An Unexpected Feast

The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.” But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?” And he said to them, “How many loaves have you? Go and see.” When they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. And all ate and were filled; and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men. Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray. Mark 6:30-46 

In many of our Indigenous traditions, feeding people is very important. If a stranger or a friend shows up unexpectedly, they were fed, no matter how little the family might have. Noone was excluded and every belly was filled. often times it took prayers and small miracles to make enough for everyone. In Mark's gospel story, we find desperate people running to Jesus from all over. They wanted to listen and be close to him, but that caused a problem for the disciples. There was not enough. Yet, despite their panic and fears, Jesus blessed and prayed over the little and it became more than enough. May we not fear the little we have, for God will use it and make it more than enough.

Loving God, you provide all we need

you send rain and snow to water the earth

you send the sunlight to bring crops forth

and you fill our bellies with all goo things.

We humans worry and fret about much

we know we are lacking and inadequate

yet you fed the thousands who came to you

and you will provide for us all the same.

Take away our fears so we may serve

help us to offer the little we have now

so that you might bless it and increase it

so that the world may rejoice in your abundance. Amen.