Abundance

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

The wonderful story of the feeding of the five thousand (men), is a powerful story for our times. We are just coming out of winter and there is a war going on, so we often move to a scarcity model of life. We make sure we have what we need. The disciples came to Jesus with a scarcity mindset, asking that he send them away. Instead, he asked them to find food, which they did, a child's offering that become enough for all with a huge amount of leftovers. As Indigenous people, we know that abundance comes through gratitude and offering and a willingness to place our trust in the divine and to care for the earth that so generously provide the bounty. We are invited today to live with abundance and faithfulness in these times when fear and scarcity rule the day.

Wondrous Creator, you provide for all our needs

sending snow and rains so to water the earth

and light to warm our lives for great abundance.

When we are afraid as now, we close ourselves in

reluctant to share from the limited bounties we have

and fearful of those who might take from us.

Lord Jesus, fill is with great hope and generosity

making us carriers of your abundance and love

and make us grateful for what we can share here. Amen.