6 January, Tuesday – I’m going to tell everyone

Tuesday after Epiphany Sunday

1 Jn 4:7-10
Mk 6:34-44

“Give them something to eat yourselves.”

Jesus is speaking directly to his disciples with that command. 

Question: If we consider ourselves His disciples, could He be addressing those words to us as well? Of course He is, we know He is. But most of us feel unworthy, not yet knowledgeable enough, even awkward.

The following is part of a reflection from The Advent of Rescue:

There’s a love scene in one of the episodes of The Chosen, when Jesus is speaking with the woman at the well in Samaria. When she believes that he really is the Messiah, she says, “I’m going to tell everyone!” And Jesus responds to her, “I was counting on it.”…The woman at the well didn’t have any special training. She wasn’t in a position of prestige or authority. She didn’t have great financial resources. She wasn’t even accepted in her community.

If we are a disciple of Jesus Christ, we too must ‘give them some food and tell everyone’. Being a Catholic isn’t only about filling ourselves with scripture, Catholic books, prayers, information, education, attending to the Sabbath and all Holy Days at the celebration of Mass, praying before all meals, praying the rosary, etc. Being Catholic is about sharing our Lord and Saviour and what He has done/is doing in our lives. It can seem daunting, to truly ‘share the gospel’; we justify keeping our faith to ourselves so as not to impose or because we are waiting to share once we understand our Catholic faith ‘better’ so we don’t say the wrong thing, or can’t answer a question that is asked, or until we know ‘for sure’ that we have the correct ‘food’ at the correct moment?

“Give them something to eat yourselves.”

With the glories of our faith, we have many ways to share, many ways to invite, many opportunities to engage, many ways to ‘give them some food’. So, think back on these first six days of the new calendar year and reflect on when you ‘fed the gospel’ to those around you. 

We’re only six days into the new calendar year, so it’s not too late (it is never late at all) to start the year following Jesus’ command to ‘give them some food’. Let’s make this a year where we LOOK for daily opportunities to engage in fulfilling His command. When we decide to ‘give them some food’, it can be as simple as telling others what it is like to walk with Jesus. Listen, and the Holy Spirit will reveal when to ‘give them some food’ — the Holy Spirit will also speak through your voice. If you want to be a disciple, God will surely supply your needs to do so – He did with the woman at the well, He did with the apostles, He WILL with you as well.

(Today’s Oxygen by Gina Ulicny)

Prayer: Father God, we praise your Holy Name. Your words don’t simply speak life, your words are life. We ask you to speak into us and through us. 

Thanksgiving: Father God, thank you for the unlimited ways you support us throughout every minute of our lives. Thank you for all those who have given us food, the food of life. Thank you for your Son, who is the food of eternal life.