Saturday March 30

Matthew 14:13-21

Holly Swiglo

"And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children."

At the confirmation retreat last October, we sang a song called “Overflow.” One of my favorite parts of that song goes like this:

Overflow, let me overflow.

Fill my heart and my soul ‘till I overflow.

This song reminds me of the 12 baskets of food left over after Jesus fed the five thousand. Jesus will not only satisfy our needs, but give us even more than what we need - food, water, money, time, love, strength, support, etc. In whatever areas we “overflow,” we can show our love towards God by giving others the excess God has given us.

For the disciples, this meant giving the baskets of food to people who were hungy. For us, this could be volunteering at a homeless shelter, donating to a food shelf, or simply telling someone you care. This can be hard; we are often too busy, we try to impress others, and do what is easy, quick, or convenient.  However, by letting our lives “overflow,” God is calling us to serve. In this passage, Jesus shows us not to follow the crowd, but to do what is right, what God wants us to do. We might not be able to feed five thousand, but, we, too, can work miracles.

Questions for Reflection:

• What is one area of your life where you “overflow?”

• How will you serve others?

Prayer:

God, help us do what is right, what you are calling us to do. Help us use our gifts to serve. Amen.