GOD FEEDS US

 

How much food can you eat? Have you ever eaten so much food that you say out loud, “I can’t eat another bite.” I’ve done that, but I have also returned to the table or the fridge not long after and grabbed another bite of turkey or stuffing or pie.

I mention that because in our Gospel today (Mark 6:30-44), Jesus provided enough food for people to eat that the leftovers filled 12 baskets. I am not surprised that God is generous. Are you? Well, you shouldn’t be. Look in your pantry and refrigerator and you will see how much food God provided for your family.

Of course, your parents earned money and they spent it on food at the grocery store or picked it from their garden, but the One who provides food for all living creatures is God. Jesus once said, “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them” (Matt 6:26). Psalm 147:9 reminds us that God “provides food for the animals, and for the young ravens when they call.”

Not only does God feed us with food, but also with His Word and Sacraments. Along with pastors, parents and people of faith, these are the means of grace that nourish our bodies and souls.

That said, we should always pray before and after eating our meals. At our table, we read from Portals of Prayer and pray. Here’s a good prayer to know: “Lord God, heavenly Father, bless us and these Your gifts which we receive from Your bountiful goodness, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” You may choose a different prayer, but whatever you say, thank God for all you have before you: food, family, friends and faith.

With that, let us pray. Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Bless these and all children, and give their parents the spirit of wisdom and love, so that the homes in which they grow up may be to them an image of Your Kingdom, and the care of their parents a likeness of Your love. We pray in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.