Monday, June 3, 2013

Luke 9

 Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God,
and he healed those who needed to be cured.
As the day was drawing to a close,
the Twelve approached him and said,
"Dismiss the crowd
so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms
and find lodging and provisions;
for we are in a deserted place here."

(Refer the hungry, Lord, to Catholic Charities or the Food Bank. 
 Tell the homeless to go to the Day Center. 
Tell the broken-hearted and lonely to get a therapist.)

He said to them, "Give them some food yourselves."

They replied, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have,
unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people."

(Lord, make them take a drug test before we spend our money on them.  Are you sure they aren't criminals or scam artists?  What if they sell the food and buy drugs?  This really is not my calling.  I have a job and a family and I am really really busy.  Besides, this is why I donate money to charities and pay taxes.  I barely have enough to feed myself and my own family and I don't really trust you completely to take care of me.)

Now the men there numbered about five thousand.

( There are so many Lord.  What is the point?  Nothing is going to change. 
They are just going to be hungry again later.  And if we feed them ourselves than they won't ever learn to be self sufficiant. They will expect us to feed them every time they are hungry. Where do I even begin?)

Then he said to his disciples,
"Have them sit down in groups of about fifty."
They did so and made them all sit down.
Then taking the five loaves and the two fish,
and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing over them, broke them,
and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.
They all ate and were satisfied.
And when the leftover fragments were picked up,
they filled twelve wicker baskets

(ora et labora)

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