“Throwing ourselves entirely into the care of our Divine Compassionate Shepherd!”

(Based on 1 Jn 4:7-10 and Mk 6:34-44 – Tuesday after Epiphany)

One of the easiest doubts that crop up in our daily life is the “doubt in our abilities.”

How can I do the job?
How can I be expected to study so much?
How can I ever succeed in such a situation?
… etc.

Such a doubting of our abilities can leave many of our plans and aspirations to be at a standstill…

The Gospel of the Day brings us face-to-face with such kind of a situation – a situation of “doubts in abilities.”

It was a late evening…
The Lord had finished preaching the Word of God to a large crowd of people.

The disciples sensed that it had got too late and requested the Lord to send the people away so that they could fetch some food for themselves.

“This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.” (Mk 6: 36)

But the Lord had different plans… as always!

The Lord loves to challenge us in our comforts
The Lord loves to let loose our lethargic leanings
The Lord loves to instigate our insipid inhibitions

He tells the disciples, “You give them something to eat” (Mk 6: 37)

This statement came as a shocker for the disciples. “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?” (Mk 6:37)

The disciples were not prepared to accept the challenge of the Lord

They perhaps thought from a financial point of view…
It would be too expensive to feed so many!
… And doubting their ability, they thought – “How can it be possible?”

They perhaps thought from a sociological point of view…
It would be too impractical to handle so many!
… And doubting their ability, they thought – “How can it be possible?”

They perhaps thought from a comfort point of view…
It would be a botheration for us to look after so many!
… And doubting their ability, they thought – “How can it be possible?”

Logic sometimes tells us that some things are too hard.

Reason sometimes prompts us that some situations are too bad.
Brain sometimes puts forward that some circumstances are beyond our control.

But the Lord invites them to look at the strength of their ability… which is He Himself!

When problems come, we often “doubt our abilities” because we look only into ourselves…

We fail to look to the Lord, Who is the solution to our problems.

When difficulties encompass us, we often “doubt our abilities” because we think that we are the master of everything…
We fall short of recognizing the power of God, which is, in fact, our true strength.
When crisis befalls us, we often “doubt our abilities,” because we get totally tensed and worried within ourselves…

We do not look up and see the hand of God, waiting to lead and guide us.

The Disciples, who were “doubting their abilities”, finally let themselves into the ways of the Lord…

And then the miracle happened!

When we entrust everything into God’s hands, miracles occur

When we have faith in the mighty Providence of the Lord, wonders take place

Before the Lord… logic can dissolve!

Before the Lord… reason can be floored!
Before the Lord… brains can be put to shame!

Yes…
… Life will continue to challenge us with problems, wherein we “doubt our abilities.”
… Life will always ambush us with painful difficulties, wherein we “doubt our abilities.”

Let all those moments, be a chance for us to allow the Lord to multiply His blessings in us.
Let all those occasions, be an opportunity for us to let the Lord increase His grace in us.

As St Paul of the Cross tells us, “Let us throw ourselves into the ocean of His goodness, where every failing will be cancelled, and every anxiety turned into love.”

Let us throw ourselves entirely into the care of our Divine Compassionate Shepherd!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
ONE GREAT TREE, WITH MANY BRANCHES

“From the God-given seed of the counsels a wonderful and wide-spreading tree has grown up in the field of the Lord, branching out into various forms of the religious life lived in solitude or in community.
Different religious families have come into existence in which spiritual resources are multiplied for the progress in holiness of their members and for the good of the entire Body of Christ.”
From the very beginning of the Church there were men and women who set out to follow Christ with greater liberty, and to imitate him more closely, by practicing the evangelical counsels.
They led lives dedicated to God, each in his own way.
Many of them, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, became hermits or founded religious families. These the Church, by virtue of her authority, gladly accepted and approved.

Bishops will always strive to discern new gifts of consecrated life granted to the Church by the Holy Spirit; the approval of new forms of consecrated life is reserved to the Apostolic See (CCC # 917-919)