Br. Ed Van Merrienboer, OP

4000 people (1000 from all four directions) came to hear Jesus preach for three days, and in the end, had no food. Before they left, Jesus multiplied the loaves and the fishes so that there was an abundance of food for all, symbolizing the abundance of God's blessings for all the world. We carry on this mission today when we as Church and individually feed those in need.

Jesus healed a man who could not hear nor speak, to extend to him the compassion of God. May we extend this compassion to the deaf in our day, but also to those who won't listen to the word of God or never speak about it.

On this memorial of St. Anthony, Abbot (also known as St. Anthony of the Desert), we remember this courageous Desert Father who fought the devil with prayer. Prayer can be a powerful tools for keeping the evil that creeps into all of our lives at bay.

"If today you hear God's voice, harden not your heart." There are many ways in which God speaks to us, and perhaps the most clear way is through the humanity of the people we encounter. Be open to them and how they are doing, not just what they are doing.

When it was announced to Zechariah that he would be a father in his old age, he doubted the Angel Gabriel and was struck dumb. His silence, however, gave him the opportunity to reflect on God's power. If you have doubts, embrace God is silent contemplation and you might be given all that you need in that powerful encounter.

St. Joseph was confronted with the unbelievable situation of Mary's pregnancy, and he believed through the help of an angel, and a life of faith. Sometimes the demands of faith seem almost unbelievable to us, but if we live out our faith every day, we will have a greater ability to believe even difficult truths of our faith.