationship with God, and we must treat it as an honest communication from our hearts to God's heart. Here is precisely how we can help others who are in need. No matter who you are, where you are, or what you are doing, you can be praying for hope and compassion for anyone.

So, just like Jesus did, watch and listen today for the needs of the people around you and see how you can express the compassion of God through prayer.

FINAL PRAYER: APBA p565

Eternal God,

you draw near to us in Christ

and make yourself our guest:

amid the cares of our daily lives,

make us attentive to your voice and alert to your presence,

that we may treasure your word above all else.

We ask this through your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen