Today’s Reflection
Gospel: Luke 12: 13-21
August 04, 2025 | Monday

Today’s Gospel

When Jesus heard of it, he set out by boat for a secluded place, to be alone. But the people heard of it, and they followed him on foot from their towns. When Jesus went ashore, he saw the crowd gathered there, and he had compassion on them. And he healed their sick.

Late in the afternoon, his disciples came to him and said, “We are in a lonely place and it is now late. You should send these people away, so that they can go to the villages and buy something for themselves to eat.”

But Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat.” They answered, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fishes.” Jesus said to them, “Bring them here to me.”

Then he made everyone sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fishes, raised his eyes to heaven, pronounced the blessing, broke the loaves, and handed them to the disciples to distribute to the people. And they all ate, and everyone had enough; then the disciples gathered up the leftovers, filling twelve baskets. About five thousand men had eaten there, besides women and children.

Today’s Reflection

Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. John Vianney, the patron and model of pastors of the flock. He personifies spiritual devotion, life modeling, and ministerial service to his flock. Despite his academic limitations, he overcomes these by his zeal for the Eucharist, dedication to his life as a confessor, and austerity of lifestyle.

The Book of Numbers was actually a record of several censuses of the people of Israel and the mandates for the tribes of Israel in their journey in the desert. Part of this journey is the consciousness of being a nation or a people, gradually formed into cohesion. There are many lapses, mumbling, and rumbling among them, but it shows God as loving and caring for His people. The hardships and difficulties they endured show the tendency of people to compare their previous life in Egypt, though as slaves, they were provided with some provisions. Even Moses was exasperated by their clamoring and rumbling of the provisions provided by God. However, the passage presents a loving and caring God.

In a deserted place, God shows his paternal care. The Lord nourishes those who follow Him. The meager food becomes plenty for those who hunger for His words; coincidentally, their physical hunger is nourished. Even to the extent that He made it possible to fit twelve baskets for the people of God. Do we have this same hunger for or longing for that when nourished and do not forget to share it with others? Our experience of the Lord should be shared with others.

/Vulnerasti, 2025