Daily Gospel Reflection for February 12, 2022

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Today's Gospel: Mark 8:1-10

In this passage from the Gospel of Mark, we read about the feeding of the four thousand. Yes, four thousand. I remember when I was young, I did not know there was another story of a miraculous meal.

The feeding of the five thousand by the Sea of Galilee is so much more famous that many Christians don't even realize that there is another passage where Jesus miraculously feeds a large crowd. The feeding of the four thousand, like that of the five thousand, is a foreshadow of the miracle of the Eucharist. The difference in the details helps us understand that Eucharistic miracle a little more. In Mark's Gospel, Jesus is given seven loaves to distribute. We can see the significant foreshadowing in the seven days of creation and how this sharing of the seven loaves point to the "new" creation: the day of Christ's resurrection and Him as the new Adam. See also that the crowd had been with Him three days (hmm...a foreshadow of another three days?).

Jesus gave His flesh and blood on the cross and gives Himself to us in the miracle of the Eucharist. Here in the wilderness, we see Christ's compassion for the crowd's physical needs, but we also see a foreshadowing of His fulfillment of our spiritual needs.

All we need is Christ. As He said in John 6, after the "other feeding," "Whoever eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood remains in Me and I in him."

Ponder:

Do you see the miracle of the Eucharist in this passage?

Pray:

O Lord, help us to remember that Your gift of the Eucharist is indeed a miracle. Help us to appreciate it and love You with our whole heart.

Click to tweet:
We can see the significant foreshadowing in the seven days of creation and how this sharing of the seven loaves points to the "new" creation: the day of Christ's resurrection and Him as the new Adam. #dailygospel

Daily Gospel 2