Daily Bible Reflections

July 31, 2011
IN THEIR SHOES

Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” – Matthew 14:16

Many events I covered in the past as a reporter included tragedies, deaths, fatal accidents and killings. I did my best to get the job done — interview people, know the facts and get all the sides. But there came a point when I became desensitized. I would ask mourning interviewees or traumatized victims questions with the right words and appropriate tone but I couldn’t feel for them anymore.
This bothered me. I prayed for compassion so I could feel again how it was to be in their shoes and be able to minister to them. In today’s Gospel, Jesus wanted His disciples to also learn compassion. They saw the crowd and asked Jesus to tell them to go home because they couldn’t feed them. But Jesus wanted the disciples to realize that these people had waited long hours, ready to stay put for days to listen to Him. It just wouldn’t be right to send them away.
Jesus wanted His disciples to give what they had even if they think it wasn’t enough because He could multiply what they had. This the disciples witnessed with the five loaves and two fish that fed thousands. Carlo Lorenzo (carloflorenzo@yahoo.com)
31
REFLECTION:
Do I lack compassion? Am I just doing my job but my heart does not go out to the people around me? Do I hold back in giving because I feel inadequate?

Father, let Your Spirit search the deepest parts of me. Tell me what I lack. Fill me with confidence to give even when I think I’m not enough.