"The Lord gave them bread from heaven." Jesus is the Bread of Life.

"The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs." In the miraculous feeding of the five thousand, Jesus revealed the loving, caring and lavish generosity of God.

"Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile..." Without prayer, our ministry runs the risk of being self-serving. We need time alone with Jesus. Listen to him!

"In him we were chosen so that we might exist for the praise of his glory." We are called to bring the Good News of Jesus to all. We cannot do this alone; we minister only within community - "two by two."

"He was not able to perform any mighty deed there. He was amazed by their lack of faith." Jesus knows rejection and understands our discouragement. May our faith be strong so that we, too, may accept rejection and rise with him to healing and new life.

"Do not be afraid; just have faith." God often does not answer prayers in the way WE want them answered. We need to trust God's wisdom and mercy.

"He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, 'Quiet! Be still!' The wind ceased and there was great calm." We need to remember who is in the boat with us! Jesus has the power to calm our storms.

"The kingdom of God... is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth." The growth of God's kingdom begins with the tiniest seed: a small act of love.

"Whoever does the will of God is brother and sister and mother to me." Today's Gospel is about the bond of being a disciple of Jesus Christ.

"I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord." The Eucharist is Jesus' promise of eternal life, a covenant with us that was ratified by his blood.