Sunday Micro Retreat – June 19, 2022
As you begin your time of reflection, try to realize that you are standing on holy ground and that you are in the presence of God who wants to talk to you and who wants to listen to you.
Make the Sign of the Cross. The Holy Spirit is opening your heart and mind so the Word of God that you are about to read can flourish in you for God's glory. Pray that you continue to work with his grace. Let the words or your prayer flow from your mind, through your heart. Try to "feel" what you are saying.
Is there anything that you would like to ask God at this moment? What graces does your heart desire? Talk to God about it.
Today, we ask for the grace of understanding that God is closer to us than we are to ourselves
Now read the Sunday's Gospel:
Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed to be cured.
The day was drawing to a close, and the twelve came to him and said, "Send the crowd away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a deserted place."
But Jesus said to them, "You give them something to eat." They said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish — unless we are to go and buy food for all these people." For there were about five thousand men.
And Jesus said to his disciples, "Make the people sit down in groups of about fifty each." They did so and made them all sit down.
And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.
And all ate and were filled. What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces. (Luke 9,11-17)
The Word of God touches everyone differently. If there is anything that really stood out for you in this reading, meditate on it. Go to the depths of your heart and listen to what God is trying to say to you.
Next, let's spend some time with a couple of points that you may consider during this Sunday's Retreat:
1. " You give them something to eat."
Jesus's disciples informed him about a challenging situation on the ground: it was getting late, and people had nothing to eat; this was out of their hands. Surprisingly, Jesus responds with a new challenge by asking the disciples to feed the crowds. Can you imagine how overwhelmed this statement could have been? In the Gospel of Mark, we read that it would take 200 denarii to buy enough food for everyone there. To understand this financial proposition, know that a denarius at that time was equivalent to a full day's wage. There are 260 working days in a year. So, we are talking about the nine months' salary that was needed to buy enough food. Imagine that this is happening now: you are at an event, and Jesus is asking you to feed all the people who are there. You have only a few minutes to figure out how you are going to get the food or the money to buy the food. Keep the amount of food and money that is needed in mind.
How would you feel about this challenge? What would you do? What kind of thoughts would enter your mind? Would you give up and say that this is simply a crazy idea?
Now, recall something "crazy" that you have done in your past, but you did it because you had faith that Jesus called you to "do it." What was it? What were the results of this action? How did you feel about it at the end?
Finally, think about what Jesus is calling you to do now, in your current situation. Does it sound like "mission impossible?" Why? Why not?
2. "Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd"
The actions of Jesus in the above line connect us to the Last Supper. We have the elements of thanksgiving, breaking of the bread, and giving it to the disciples. Being able to feed everyone through this process reveals that Jesus will meet the "needs" of the people. This is a pre-configuration of the Sacrament of Eucharist, in which we get to be nourished by the Body and Blood of Jesus. Jesus meets the needs of his followers in many ways. He considers the needs not only of the body but of the soul as well. Not only that, he exceeds the expectations that we may have. It is clear when we read how much leftover food was collected.
Therefore, ask yourself how "full" do you feel after receiving the Eucharistic Jesus? Is your spiritual strength renewed? Or do you feel like you need an additional snack? If you are not feeling full, why do you think that is? What is your heart telling you?
At the end of this meditation, talk to Jesus about everything that 'was born' in your heart during this reflection. Tell him about your feelings, about your joys and fears that flow from this time of prayer. Be honest with him, and be grateful for everything that happened during this hour.
You may end this retreat by spending some time with the Eucharistic Jesus in the closest to you Perpetual Adoration Chapel.
It is good to keep a personal journal in which reflections that stood out for you are recorded. The outcome of those Sunday Micro Retreats is good material that you can talk about in your spiritual direction.
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