What is it that makes a life fulfilling? What brings satisfaction to our days? Today God invites us to come to him with our hungers and thirsts. God wants to satisfy us.

The narrative of the multiplication of loaves and fishes was especially meaningful to the early Church. This is the only miracle story that appears in all four Gospels. When Jesus sees the crowd, his heart is moved. He knows that the people are in need and he does not send them away. Jesus takes what human effort brings him (five loaves and two fishes), blesses it and multiplies it. The result is superabundance! God generously and surprisingly fulfils the needs of his people through Christ.

Yet, there is more to the story. This narrative is a beautiful image of cooperation with Christ. Today we look out and see a world with many needs. The sheer magnitude of society's challenges can easily lead us to doubt our ability to ever make a difference. Yet, when faith and love prompt us to act concretely, we open ourselves up to the possibility that even our small actions will be amplified by God's grace. We are invited to present our human efforts - our loaves and fishes - to Christ trusting deeply that God is indeed surprisingly generous.