Word and sacrament constitute the core of our ministry – but bread and blankets are almost as important!

This week’s Gospel (Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 ) is composed of two passages linked by their similar content: the story of Jesus and the apostles going away to a deserted place for some time on their own, but being interrupted by the crowds with their great needs. And the story of the crowds coming to Jesus in Gennesaret for healing.

Between these two passages, Mark tells the stories of the feeding of the five thousand and Jesus walking on water. Mark uses stories within stories quite frequently! In this case, he ties together stories of Jesus’ teaching and healing ministry with an account of his providing bread – a story with eucharistic overtones.

I guess that we have all felt like the disciples may have felt – hurried and harried and overtaken by interruptions. Maybe also we have felt like the people who came to Jesus sick in body and sick in spirit – in desperate need of Jesus’ healing touch.

Teaching, feeding and healing show Jesus’ concern for people’s physical and spiritual welfare, providing a model for ministry that has served the church well through the centuries. Word and sacrament constitute the core of our ministry – but bread and blankets are almost as important!