Preparation for Sunday mass: Luke 9:11-17

11 When the crowds found out about it, they followed him; and he welcomed them, and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed to be cured. 12 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." 13 But he 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." 14 For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, "Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each." 15 They did so and made them all sit down. 16 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. 17 And all ate and were filled. What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.

- The place where Jesus meets the crowds is "a deserted place" – the word in Greek is a wilderness place. What is the importance of the wilderness in the experience of the people of Israel? In a wilderness place, where there is no food and no water, how did the people of Israel survive? Who provided for the people?

- Why do the disciples want to send the people away? What are they forgetting in their concern for the people?

- Jesus gave plenty of food, even more than what was needed. What do we learn from him in this miracle? Do we trust him in the wilderness places of our lives?