Saturday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Bread for the hungry
Other Celebrations for this Day:
Liturgical Cycle: A | Lectionary Cycle: I
Introduction
The first reading describes the efforts of King Jeroboam to strengthen the political separation of the northern tribes of Israel by adding to it a religious separation.
Gospel. Jesus, on the other hand, brings people together and gives them something to eat when they are hungry, as a sign of his mercy, his efforts toward unity, and of the food of the Eucharist. Let us seek this unity and this food.
Opening Prayer
To those who are not filled with themselves,
you reveal yourself Lord, our God,
as the giver of all good things.
Make us yearn for justice and peace
and for all things that endure.
Give us a copious meal
of your word and your life
through him who is our bread of life,
Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (4a) Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
We have sinned, we and our fathers;
we have committed crimes; we have done wrong.
Our fathers in Egypt
considered not your wonders.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
They made a calf in Horeb
and adored a molten image;
They exchanged their glory
for the image of a grass-eating bullock.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
They forgot the God who had saved them,
who had done great deeds in Egypt,
Wondrous deeds in the land of Ham,
terrible things at the Red Sea.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Prayers of the Faithful
– For agencies of international aid, for governments and the United Nations, that they may use all human potentials and all the resources of science and nature to feed the hungry and to develop the earth, we pray:
– For all Christian communities, that they may not abandon anyone in need and that we may open-handedly serve one another, we pray:
– For this community gathered here to break the Lord’s bread, that the Spirit of the Lord make us the sign of God’s generosity and love, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
God, our generous Father,
in these simple gifts of bread and wine,
of everyday food and drink,
you let Jesus, your Son,
give himself to us
as the bread of life.
In the strength of this bread,
may we become to one another
fresh bread broken and shared
to nourish one another
on our journey to you.
We ask you this through Christ, our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
We give you thanks, generous Father,
for giving us Jesus, your Son,
as our food for the road
to you and to one another.
Give us the will and the creativity
to bring to a hungry world
food and a fair share
in the goods of the earth.
But help us also to break the bread
of dignity and hope to all.
And be yourself the highest fulfillment
of all our aspirations,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Blessing
When we pray the Our Father, we ask the Lord to give us our daily bread. That is not only the food of every day, and the Eucharist, but all we need from day to day. May God give you this and bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTION
Mark 8: 1-10
Living the Gospel of Compassion
In today’s Gospel, we see Jesus moved with pity for the people. His heart is not indifferent to their hunger—both physical and spiritual. He sees their struggles, their thirst for truth, their silent suffering, and He acts. Yet, Jesus does not perform the miracle alone; He asks His disciples to bring what they have, however small. With their humble offering, He multiplies the loaves and satisfies the crowd.
True hope begins with a heart that sees. Like Jesus, we are called to recognize the needs of others—not just material needs, but the hunger for love, dignity, and faith. Who in my life is hungry for encouragement, kindness, or a listening ear?
Often, we feel that what we can do is too small to make a difference. But in God’s hands, even the little we give can be multiplied. Whether it’s time, prayer, or service, how can I contribute to bringing hope to others today?
The miracle happened because the disciples and the crowd participated. Hope is not an individual journey, but a shared mission. How can I build communion in my parish, family, or community?
As Pilgrims of Hope, we are invited to trust that God will multiply our efforts. Let us journey forward with compassionate hearts, generous hands, and faith that, through Christ, there is always enough.
Lord, make us instruments of Your hope. Teach us to see, to give, and to trust in Your abundance. Amen.
Living the Gospel of Compassion - Youtube
Mk 8:1-10
Be protagonists of change
For a present-day reader of the gospel, the behaviour of those four thousand people would seem absurd. They left their homes to follow a preacher, even ignoring their basic needs. They chose to remain close to Christ, and he was “moved with pity”, because they were hungry.
Two miraculous feedings are mentioned in Mark within three chapters, the first one in chapter six. In the first feeding, the crowd was mostly Jewish. There, Jesus was immersed in preaching, and the disciples alerted him to the physical needs of the people. Inthe second, it was on the “other side” populated mostly by pagans. Here it is Jesus who becomes concerned about people going hungry and alerts the disciples who don’t seem very interested and bring upexcuses.
When it comes to being Church, if we limit ourselves to ministering only to Christians, Jesus keeps shaking us awake to the everyday needs of those on the other side as wall—for everyone matters.
Jesus had the power to fix the problem of hunger. But he didn’t fix it himself but invited disciples to be missionaries to feed the hungry. “How many loaves do you have?” is the question. Today, Jesus asks us as well. No matter how insignificant or little it is, what we have is enough for God, provided we are willing to share.
In the Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit #174, Pope Francis appeals to the youth of the world: “Please, do not leave it to others to be protagonists of change. You are the ones who hold the future! Jesus was not a bystander. He got involved. Don’t stand aloof, but immerse yourselves in the reality of life, as Jesus did. ...fight for the common good, serve the poor, be protagonists of the revolution of charity and service, capable of resisting the pathologies of consumerism and superficial individualism.”