The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs. — Psalm 145:(see 16)

Mass Readings: Isaiah 55:1-3 / Romans 8:35, 37-39 / Matthew 14:13-21 

Feeding the People 

Today’s readings talk about God’s readiness to feed His people. Isaiah tells us to “come, receive grain and eat,” and the responsorial psalm repeats “the hand of the Lord feeds us.” The Gospel story of the loaves and fishes shows us that Jesus is the Lord who feeds His people. 

Notice that the disciples, who knew Jesus well, still wanted the crowds of people to go and buy food for themselves. We, too, tend to feel overwhelmed with the needs around us and want the problems (and maybe the people) to go away. In the Gospel, someone contributed the five loaves and two fish which the disciples brought them to Jesus for His blessing. In my own life, I need to remember that God not only wants to feed His people but also wants me to contribute to that happening. 

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to do my part to help feed Your people.