Spiritual Food – Mark 8:1-10 Reflection
Jesus, as a teacher, knows that to share as He does, the disciples must know how to satisfy human needs. Otherwise, the disciples and those with spiritual needs could not understand spiritual matters. Jesus desires the same for us. For the most part, it is easy to understand that we must help those who are physically hungry. However, just as important, we need to approach those who are overstimulated in worldly ways. Only then can they appreciate the value of spiritual food. It may not seem possible to reach those who think they can be satisfied with human luxuries. With prayer and God’s help, we can learn to express Jesus as spiritual food because we are examples of consuming this type of food. Our graced spiritual mercy and compassion cannot be conditional regardless of whether someone is spiritually poor or rich in worldliness.
The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes by James Tissot. (full-resolution image of painting)
More details are available on the Brooklyn Museum website.
Additional Ordinary Time Reflections
Mark 8:1-10 – Scripture*
In those days when there was again a great crowd without anything to eat, he called his disciples and said to them, 2 “I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way—and some of them have come from a great distance.” 4 His disciples replied, “How can one feed these people with bread here in the desert?” 5 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” 6 Then he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed them to the crowd. 7 They had also a few small fish; and after blessing them, he ordered that these too should be distributed. 8 They ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 9 Now there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. 10 And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.
Additional Thoughts
Thank you for meditating on this Gospel and reading this Lectio Divina on Mark 8:1-10 Reflection – Jesus as Spiritual Food.
This site has written permission from New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) to use the Mark 8 Bible passage.
Would you like to contribute related thoughts to these Lectio reflections on the Gospel readings? Since Lectio is not the only contemplative prayer style, others might appreciate these types of expressions in this ministry. Do you see God’s grandeur everywhere and unconditionally enjoy sharing the love of Christ that you have inside? Are you willing to be anonymous in what you would share? If so, email me.
Prayer for young families:
Lord, let the young families of our communities get to know your joy, peace, comfort, and love despite worldly distractions.
Attributions
*This site has permission to use the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) Bible Mark 8 passage.
The Immersive Prayer website follows the guidelines for image web use at the Brooklyn Museum and the Jewish Museum websites.
Page and discussion group on these Lectio Divina daily Gospel Readings.
Discussion group on St. John of the Cross.