Daily Reflections

Scripture:

1 John 4:7-10
Mark 6:34-44

Reflection:

He said to them in reply, “Give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him, “Are we to buy two hundred days’ wages worth of food
and give it to them to eat?” -Mark 6:37

I attended my brother-in-law’s funeral this past weekend via Facebook. He was 93 years old.  Sitting at my very familiar desk, (the funeral was in Jamestown New York) watching a very familiar ritual (the Catholic Funeral Mass-I’m 79 years old) I was totally mystified by the fact that Bill’s remains in front of the altar where we not only recall, but once again sacrifice the body and blood of Jesus, that Bill too, by his very life shares in this sacrifice. Bill attended Mass daily. His attendance on this day is just the culmination of a life given for others.  Maybe another way of saying this is that we are, or can all be, food for one another.

Bill gave his life, as I get to do, one day at a time, getting up, going to work, providing for his family, and contributing to the well-being of the community, all the while giving thanks for the gift of life. A gift full of challenges as well as delights, and moments of joy, peace and hope.

Jesus tells his apostles in today’s selection from Mark to: “Give them some food yourselves.” I wonder if we can just interpret this as meaning that we should offer ourselves on the altar, along with Jesus, not by killing ourselves, but by living fully for each other? If we do this we will one day, like my brother-in-law, Bill, lie with no life left in us, because we have totally given it, one day at a time, so that it is not only “…, two hundred days’ wages…” as mentioned in today’s scripture quote above, but a lifetime of gifts of self.

God, help me give fully of myself today and join in Your Son’s sacrifice of His body and blood, His life given that we all might live. God, thank You for the gift of life today. Help me be nourishment to Your Body, Your presence in the world, by freely giving all that I have, am and do today.

Dan O’Donnell is a Passionist Partner and a longtime friend of the Passionists.  He lives in Chicago, Illinois.