sick. Then lifting up his eyes, Jesus saw the crowds that were coming to him, and said to Philip,
“Where shall we buy bread so that these people may eat?” He said this to test Philip, for he himself
knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred silver coins would not buy
enough bread for each of them to have a piece.” Then one of Jesus’ disciples Andrew, Simon Peter’s
brother, said, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these
for so many?”

Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed
them to those who were seated. He did the same with the fish, and gave them as much as they
wanted. And when they had eaten enough, he told his disciples, “Gather up the pieces left over,
that nothing may be lost.”

When the people saw the miracle which Jesus had performed, they said, “This is really the
Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.”

Jesus realized that they would come and take him by force to make him king; so he fled to the
hills by himself.

Reflect

Some people have the unique ability to analyze problems and identify solutions. They cut through
all of the noise and distractions that tend to surround difficult problems, focusing on the most
essential elements to identify and evaluate the possible solutions.

Gamaliel, whom we meet in the first reading, was just such a thinker. A renowned teacher who
counted Paul among his students, his primary focus is on discerning what is of God and what
is of the world. By keeping God’s will at the center of his thinking, he was able to make good
decisions and give thoughtful and wise advice.

We need to follow Gamaliel’s example in every decision that we make. We should ask ourselves
how each option will fulfill God’s will and how it will help us to live a holy life. When we fail to
place God’s will at the heart of our decisionmaking,
we too may find ourselves fighting God.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2023