GOSPEL
He distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted.
Reading from the holy Gospel according to Saint John 6, 1-15.
Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee.
A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.
Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples.
The Jewish feast of Passover was near.
When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him,
he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?”
He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do.
Philip answered him,
“Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough
for each of them to have a little.”
One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?”
Jesus said, “Have the people recline.”
Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted.
When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.”
So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.
When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.”
Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.
The word of the Lord.
I only ask for patience.
Jesus tests Philip by making him realize a need that they did not have the capacity to fulfill. He then intervened to perform the miracle, an abundant miracle that far exceeded their need.
Do you know that Jesus also tests you and me? How many times do we experience our limitations and our inability to meet what our spouse needs from us, to respond also to what God expects from us?
We remember that great prayer of St. Augustine: “Lord, give me what you ask of me and ask me for what you want.” What a powerful and real prayer, because this prayer led St. Augustine from being a vicious, pleasure-addicted, and uncorrectable Augustine… to becoming the saint he was. And this change is not human. His mother suffered greatly and surely experienced desperation facing a son so lost and uncorrectable. But then God comes with His abundant grace, listens to their prayers, and exceeds all of St. Monica’s expectations.
So now, go, and do likewise. I only ask for “patience.”
Relating it to Married Life:
Clara: Forgive me, Javier, because how many times have I despaired because you weren’t doing what needed to be done on our path of conjugal spirituality. And precisely, clinging to my own strength and abilities has led me to live our marriage as if Christ were not in it.
Javier: I have to admit that I resisted a lot because your insistence and pressure pushed me back, Clara. Honestly, I didn’t see in you an example to follow, and that made me doubt a lot about your proposals.
Clara: But after hitting rock bottom many times, I have decided to rely on the grace of the Sacrament that unites us, which is much more powerful than me. So, I have relaxed and trusted. And “bam”, a miracle. The Lord has exceeded my expectations by far. Now I realize that He was testing me to see if I trusted in Him. Blessed and praised be the Lord.
Javier: Yes. When you relaxed and put your trust in Him, I started to see in you the reflection of the light that comes from the Lord, and that encouraged me to follow Him too. Blessed and praised be the Lord.
Mother,
May we overcome these tests that the Lord puts us through so that He can work the miracle and we can witness His love and His power. Praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ forever.