Sermon Notes – Miracle of the Loaves & Fishes
“The Miracle of the Loaves & Fishes”
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
July 28th and 29th, 2018
Scripture: John 6: 1-5
1 After this, Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee [of Tiberias]. 2 A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish feast of Passover was near. 5 When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?”
Philip told Jesus that they didn’t have enough money to feed everyone. The apostles never quite got it right. Even after all of the miracles they had seen, they still flunked the lesson because of a lack of faith.
At the wedding in Cana, Mary told the servers to “do whatever He tells you” (John 2:5). We, too, must do whatever he tells us by using whatever talents we have.
God has given us talents, and we must use them. Our talents are not limited to skills, but can include the crosses we bear, illnesses we have endured, or experiences that have shaped us. Our essential talent is to love God.
For example, there are priests who are more talented, but in different ways. There are those who have advanced degrees. Some are skilled administrators. Others are eloquent speakers. However, those priests may not be able to make people laugh when they are going through the darkest of days, or know how to help soldiers with PTSD, or they may shy away from hospital “yuck.”
The Lord asks us to do things for Him, but we find reasons for why we cannot even though He has given us what we need to go out and tell the good news. He has given us firm, concrete instructions…to spread His love and help save souls wherever we are.
Our common mission on the divine scale is huge…make God’s love manifest in the world. We may never see the results of our efforts, but, that’s not what is important. We are planting seeds and doing “whatever He tells us to do.”
How will you apply this message to your life? Will you “do whatever He tells you”?