Jesus asks: will you share your loaves and fishes?

All talents, all gifts of the earth, belong to God. We are given these things to equip us to work in the Lord's vineyard. The question is, how will we use these gifts? Will we hoard them to ourselves, bury them in the ground, or invest them in Christ?

When we present the Lord with our loaves and fishes, He multiplies them and feeds the multitude.

Highlights

By Marshall Connolly (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
11/29/2021 (2 years ago)

Published in Christmas / Advent

Keywords: Giving Tuesday, gifts, sharing, Jesus, loaves, fishes

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - Each person is given talents from God. We are each given a small portion of the goods of the earth to use for whatever purpose we choose. Some are given very little, others are given much. But the call to each of us is the same. Throughout His ministry, Jesus explained how we ought to use these gifts. Several parables provide us with advice, and it's all consistent. We have a duty to God and each other, to invest our talents in spreading the Gospel. When we do this, when we contribute our humble loaves and fishes, the Lord multiplies them and feeds the masses. 

This much is understood, but how exactly should a person go about doing this? Not everyone has the ability to become a missionary, or to sell all they have and give it to the poor. The good news is, this is rarely asked. What is asked is that we contribute a simple loaf or a fish. 

And what is the value of this gift? Inestimable. 

Contribute your loaves and fishes now!

Jesus multiplies what we give, so that it benefits many. This miracle was famously demonstrated in the Gospel of Matthew, 14:13-21, when he feeds the five thousand. What few realize (and hopefully you do!) is this miracle is repeated daily. 

One way you can see this in action is to visit www.catholiconline.school. Catholic Online School is only a few years old, yet there's nearly one million enrollments. And here's the miracle: it's free. The school charges no tuition. In other words, there are up to a million souls (Note: we actually estimate many more than this, which go unrecorded thanks to sharing, both online and off, we just don't have any data for a reasonable figure.) on the planet learning about their Catholic faith, for free. 

And it's making a difference. We get letters and email from all around the world, from catechists in the poorest places, telling us Catholic Online School is the only material they have for everyday, magisterial Catholic instruction. Letters from places where books are rare and expensive, but the internet and smart devices are available for students to share. It is in these places that Catholic education makes a massive impact. 

Make an impact now!

But Catholic Online School is impacting your communities as well. Multiple parishes are now using the school to facilitate faith formation. They're sparing priests and catechists from the heavy duty of writing their own curriculum, allowing them to focus more time on direct instruction and other duties. The school is a lifesaver for many. 

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And there are plenty of homebound Catholics who wanted to learn about their faith, but just haven't had the time or know how to start. Countless people are rediscovering the joy of the Catholic faith through the convenience of Catholic Online School. 

But how can this be when it is free? 

Well, Catholic Online School is supported by donations. And not too many either. But somehow, it just works. A few small donations that recur over serval months pay the cost to professionally produce a video. They pay for webhosting and other services required to keep the school live. They pay for the development of new curriculum. 

Yes, this work is actually expensive, but this is where we see the miracles each day. The humble loaves and fishes contributed by people who want to invest their talents in Christ's vineyard are multiplied by Him. They always add up to just enough. 

This Tuesday is Giving Tuesday. And you have a chance to contribute your own humble loaves and fishes to the Lord, where He will turn them into a miracle that will feed another five thousand. 

We hope you will answer the call, and do your part to spread the Gospel this Advent season.