Small Offerings, Big Blessings
13 April 2018
God will use even the smallest and most insignificant thing you have to bless others.
In today’s Gospel, the human resources at hand, although inadequate and insufficient, are not swept aside but taken up and used. God does not think it beneath him to use human resources or capabilities, such as bread and fish. Instead, he delights in using even the most insignificant instrument to pour out his blessing on his people, providing for them in abundance.
In this miracle, Jesus reveals how God is towards us: nourishing, caring, lavish, and concerned for all our needs.
But, once we offer up our gifts and talents to God, we don’t get to dictate how he uses them. Sometimes it can be challenging to receive a gift from God without attempting to manipulate it for our ends. Just as the crowd tries to use this miracle to set Jesus up as king, we can also use God’s blessings to suit our desires.
So when we offer our gifts and our resources to him, it’s good to remember that God’s purposes are far beyond our purposes.
Saint Teresa of Calcutta said about Jesus, “He uses us to be his love and compassion in the world in spite of our weaknesses and frailties.”
Let us pray for the courage we need to risk giving even the little we have – God can make much of what we offer.