When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” He said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.” (Mt 14:13-21)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080122.cfm
“Give them some food yourselves” has always been the work of the church. The very center of our worship is the Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, the meal that satisfies the deepest hungers of the human family. As the gospel writer tells us: “They all ate and were satisfied.” The prayer of self-offering of Saint Alphonsus forms part of his meditations on the Way of the Cross: “I love you, Jesus, my love, with my whole heart. I repent of ever having offended you. Never permit me to offend you again. Grant that I may love you always, and then do with me as you will.”
These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
Saint Alphonsus Liguori, bishop & doctor, August 1
