Tuesday after Epiphany : Tuesday 7th January 2020

In the ‘Multiplication of Bread’, the disciples played an important role. Though they asked Jesus to dismiss the crowd, they followed Jesus’ words and helped ‘feeding’ the people.

Being the Shepherd-Jesus, He revealed the shepherd-like concern for His people. Today, we, the followers of Jesus, are called to listen to Shepherd’s call and respond to the needy ones around us. With Jesus’ compassion and love for the human family, we will experience the ‘miracle of abundance’.

Today, we are asked to reach out to these marginalized, deprived and exploited brethren so that they may experience the security, freedom and abundance of God’s reign on earth.

Such actions reveal the LOVE that the first reading talks about — God’s love for all and shown in the person of Jesus who was crucified to take away our sins.

Today we are also challenged to see how we can reveal Jesus/God’s love to people around us, making real what M. Gandhi once said, “To a starving person God will appear in the form of bread alone.” He would have read about the miracles of the ‘multiplication of bread’ or experienced in his own life.

Let us take heed of the call from God to be Shepherds to those who need our attention and sharing of ourselves as well as what we can share with them.

“Lord, help us to be like You as shepherds to the needy ones around us.”