Welcome to Day 12 of our Lenten Reflections on the gospel of John!

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A Reflection on John 6:1-15

“But what are they among so many?” (v 9b)

The people have come, drawn to Jesus by his words and works.  They are driven by curiosity and desire, a hunger to see and understand who this man is.  Jesus sees their spiritual hunger.  He wants to answer the question burning deep in their hearts: are you the one?  Yet he does not seek to do it all Himself.

“How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” He asks.  His apostles do not know what Jesus has in mind, and only see the physical limitations – there are so many people and only five loaves and two fish to be had, and “what are they among so many?”

Jesus asks me a similar question, how will you serve my people?  I look around and inside myself.  Dear Jesus, there is so little here.  I have little to give, what good can it do?  He gazes upon me with the same love with which He looked upon His apostles.  Give it to me, little one.  Let me show you how much I can do with so little.  There is a deep, deep hunger in the world today.  I can satisfy, but I want your help.  Will you trust me?

Will I give of myself?  Or will I give in to fear, hopeless that I can give anything that would be of any help?

My dear Jesus, I want to help feed the hunger of your people.  I give you all that I have, all that I am.  It is so little, Lord.  But I trust that you can do big things with my little efforts.  Here I am, Lord, do with me what you will.

Scripture quotations are from The Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright ©1965, 1966 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved worldwide.