In today's Gospel we learn about how Jesus fed a crowd of 5000 with a few loaves of bread. This event foreshadows the sacrament we celebrate every Sunday - the Eucharist. Just as loaves of bread can satisfy our physical hunger, the Eucharist satisfies our spiritual hunger.
Come Holy Spirit, fill our hearts and our minds. Fill us with your peace, love, and understanding. Help us to hear God's message today and recognize His voice in our daily activities. Amen
Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God, and he healed those who needed to be cured. As the day was drawing to a close, the Twelve approached him and said, "Dismiss the crowd so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms and find lodging and provisions; for we are in a deserted place here." He said to them, "Give them some food yourselves." They replied, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people." Now the men there numbered about five thousand. Then he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty." They did so and made them all sit down. Then taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19aWWI2iPA8 (accredited to Catholic Kids Media)
Ask the young people what food they would order at this very moment if they had the chance.
Explain that the human body needs energy and that we have detectors in our brains that keep track of our energy supply. When the energy levels get low, these detectors send out a signal letting us know that we are hungry and that we need to replenish our energy.
Tell the young people that we use the word hunger to describe needs that human beings have other than food.
Arrange the young people in groups of thee or four and have them brainstorm a list of spiritual, emotional, and psychological things that human beings can be hungry for or in need of. Some examples include compassion, forgiveness, friendship, affirmation, and so on.
After a few minutes, invite the groups to report as you record their ideas on the board. Say: Just as our bodies require the proper nourishment for energy, we also need the proper nourishment for emotional and spiritual needs or hungers.
Ask whether anyone knows what we have for our spiritual nourishment. (the Eucharist)
Explain that, on the feast of the Body and Blood of Jesus, we give thanks for the meal of the Eucharist.
Ask: How much food was left over after the meal? (12 baskets)
Say: The Gospel is teaching us that, with Jesus, there is more than enough spiritual nourishment to go around. Jesus can satisfy our spiritual hungers, and we can always go back to him for more.
Conclude by praying the words we pray before coming forward to receive the Eucharist at Mass: Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word, and my soul shall be healed.
Father in heaven, for the sake of bringing others closer to you, we give you today, all that we think and do and say, and we join it with all that was done by Jesus Christ, your Son. Amen
