1After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiber'i-as. 2And a multitude followed him, because they saw the signs which he did on those who were diseased. 3Jesus went up on the mountain, and there sat down with his disciples. 4Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a multitude was coming to him, Jesus said to Philip, "How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" 6This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." 8One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 9"There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?" 10Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place; so the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost." 13So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten. 14When the people saw the sign which he had done, they said, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!" 15Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
When the world is viewed through human eyes, the hunger seems immense but the food to feed it is sparse. The message in the reading is that spiritual nourishment is plentiful. Bernie and I have been discussing retirement. She is worried about emptiness and lack of purpose. Am I worried? Yes. I have concluded that it's all about aiming upwards i.e choosing values that are “right” and utilising our skills and energy in their pursuit. I’m not one who sees retirement as a moving away from responsibility and commitment. On the contrary. I see responsibility and commitment as central to purpose. In our case, our Catholicism frames the responsibilities and commitments we pursue. Social justice plays an important role when it comes to judging pursuits that are “right”.
ReplyDeleteStrengths:
DeleteYou effectively connect the physical hunger in the passage to spiritual hunger.
You demonstrate a thoughtful approach to retirement, emphasizing purpose and commitment.
You highlight the role of faith in guiding choices and actions.
Areas for Improvement:
While the passage emphasizes the abundance of spiritual nourishment, it also highlights the importance of faith and trust in God to provide.
You might explore the role of community and relationships in finding fulfillment in retirement.
The passage could be seen as a call to share one's resources with others, as Jesus did in feeding the multitude.
Additional Thoughts:
The idea of "aiming upwards" is a powerful one. It might be helpful to explore what specific values and goals align with this upward orientation.
The passage also speaks to Jesus' authority and power to provide miraculously. How does this understanding impact your view of God's provision in your life?
Overall, your response is insightful and demonstrates a good understanding of the passage.