Today’s message could be summed up in psalm 145, “The hand of the Lord feeds us, he answers all our needs.” Each reading shows how carefully God feeds and cares for us, in an up-close and personal fashion. Elisha fed the crowd from twenty barley loaves. Jesus blessed a few loaves, and thousands were fed. Perhaps this seems far-fetched, but we read stories in the news about chefs taking the leftovers from fancy restaurants and feeding many people in a soup kitchen. As a schoolgirl, one of my favorite stories was “Stone Soup”, the tale of a couple of war-weary soldiers convincing the people of a frightened and starving little country village to bring out their meager supplies and share them to make a marvelous soup to feed the town. The second reading asks us to “Consider well our call.” How do we respond to those in need around us?

If we were to use one word to describe the Scriptures for today, it would be "compassion." In Jeremiah, God rails against those who have scattered the sheep, and vows to "gather the remnant" personally. We also hear the prophecy about the coming Messiah. In Ephesians, Christ is breaking down the walls of division between peoples and drawing them to be reconciled with God in peace. In Mark, Jesus calls the tire disciples away to rest and have some "me time," but even the crowds persisted. Jesus saw their spiritual hunger and neediness and was "moved with pity." All three situations involve looking beyond one’s own agenda to see the needs of others and respond. God models how to empathize with others. May we continue to learn to be kinder gentler and more caring for each other.

Mother Theresa challenge us to do ordinary things with extraordinary love. Basketball coach Jim Valvano said, “every single day and every walk of life ordinary people to extraordinary things.“ Sometimes we see extraordinary vocations, such as the child prodigy musician. But usually those whom God chooses to call our reluctant participants who either run from the call or ignore it Amos tells Amaziah “I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores.“ He looked after sheep and punched holes and fruit for a living! Now he was being called to prophecy. In Mark‘s gospel of the apostles are sent out two buy two to begin their ministry. Paul takes it further, telling the Ephesians, “In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the one who accomplishes all things.” This call goes out to all of us! How are you being called to be extraordinary this day?

In the Sunday Lectionary, the first reading is usually chosen from anywhere in the Hebrew Bible to tie together with the Gospel. Currently, the second reading is from Saint Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. Often the second reading is not so closely related to the day’s Gospel selection, because those books are read in a more continuous fashion from week to week. But today, all three of the scripture readings go together very well.