Coffee With God

Reflection: Mark 6: 34-44

People followed Jesus in large numbers because he had compassion on them. Compassion and empathy are attitudes of heart, that results from love. It was his love led him to be involved in the lives of people. The Lord is always there, loving first: he is waiting for us. When Andrew brings Peter to Jesus and Jesus looks at him and says to him: ‘Are you Simon? You shall be Peter’. It was as if Jesus was waiting for him with a mission. The same happens when Zacchaeus, who was small, climbs the tree to have a glimpse of Jesus, who passes by. Jesus stops, lifts his eyes and says: ‘Zacchaeus, come down, I want to go to supper at your house’. Zacchaeus, who wanted to meet Jesus, realizes that Jesus had been waiting for him. The act of feeding the 5000 is an act of love and compassion. The way Mark describes act will be repeated during the last supper when Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to his disciples. The whole life of Jesus is in fact a repetition of what he does at the multiplication of the bread. He took on the form of flesh, lived his life to comfort the broken lives of his people, suffered and gave up his life for the life of the world. Ever since, multitudes are being fed on his body and blood. And he does the same with our lives too: He TAKES us as we are, imperfect, sinful, and selfish. He BLESSES us, together with all our brokenness and sufferings. He holds us in his love and compassion. And when we respond to his love, He GIVES us to others to witness his love and forgiveness! That is quite a mission; this act of surrender that Jesus asks of us is in ‘remembrance of him’. This act of love, of giving, sharing, helping is not easy. It is often not appreciated, but it is what we are asked to do as Christians. We are to bring Christ to others, as witnesses to his love and mercy. Sharing loaves to the hungry may sound clichéd for others, but for the starved, it’s a miracle. Today, time is the most precious commodity in the market. When we decide to share a part of our time to help someone in need and in despair to comfort them- we are sharing our loaves of bread with them. Calling up a relative or friend and asking them of their well-being is also sharing our bread for the hungry. Let us be the images of the face of God face in sharing what our brothers and sisters need in their struggles.