If we listened carefully to our gospel reading, we heard Jesus ask his thick-headed apostles not just one question, but 8 questions. In fact, in the whole of Chapter 8 of Mark, there are at least 16 questions that Jesus asks.
Today the disciples were arguing about whose fault it was that they had only one loaf bread on board the boat. Can you imagine being on a boat with these burly, hungry, hardworking fishermen and discovering there was only one loaf of bread for everyone? I bet it was quite a heated blame game discussion! Jesus observed all this and made it a ‘teachable moment’. He began by asking them questions, trying in this way to get his followers to see who he truly is, and that he is the ‘bread of life’ they need. Trust him to help. Yet, the apostles still misunderstood him as much as the Pharisees did.
He reminded them of his loving care by giving them a little math lesson about what had happened so very recently. While preaching to crowds on 2 occasions, Jesus broke 5 loaves to feed 5000, and 7 loaves to feed another 4,000. Each time, too, there were many baskets of fragments left over. And now, these men, these disciples, these friends were worrying about not having bread for themselves when they were with someone who fed over 9000 people and had more bread left over than what he had initially! Finally, Jesus says to them: “Do you still not understand?”
We are disciples like those men in the boat. Imagine if Jesus were to ask us questions today. Perhaps they might sound like these:
- How’s your trust in Me these days?
- Do you read the scriptures and take my words seriously?
- How do you show others that you follow me?
- Do you know I really do love you?
His final question to the disciples in the boat might be the same question he asks us: “Do you still not understand?”
Fortunately for us, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that we were given Confirmation is that of Understanding. “The gift of understanding works in multiple ways. First, it helps us to be convinced of the truths of our faith. Second, it also assists us in drawing conclusions based upon our relationship to God, his role in the world and our call to share in his mission…. We need to pray for this gift especially when we are making life decisions. We ought to pray to know the perspective of God or, as the Bible phrases it, to understand “the ways of God.”[1]
Come, Holy Spirit, fill us with your grace, and today we ask that we are conscious of your gift of understanding so we can work, and work hard, at our practicing our faith in you.
https://catholiccourier.com/articles/why-we-need-the-holy-spirits-gift-of-understanding/
