May 2, 2025 // Memorial of Saint Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: John 6:1-15
Reflect on the Word //
Today, this is all I’ve got: the pain in my limbs, a heavy fatigue that drenches my body and mind, and a soreness of heart that just wants to crawl under the covers and quit. The need in me—and around me—is overwhelming. I have no means to address it. My “loaves” are filled with mold and my “fish” are stinking and rotten.
When the crowds swelled and their hunger grew, Andrew turned to the Lord that day to say, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” (John 6:8-9) And how did He reply?
“Have the people recline” (John 6:10). Then He went on to feed them all, effortlessly, thousands of people, young and old, and so hungry, not only for food but for the Lord. They were hungry for Him.
Today, I pray for the grace to accept His invitation. To recline at His feet, to lay down before Him and trust that He knows what He will do, and that no amount of need frightens Him, intimidates Him, disheartens Him. We could fill an ocean with our murky need, but He’d just sit on the beach of it and smile. He’d raise His hands above it, make it clear and shining, and give it a lovely rhythmic tide to lap at His feet. He could touch that ocean of endless want and make it a world full of life—fishes and corals, energy and food, enough for a universe.
I’m so hungry for the Lord, too, and this I know in my bones: My need doesn’t worry Him. He can touch my weakness and need, and not only make it fruitful and nourishing, but fruitful beyond my wildest expectations.
Sister, your need, your hunger, whatever it may be, does not worry Jesus. Accept His invitation. Recline at His feet and let Him touch you, just as you are, and make you fruitful beyond your imagining in building up His Kingdom.
Relate to the Lord // Pour out all of your wants and needs before Jesus, in your journal, prayer chair, or Adoration.
Liz Kelly Stanchina is a jazz singer who met Jesus in late-night adoration. She is the community leader for women’s formation at the Word on Fire Institute and the author of more than a dozen award-winning books, including Jesus Approaches, Love Like a Saint, and the Blessed is She Advent devotional A Thrill of Hope. She holds advanced degrees in creative writing and Catholic studies. She is trained as a spiritual director, leading retreats and speaking around the world with a particular focus on helping women to flourish in their faith. Visit her website at LizK.org or follow her on Instagram at LizKToday.
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