Homily for the Memorial of Saint John Vianney

Different people react differently to the same situation. In today's Gospel, we observe a significant contrast between Jesus's and the disciples' responses when faced with a large, hungry crowd in the wilderness. While the disciples wanted Jesus to send the crowd away, Jesus encouraged them to feed the crowd instead. He said, "Give them some food yourselves."

Initially, the disciples contended that they didn't have enough food to feed the crowd. However, Jesus persisted and asked them to bring the little food they could find to Him. Despite their doubts, the disciples obeyed Jesus' command and presented the food to Him. With those meager resources, the Lord was able to feed the crowd, assisted by His obedient disciples.

The Gospel message suggests that the Lord always motivates us to help others, even when we feel we lack sufficient resources. These resources are not limited to material possessions but also include our time, talents, and spiritual gifts. If we are generous with all we have, the Lord can use our contributions in remarkable ways.

The Lord can accomplish wonders through the ordinary and sometimes seemingly inadequate resources and gifts that we possess. Like the disciples in the Gospel, we must do our part, but the Lord works even greater miracles. However, if we are unwilling to contribute what we can with what we have, the Lord's ability to minister to others is limited. The Lord needs our resources, however small or inadequate they may seem, to continue His good work in our lives and in the world.