Today’s Reflection
Gospel: Matthew 15: 29-37
December 3, 2025 | Tuesday

Today’s Gospel

From there, Jesus went to the shore of Lake Galilee, and then went up into the hills, where he sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing the dumb, the blind, the lame, the crippled, and many with other infirmities. People carried them to the feet of Jesus, and he healed them. All were astonished when they saw the dumb speaking, the lame walking, the crippled healed, and the blind able to see; and they glorified the God of Israel.

Jesus called his disciples and said to them, “I am filled with compassion for these people; they have already followed me for three days and now have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away fasting, or they may faint on the way.” His disciples said to him, “And where shall we find enough bread in this wilderness to feed such a crowd?” Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They answered, “Seven, and a few small fish.”

Jesus ordered the people to sit on the ground. Then, he took the seven loaves and the small fish, and gave thanks to God. He broke them and gave them to his disciples, who distributed them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the leftover pieces filled seven wicker baskets.

Today’s Reflection

Like the more popular feeding of the five thousand, the miraculous feeding of the four thousand (see Mt 15:38) comes about because of the Lord’s compassion for the crowd composed of the sick and the hungry. Jesus’ compassion for them is more than feeling sorry for their pitiful plight. It entails a gut-wrenching desire to do something concrete to alleviate their suffering, as implied in the Greek word for having compassion in the Gospel passage, namely, splagchnizomai. The noun cognate of this verb, splagchnon, refers to internal organs, particularly the heart, and stomach. In other words, Jesus gets so deeply moved or disturbed by their plight that he can only be at peace when the sick get cured and, more urgently, when all get fed.

Indeed, Jesus takes specific actions to feed the

crowd. With the help of his disciples, he gathers what they have (seven loaves of bread and a few small fish), gives thanks, and blesses them. Then, he gives them to his disciples, who distribute the food to the crowd. Miraculously, the food at their disposal is more than enough. All ended up satiated, and the leftover food amounted to seven baskets.

When we encounter those suffering from illness or injustice, we are often moved with compassion. Like the Lord, we should allow ourselves to deeply empathize with their plight, feeling their pain as if it were our own. This deep empathy should not just be a passing feeling but a call to action. We should remain restless until we take concrete steps to end or at least ease their suffering. It’s important to remember that we can’t do it alone. We must collaborate with those who can provide tangible help. Above all, we should seek the Lord’s blessing, as our individual efforts can only do so much. But with the Lord’s blessing, we can achieve far more than we could ever imagine.

/Vulnerasti, 2025