Category: Inspiration Daily

Every time I watch the altar server carrying the cross and leading the procession to the altar while the entrance hymn is sung, I feel slightly overwhelmed. We are being gathered together by Christ himself. It is something that is happening to us, given to us, being done through us. We are entering into the presence of Christ as into a new “dimension” which allows us to see the ultimate reality of life.

We are not gathering together like we gather at a meeting or a clubhouse or a restaurant. We are doing something more than going to this or that Mass in one parish or other at a time most convenient to us. We are answering a call to do what is most natural to the human creature: to adore. We are answering an invitation to keep our hearts lifted high. We are plunging into the new life of the Kingdom through liturgy and sacrament. We are approaching the altar, which is a sign that we have been given access to the heavenly sanctuary.

“Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

In the Mass celebrated Sunday after Sunday, day after day, Jesus brings our personal reality into harmony with his own heart, his own truth, his own will. In the assembly, our voices and even our lives are more and more harmoniously united, as we become more and more like Jesus himself. That is why Jesus makes it clear that we are responsible for each other, that we are “brother and sister” to each other. If one member of the community gathered in Christ is having difficulty, or straying, or offending in some significant way, indifference or tolerance is not an acceptable response, since Jesus himself outlines in this passage a process for winning back our brother or sister to live their new life in Christ more deeply.

In the end, we do not belong to ourselves. We belong to Christ. We belong to each other. When we have answered the initiative of Christ who gathers us together, we grow more completely into one harmonious voice with him and with each other as we offer praise to the Father and intercede for the world.

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Cada vez que veo al monaguillo cargando la cruz y guiando la procesión hacia el altar mientras se canta el himno de entrada, me siento un poco abrumada. Estamos siendo reunidos por Cristo mismo. Es algo que nos está sucediendo, que se nos ha dado, que se hace a través de nosotros. Estamos entrando en la presencia de Cristo como en una nueva “dimensión” que nos permite ver la realidad última de la vida.No nos reunimos como para cualquier reunión en un club o en un restaurante. Estamos haciendo algo más que ir a tal o cual misa en una parroquia u otra a la hora que más nos convenga. Estamos respondiendo a un llamado a hacer lo que es más natural para la criatura humana: adorar. Estamos respondiendo a una invitación de elevar nuestros corazones. Nos sumergimos en la nueva vida del Reino a través de la liturgia y los sacramentos. Nos acercamos al altar, lo cual es señal de que se nos ha dado acceso al santuario celestial.

“Donde dos o tres se reúnen en mi nombre, ahí estoy yo en medio de ellos”.

En la Misa celebrada domingo tras domingo, día tras día, Jesús armoniza nuestra realidad personal con su propio corazón, su propia verdad, su propia voluntad. En la asamblea, nuestras voces e incluso nuestras vidas están cada vez más unidas armoniosamente, a medida que nos parecemos cada vez más al mismo Jesús. Por eso Jesús deja claro que somos responsables unos de otros, que somos “hermano y hermana” unos para otros. Si un miembro de la comunidad reunida en Cristo tiene dificultades, se desvía o ofende de alguna manera significativa, la indiferencia o la tolerancia no es una respuesta aceptable, ya que Jesús mismo describe en este pasaje un proceso para recuperar a nuestro hermano o hermana para vivir su nueva vida en Cristo más profundamente.

Al final, no nos pertenecemos a nosotros mismos. Pertenecemos a Cristo. Somos el uno para el otro. Cuando hemos respondido a la iniciativa de Cristo que nos reúne, crecemos más completamente en una voz armoniosa con él y entre nosotros mientras ofrecemos alabanzas al Padre e intercedemos por el mundo.

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There are two themes in the readings today that caught my eye: to eat and children. As a parent, auntie, uncle, grandparent or child care provider, you know what it’s like to feed little ones: a lot of trial and error, small bites, smacking of lips, using hands to explore and get accustomed to smells, tastes, and textures. Modeling of eating and sharing of food also takes place. There is a back and forth, give and take of food and relationship. Trust and bonding is woven throughout the eating process.

So it is with the passages in today’s Scriptures. In the first reading God tells Ezekiel to open his mouth to eat what He will give him. Ezekiel did so and it was as sweet as honey in his mouth. He was then instructed to speak the words of the Lord God to others. I sometimes struggle to remember that I too am instructed to speak the words of the Lord to others.  I forget that I must listen, reflect, check for understanding, and share with those around me.

The disciples seemed to have similar experiences when trying to learn from Jesus, their Master. Jesus had to physically put a child in their midst to show them what He meant. Whoever becomes like a humble child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. 

I receive the Word of God by listening to it at Mass or reading Scripture. I consume the Body and Blood of our Lord during the Eucharistic feast. It is my responsibility to unpack the wonder and meaning of this sacred meal. I need to digest and act on what the Father has shared with me.

Our Heavenly Father doesn’t want to lose one sheep – one person, or one child. Each individual is precious to Him. I have a responsibility to share His relationship with all as I go through my days. So eat, child, and share the Good News.

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Hay dos temas en las lecturas de hoy que me llamaron la atención: comer y los niños. Como padre, tía, tío, abuelo o cuidador infantil, sabes lo que es alimentar a los pequeños: es mucho intentar y equivocarse, tomar pequeños bocados, chasquear los labios, usar las manos para explorar y acostumbrarse a olores, sabores, y texturas. También modelamos como comer y compartir alimentos. Hay un ida y vuelta, un tomar y recibir de comida y relación. La confianza y la construcción de relaciones se tejen durante todo el proceso de la alimentación.

Jesus always tells us the truth, as portrayed in today’s Gospel where he speaks clearly and doesn’t mince his words. Jesus not only predicts His death but shares with his disciples how He is going to die by being handed over to men and killed. By telling the truth, Jesus wanted His disciples to understand the gravity and significance of His death and resurrection. His death was a crucial part of God’s plan for the salvation of humankind. In addition, Jesus is offering us the path to live a life full of peace, love, and joy by living out our faith.

Jesus predicts His death so that we can fully trust Him and believe. Yet, the disciples express their love for the Lord by being overwhelmed with grief. Jesus was able to console them before it even happened, as He is all-loving and all-knowing. This shows us that even in the most challenging times, we can trust in Jesus to give us comfort and strength. He desires to walk with us in the good and difficult moments of life.

In this Gospel, Jesus also performs a small deed with great significance. He pays the temple tax with a coin from a fish’s mouth for himself and Peter. This story is also a powerful example of trusting our little needs to the Lord and asking Him to help in all matters, both big and small, including asking Jesus to help with our finances and the needs of ourselves and our family. With this act, Jesus shows us how God loves to outdo us in generosity. 

Of course, God’s generosity is not about being wealthy, but instead about learning to do all things for Jesus, to give all things to Him, and to trust in His Ways! May we live a life of being generous to others, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us and help us, and no matter what, may we thank the Lord for all He does for us! 

The greatest gift in life is not money, wealth, happiness, or life’s experiences but knowing that Jesus died for our sins and opened the gates of heaven. We must learn to trust Him to lead us through the ups and downs of life and have a desire to overcome our sin and be holy. By living out our faith and being generous to others, we can reflect Jesus’ love to others. 

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Jesús siempre nos dice la verdad, como se muestra en el Evangelio de hoy, donde habla con claridad y no da vuelta al asunto. Jesús no sólo predice su muerte, sino que comparte con sus discípulos cómo morirá siendo entregado a los hombres y asesinado. Al decir la verdad, Jesús quería que sus discípulos entendieran la gravedad y el significado de su muerte y resurrección. Su muerte fue una parte crucial del plan de Dios para la salvación de la humanidad. Además, Jesús nos ofrece el camino para vivir una vida llena de paz, amor y alegría al vivir nuestra fe.

Jesús predice Su muerte para que podamos confiar plenamente en Él y creer. Sin embargo, los discípulos expresan su amor por el Señor al estar abrumados por el dolor. Jesús pudo consolarlos incluso antes de que sucediera, ya que Él es todo amor y todo lo sabe. Esto nos muestra que incluso en los tiempos más difíciles, podemos confiar en Jesús para que nos dé consuelo y fortaleza. Él desea caminar con nosotros en los momentos buenos y difíciles de la vida.

En este Evangelio, Jesús también realiza un pequeño acto de gran significado. Paga el impuesto del templo para él y para Pedro con una moneda extraída de la boca de un pez. Esta historia también es un poderoso ejemplo de cómo confiar nuestras pequeñas necesidades al Señor y pedirle que nos ayude en todos los asuntos, tanto grandes como pequeños, incluido pedirle a Jesús que nos ayude con las finanzas y nuestras necesidades y las de la familia. Con este acto, Jesús nos muestra cómo a Dios le encanta superarnos en la generosidad.

Por supuesto, la generosidad de Dios no se trata de ser rico, sino de aprender a hacer todas las cosas por Jesús, a dárselo todo y a confiar en Sus caminos. ¡Que vivamos una vida de generosidad con los demás, permitiendo que el Espíritu Santo nos guíe y nos ayude, y pase lo que pase, podamos agradecer al Señor por todo lo que hace por nosotros!

El mayor regalo de la vida no es el dinero, la riqueza, la felicidad o las experiencias de la vida, sino saber que Jesús murió por nuestros pecados y abrió las puertas del cielo. Debemos aprender a confiar en Él para que nos guíe a través de los altibajos de la vida y tener el deseo de superar nuestro pecado y ser santos. Al vivir nuestra fe y ser generosos con los demás, podemos reflejar el amor de Jesús a los demás.

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“The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for.” (CCC 27)

Blessed Imelda Lambertini, patron saint of First Communicants, died of joy when receiving Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament for the first time. My soul yearns to encounter Jesus Christ in this same way – to reach a state of completion through pure fulfillment in the Lord and nothing else. As St. Augustine declared, “Our souls are restless until they rest in You”. 

Our sole purpose on Earth should be to strive to find Christ in all we see and do. It is easier said than done, and day after day I fail to display the patience and gentleness that He has modeled for me. Yet Jesus Christ is infinite whereas all else is finite. Everything on Earth passes away. Materialistic possessions age. Even relationships with others will waver with time due to the human condition. 

Is there any dogma more central to Catholicism than recognizing that Jesus Christ is truly present in the Holy Eucharist? Let us desire the Bread of Life above all else. I ask for strength to recognize the joy and unconditional happiness that Christ provides. He is the only one who can sustain me. He is the true Bread of Life. Through Him, the Bread of Heaven, we will encounter Eternal Life and happiness for all ages. 

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“El deseo de Dios está inscrito en el corazón del hombre, porque el hombre ha sido creado por Dios y para Dios; y Dios no cesa de atraer al hombre hacia sí, y sólo en Dios encontrará el hombre la verdad y la dicha que no cesa de buscar”. (CIC 27)

La beata Imelda Lambertini, patrona de los primeros comulgantes, murió de alegría al recibir por primera vez a Jesús Sacramentado. Mi alma anhela encontrar a Jesucristo de esta misma manera: alcanzar un estado de plenitud a través de la realización pura en el Señor y nada más. Como declaró San Agustín: “Nuestras almas están inquietas hasta que descansen en Ti”.

Nuestro único propósito en la Tierra debería ser esforzarnos por encontrar a Cristo en todo lo que vemos y hacemos. Es más fácil decirlo que hacerlo, y día tras día no logro mostrar la paciencia y la dulzura que Él ha modelado para mí. Sin embargo, Jesucristo es infinito mientras que todo lo demás es finito. Todo lo que hay en la Tierra es pasajero. Las posesiones materialistas envejecen. Incluso las relaciones con los demás titubean con el tiempo debido a la condición humana.

¿Existe algún dogma más central para el catolicismo que reconocer que Jesucristo está verdaderamente presente en la Sagrada Eucaristía? Debemos desear el Pan de Vida por encima de todo. Pido fuerza para reconocer el gozo y la felicidad incondicional que Cristo brinda. Es el único que puede sostenerme. Es el verdadero Pan de Vida. A través de Él, el Pan del Cielo, encontraremos la Vida Eterna y la felicidad para todas las edades.

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As I write this, we are counting down the days, God-willing, until my husband will be ordained as a permanent deacon in the Diocese of Kalamazoo. 

We have been preparing for this day for over 7 years, over 12 years if you count when Tom and I first started discussing his discernment. We have prayed, studied, and prepared. We have made lifelong friends with the other couples traveling this journey alongside us. We have been supported in prayer and love by our parish family. The time is almost here. 

In the Sacraments of Initiation, we receive the grace we need to live our lives as disciples of Jesus. We received at Baptism every grace we need, and it was strengthened and sealed at our Confirmation. Everytime we attend Mass and receive the Eucharist, we are fed and strengthened for the challenges we will face on our road to heaven. We are given the grace to die to self so that we can live as Jesus calls us to live, so that we can be his disciples in love and action. 

In the Sacrament of Marriage, we are given the graces we need to bring others with us. In marriage, the two become one, the graces are given to both the man and woman, so that they are no longer simply two people sharing space, but a family. The family is a living icon of the Holy Trinity in the world. Out of the giving and receiving of love, new life is created and goes out into the world. This is true even for those of us who weren’t blessed with children! It is just a different form of life. In marriage, we no longer receive grace simply for our own salvation, but for the salvation of those closest to us, our family. God, once again, gives us the grace to die to self, so that we can bring our families to Jesus. 

In the Sacrament of Ordination, the grace is given to live out discipleship through service to others. These graces aren’t our own, but are meant to be passed on to those around us; our parish, our diocese, our world. Because my husband and I are one in the Sacrament of Marriage, the graces given to Tom at his ordination will overflow to me too. He will be a deacon and we will be a diaconal family. God has a task for us. 

God’s grace, through all of the Sacraments, makes God present in our lives and gives us the strength to live today’s Gospel in today’s world. With God’s help, we can be the grain of wheat which falls to the ground. Please, dear Lord, help me to die to myself so that much fruit will be produced for your Kingdom. 

Saint Lawrence, pray for us. 

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Mientras escribo esto, estamos contando los días, si Dios quiere, hasta que mi esposo sea ordenado diácono permanente en la Diócesis de Kalamazoo.

When reading Scripture, I often place myself as a character in the verse I am reading. In this case, I put myself in Peter’s place, but to my surprise, this question stumped me. “Who do you say that I am?” I sat there staring at the words for a long time, unable to answer them accurately. Am I confident enough, like Peter, to be able to say, “You are the Christ”? I’ve come so far in my spiritual journey in responding to this question, yet it always makes me pause when presented with it. Who do I say that Jesus is?

First, I must be willing to allow Christ to define Himself and not project who I want Him to be. I have to be open to understanding Jesus’ true identity through the Holy Spirit, as Peter did, and not seek to set earthly parameters. My spiritual director has teased me on more than one occasion saying that I am willing to love Jesus entirely and surrender my life to him, but first I want “a prenuptial agreement.” 

That is partly my struggle with anxiety and partly due to the fact that identifying who Christ is to me personally was foreign for so much of my life. Christ was on the cross, and I appreciated his salvific work, but he was not in my heart. I could see, yet did I believe? Or was I like the father of the child in Mark’s Gospel (9:24) who “cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’” In addition, Jesus did not have to worry about me telling people who He was; not only was I not really clear myself back then, but I was also of the ‘faith is private’ mindset. 

What changed all that uncertainty and closed-lippedness to get me where I am today—blogging, speaking, radio broadcasting, yelling from the rooftops that Jesus is the Christ? Three simple things: prayer, Scripture, and embracing a sacramental life. Scripture came first; the other two naturally followed as I got to know Christ more. The more I read and learned about the greatness of God and His Only Son, the more I wanted to be in communication with him and therefore, my prayer life grew. As my time in prayer with Christ grew, I wanted to be in even closer communion. I could only find that in the sacraments, particularly the Eucharist – received in the liturgy and adored in the Blessed Sacrament – and Reconciliation.

Like St. Peter, without the Holy Spirit’s intervention, I could never know that Jesus is Christ, “the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” I needed to spend time with Jesus and get to know him, and only then could I make the statement with Peter’s conviction. The more I know, the more I love, and the more I can not only say along with Peter, “You are the Messiah,” I can also proclaim “You are my Messiah, my Savior!”

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Cuando leo las Escrituras, a menudo me ubico como un personaje en el versículo que estoy leyendo. En este caso, me puse en el lugar de Pedro, pero me sorprendió que esta pregunta me dejara perpleja. “¿Quién dicen que soy?” Me quedé sentada mirando las palabras durante mucho tiempo, incapaz de responderlas con precisión. ¿Tengo suficiente confianza, como Pedro, para poder decir: “Tú eres el Mesías”? He llegado muy lejos en mi camino espiritual respondiendo a esta pregunta, pero siempre me hace detenerme cuando se me presenta. ¿Quién digo que es Jesús?

Think for a moment about one of your heroes. Someone who you have looked up to for a long time and who in one way or another has influenced your life. For me, Jon Foreman from the band Switchfoot would be on the list. I grew up with their music and love their message and sound. I have seen them in concert many times and have even paid way too much money to get backstage passes and meet the band. In my mind this was going to be a life changing event, and while it was cool, it turns out hundreds of other people get the same passes and you have about 30 seconds to take a picture with them. The classic saying comes to mind, “you should never meet your heroes.” Not that it’s a bad thing, but the hyped-up experience we have in our minds will probably never measure up to reality. 

Not so with the reading today. The Jewish people had been waiting and waiting for the Messiah. Finally, a select number of the apostles get a private audience to the Transfiguration where the Father reveals that Jesus truly is the Son of God. Peter is dumbfounded by this fact and can’t find the proper words to explain it. He proclaims, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here!” This meeting lived up to the hype. 

As profound as this moment was, however, they were told to keep it to themselves until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. Can you imagine how difficult it must have been to keep their joy in? The Messiah had been revealed in one of the most profound ways possible and they had to keep their excitement bottled up! 

We may never have a chance to meet our earthly heroes in person, but we can meet the transfigured Christ every time we go to Mass. Jesus was not only showing his power and love in today’s reading, he was also preparing this select few for the other miracles he was going to perform. One of these miracles is the fact that Jesus remains with us in the Blessed Sacrament. We have a chance every day and at every Mass to have a private audience with our Hero. 

How much money would you pay to meet your heroes? How much time and effort would you put into getting backstage passes? Something to think about during this year where we are focusing on the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is that we don’t need a VIP pass. We have front row seats to the Son of God every single day. All we need to do is enter a church and be ready to receive. Let’s make that our priority this year. 

From all of us here at Diocesan, God bless!

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Piensa por un momento en uno de tus héroes. Alguien a quien admiras desde hace mucho tiempo y que de una forma u otra ha influido en tu vida. Para mí, Jon Foreman de la banda Switchfoot estaría en esa lista. Crecí con su música y me encanta su mensaje y su sonido. He visto la banda en conciertos muchas veces e incluso he pagado demasiado dinero para conseguir pases detrás del escenario para conocer a la banda. En mi opinión, esto iba a ser un evento que cambiaría la vida y, si bien fue genial, pero resulta que cientos de otras personas obtienen los mismos pases y solo tienes como 30 segundos para tomarte una foto con ellos. Me viene a la mente el dicho clásico: “nunca debes conocer a tus héroes”. No es que sea algo malo, pero la experiencia exageradamente emocionante que tenemos en nuestras mentes probablemente nunca estará a la altura de la realidad.

No es así con la lectura de hoy. El pueblo judío había estado esperando y esperando al Mesías. Finalmente, un número selecto de apóstoles obtiene una audiencia privada para la Transfiguración, donde el Padre revela que Jesús verdaderamente es el Hijo de Dios. Pedro queda estupefacto ante este hecho y no encuentra las palabras adecuadas para explicarlo. Proclama: “Maestro, ¡qué a gusto que estamos aquí!” Esta reunión sí estuvo a la altura de las expectativas.

Sin embargo, a pesar de lo profundo que fue este momento, se les dijo que no se lo contara a nadie hasta que el Hijo del Hombre resucitara de entre los muertos. ¿Te imaginas lo difícil que debe haber sido guardar su alegría por dentro? ¡El Mesías había sido revelado de una de las maneras más profundas posibles y tenían que reprimir su entusiasmo!

Quizás nunca tengamos la oportunidad de conocer a nuestros héroes terrenales en persona, pero podemos encontrarnos con Cristo transfigurado cada vez que vamos a Misa. Jesús no sólo estaba mostrando su poder y amor en la lectura de hoy, sino que también estaba preparando a estos pocos elegidos para los otros milagros que iba a realizar. Uno de estos milagros es el hecho de que Jesús permanece con nosotros en el Santísimo Sacramento. Tenemos la oportunidad todos los días y en cada Misa de tener una audiencia privada con nuestro Héroe.

¿Cuánto dinero pagarías por conocer a tus héroes? ¿Cuánto tiempo y esfuerzo pondrías en conseguir pases detrás del escenario? Algo en lo que pensar durante este año en el que nos centramos en la verdadera presencia de Jesús en la Eucaristía es que no necesitamos un pase VIP. Tenemos asientos en primera fila para ver al Hijo de Dios todos los días. Lo único que tenemos que hacer es entrar a una iglesia y estar listos para recibir. Hagamos de eso nuestra prioridad este año.

De parte de todos nosotros aquí en Diocesan, ¡Dios los bendiga!

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The death of St. John the Baptist means his mission as the Precursor, the one crying out in the wilderness, is finished. This news sends Jesus to a deserted place to pray and reflect on the next stage of his own mission. But his solitude is very brief, as the crowds are there to meet him with their many needs.

Jesus could have stayed in the boat and rowed back out to sea for the prayer time he needed. He could have refused to step off the boat into the vast crowd of need. But he never draws back from loving generously, fully, personally. He is moved with pity for them and spends the whole day talking with them, hearing their pleas, curing their illnesses, encouraging them.

At the end of this long day, undoubtedly fatigued, the disciples suggest that Jesus send them all away to feed themselves (probably thinking that they – and Jesus – could then get some rest!). But Jesus is not done giving; he is never done giving. And he is not done teaching either; he is never done teaching. So he uses this as a teachable moment for the people and the disciples, telling the disciples to give them something to eat.

I like to imagine the look on the faces of the disciples, the glances they gave each other and the confusion they felt when they considered how to feed thousands of people with five loaves of bread and two fish. Focused on their own incapacity and shortage, they were not yet relying fully on the Lord’s power. But they were about to learn a profound lesson: no matter how little they have, when they put it into the Lord’s hands, it becomes more than sufficient! Jesus tells them: “Bring them here to me.”

Then he takes the loaves and fish, looks up to heaven and says the blessing, breaks the bread, and gives it to the disciples. Sound familiar? The four verbs used to describe what Jesus does are the same four verbs used to describe what Jesus will do at the Last Supper, and the same four verbs used to describe what the priest does at every single Mass: he took, blessed, broke, and gave the bread. And their meager supplies became, mysteriously, more than enough to feed the thousands of people who came to him that day. In fact, there were 12 baskets of leftovers.

The same is true for us: no matter how little we have, when we put it wholly into the Lord’s hands, it becomes more than enough! And when we receive the Eucharist, we have a profound opportunity to put everything, including our whole self, into the Lord’s hands. If we give generously, we can be confident that we will lack nothing! How can we open ourselves and offer ourselves fully to the Lord the next time we receive Communion?

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La muerte de San Juan Bautista significa que su misión como Precursor, aquel que clama en el desierto, ha terminado. Esta noticia envía a Jesús a un lugar desierto para orar y reflexionar sobre la siguiente etapa de su propia misión. Pero su soledad es muy breve, ya que las multitudes lo buscan allí para satisfacer sus múltiples necesidades.

Jesús podría haberse quedado en la barca y remado de regreso al mar durante el tiempo de oración que necesitaba. Podría haberse negado a bajar del barco hacia la gran multitud de personas necesitadas. Pero nunca deja de amar generosa, plena y personalmente. Se compadece de ellos y pasa todo el día hablando con ellos, escuchando sus súplicas, curando sus enfermedades, y animándolos.

Al final de este largo día, sin duda fatigados, los discípulos sugieren que Jesús los envíe a todos a alimentarse (probablemente pensando que así ellos – y Jesús – podrían descansar un poco). Pero Jesús no ha terminado de dar; nunca termina de dar. Y tampoco ha terminado de enseñar; nunca termina de enseñar. Él utiliza esto como un momento de enseñanza para el pueblo y los discípulos, diciéndoles que les den algo de comer.

Me gusta imaginar la expresión de los rostros de los discípulos, las miradas que se lanzaban unos a otros y la confusión que sentían al considerar cómo alimentar a miles de personas con cinco panes y dos peces. Centrados en su propia incapacidad y escasez, todavía no confiaban plenamente en el poder del Señor. Pero estaban a punto de aprender una lección profunda: por poco que tengan, cuando lo ponen en las manos del Señor, ¡se vuelve más que suficiente! Jesús les dice: “Tráiganmelos acá”.

Luego toma los panes y los peces, mira al cielo y dice la bendición, parte el pan y se lo da a los discípulos. ¿Suena familiar? Los cuatro verbos que se utilicen para describir lo que hace Jesús son los mismos cuatro verbos que se utilicen para describir lo que Jesús hará en la Última Cena, y los mismos cuatro verbos que se utilicen para describir lo que hace el sacerdote en cada Misa: tomó, bendijo, partió, y les dio el pan. Y la poca comida que tuvieron volvió misteriosamente más que suficiente para alimentar a las miles de personas que acudieron a él ese día. De hecho, quedaron 12 cestas de sobras.

Lo mismo ocurre con nosotros: no importa lo poco que tengamos, cuando lo ponemos totalmente en las manos del Señor, ¡se vuelve más que suficiente! Y cuando recibimos la Eucaristía, tenemos una profunda oportunidad de poner todo, incluido todo nuestro ser, en las manos del Señor. ¡Si damos generosamente, podemos estar seguros de que nada nos faltará! ¿Cómo podemos abrirnos y ofrecernos plenamente al Señor la próxima vez que comulguemos?

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