Bring What You Have to Jesus - Family Reflection Video

Bring what you have to Jesus, and He’ll take care of the rest. That’s what today’s gospel reminds us of, and it is something that takes faith. 

It also causes me to appreciate that Jesus has incredible patience with the first disciples and with us. 

Time after time, He shows us that if we place our trust in Him, things will work out, maybe not how we would have planned, but for a greater purpose in God’s plan. (But like Philip and Andrew, we need Jesus to keep teaching us.) 

It’s not hard to imagine, being like Philip, when Jesus asks him where they could buy enough food to feed the crowd, that Philip focuses on the gigantic cost. Or Andrew, who points out there’s a boy who only has five loaves of bread and two fish. 

Jesus uses the lack of food and the enormity of the crowd to show God’s abundant love. It’s in this context that Andrew and Philip realize that they have no solution. It’s in this humbling moment that they stand and watch as Jesus offers a prayer of thanksgiving to the Father while holding up the loaves of bread. 

And it’s with both incredulity and amazement that the apostles distribute the loaves and fish expecting to, but not, running out … even having a significant surplus. 

How does this apply to you and me? What is it that we don’t have enough of? Maybe it’s that we don’t feel strong enough to handle challenges in our lives. Maybe you’re low on hope and wonder; what could we possibly offer Jesus or our loved ones? 

The lesson of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes is that Jesus takes whatever little or great we offer Him and makes it enough. What we can’t do, Jesus can. 

All that’s needed is to go to Jesus and give Him what we do have … it can even be our heartache or anger. It can be the beginning of being sorry for our sins or some sense of gratitude for anything in our lives; for instance, just realizing that others have it worse than we do. 

If we can offer both our joy and our sorrows, our well-thought-out or jumbled expressions, whatever we have to Him, then He can and will transform us and bring us through the day and the night. 

What do you have to offer Jesus today? You’ve already offered your presence at this Mass; let’s see what He can do with that and everything else you give to Him today!

• Today’s readings

• Father David's inspirational homily was recorded live this morning during Mass at the Father Peyton Center. Please view the video on our Facebook page. (You don't need a Facebook account to view.) 

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