Our Five Loaves and Two Fish

“[Jesus] asked them, ‘How many loaves do you have? Go and see.’ And when they had found out they said, ‘five loaves and two fish'... Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; he also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied. And they picked up twelve wicker baskets full of fragments and what was left of the fish. Those who ate of the loaves were five thousand men.” - Mark 6: 38-44

Moments before the miracle of feeding five thousand men, the disciples had brought to Jesus’s attention that it was getting dark, and the people were hungry, to which the Lord’s response was “Give them some food yourselves.” Imagine the bewilderment, and confusion on their faces as they contemplated how they could possibly feed that many people. They offered what little they had, five loaves and two fish, and with that Jesus performed one of the most well-known miracles of our faith.

We are called to do the same: to look around us, to see the needs of the multitudes, and to give ourselves. As we embark on Wave 3 of Called to Renew, we remember to offer Jesus what little we have, our five loaves and two fish, and trust that with that he will nourish and renew our parishes, communities, and families.