Gospel: Mark 8: 1-10
In today's Gospel portion, we see Jesus having compassion on the crowd that is hungry, while the disciples are indifferent to the hunger of the crowd. We come to realize that the source of the disciples' indifference lies in the fact that they have food while no one else does. They do not have empathy because they themselves are not and they have food. And yet even though Jesus has access to food, he does have empathy for the crowd.
Jesus asks the disciples to give him their food. He multiplies it so that all now have access to food, and Jesus requires his disciples to give this food to everyone. The disciples must have a direct encounter with those in need, and they must provide for those needs out of their own resources. This is the fundamental mission of the Church, and Jesus continually calls us out of our lives of comfort to provide for a world hungry and starving.
This feeding is twofold. First, it is literal food for physical sustenance. But it is also the food of the Eucharist that we are to provide for a hungry world as well. For too long we have hoarded both of these things - the material wealth of the world and the gift of Eucharist and communion. The Lord Jesus has multiplied both for us so that we might distribute it to all so that none go hungry either in body or soul. He continually calls us to this work each and every day.
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