Scripture Reflection, June 6: Fish and Loaves

Scripture Readings:
Genesis 14:18-20
Psalm 110:1, 2, 3, 4
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Luke 9:11-17

A few months ago in my Sunday school class of twenty 7-9 year olds, I brought in double-stuffed Oreos to demonstrate a point about Doubting Thomas (that’s another story for another time). Not realizing that there are less double-stuffed Oreos in a package than regular Oreos, I miscalculated and soon realized that there would not be enough for the whole class to have two cookies each. I explained my dilemma to the students and asked if anyone would be willing to give up one cookie. Soon children began giving cookies away to their classmates and to me, so that I had handfuls of cookies left over and all of the children claimed that they had gotten two cookies and were satisfied. Miracle?

Clearly my Sunday school miracle does not come close to Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand. But it shows in a small way, that God provides for us out of God’s abundance, especially when our intention is to help one another. God takes what we have and multiplies it, even if it is just five loaves and two fish, one bag of Oreos, or maybe just a few minutes or a few dollars. Whatever we can give, if we give it to God, will be multiplied in ways that we cannot imagine. We are limited in our resources, time, abilities and energy. We “burn out” easily. But God is limitless. God can provide what we cannot by adding to the little bit we can give. God does not make bread, Oreos, time and money appear out of thin air (though God did speak the world into being), but instead chooses to involve us in the salvation of the world, taking what we give and making it miraculously abundant.

As young people working to serve the Church, our communities and the world, this is an important lesson to keep in mind. It is so easy to feel that what we do is not making a difference, that what we do is not enough, that if we give any more there will be nothing left with which to nourish ourselves. In these moments we must recognize God’s abundance moving through our work, even when we cannot see its effects. On this Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ we remember that we are given the Eucharist to constantly replenish ourselves and allow Christ to live in us again and again. We are commanded in the second reading today to eat and drink “in remembrance” in Christ. We remember that we are not in this alone, but that our works, our small gifts, are being made miraculous by God.

Darcy Hidek

Darcy is a graduate from Carlow University in Pittsburgh, PA with a major in Theology and Elementary Education. She is currently a graduate student at CTU, Chicago.

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