Today’s Gospel reading is rich with relevance and importance. I’m confident that you could find the vast majority of the Gospel themes in just these fifteen verses alone. But what captures my attention as I reflect on this passage today is the theme of thanksgiving. 

Now I have to be honest, for the better part of my life I thought of thanksgiving as a thing I was supposed to really focus on once a year (specifically in the month of November), but was mostly just meant to be an afterthought, a practice I got around to if I felt I had the time. But over the past couple years, my understanding of thanksgiving has completely shifted. It’s become less of a general theme that I felt obligated to uphold and more of a practical reality that has drawn me into a deeper understanding of God’s love for me.

But what strikes me in today’s passage is that Christ shows us that thanksgiving precedes the miracle. Did you catch that? The Gospel author tells us that “Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining” (v.11). Thanksgiving was the key, the catalyst through which Christ’s miracle came to fruition. Thanksgiving precedes the miracle.

Now this general theme of thanksgiving might be all nice and dandy but let’s take a couple moments to get practical. Where in our lives can we come face to face with the reality that thanksgiving precedes the miracle? 

Well I’m so glad you asked, because this might actually be the best part. You see, the Church, in Her wisdom, offers us an opportunity to get up close and personal with this truth each and everyday. Here’s a little bit of background info for you. (Warning: slightly nerdy but excessively useful information ahead.) So the word thanksgiving actually comes from the greek word eucharisteo (meaning to be grateful or to give thanks). Sound familiar? Well shockingly enough, eucharisteo is the root from which we get the word, Eucharist (which we as Catholics believe is the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ). And where can we find the Eucharist daily? In the Sacred Liturgy, during which the priest (you guessed it) gives thanks on behalf of the whole congregation before speaking the words of consecration over the host. Thanksgiving precedes the miracle. 

It’s so easy to believe that miracles are reserved for those who lived and walked with Christ on earth. But the reality is that we have the opportunity, not just to be witnesses to, but to be a part of the greatest miracle in history each and every day. Thanksgiving precedes the miracle. ​

​"I have so many things to be grateful for."

"I am thankful."

"I am grateful."

​Begin a habit of gratitude and thanksgiving today by writing down at least five things you are grateful for. Repeat this every day for a week to stretch your gratitude muscles and be more aware of the miracles around you!

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"Today's prayer was prepared by Lauren Wright, a Youth Minister in Rockford, IL. 
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Imagine being with Peter and the Apostles in front of the Sanhedrin. The ones who brought Christ to His death were now threatening the lives of the Apostles. Still, nothing could keep the Apostles from proclaiming the greatness of the Risen Lord.

It is so easy to deny Christ. It is so easy to just not bring Him up. Nobody forces you to love Jesus, not even He forces you to love Him or receive eternal life. It is entirely your own free choice. The Apostles were not forced to stand up for the truth of the Resurrection or all the good works of Christ, but they freely chose to proclaim Him. They listened to the last command of Christ to “make disciples of all nations.” They chose to “obey God rather than men.”

Peter and the Apostles were not afraid to boldly proclaim Good News of Jesus Christ. Sometimes it can feel like that boldness and trust in the Lord is hard to come by these days. How often do you see someone contradict the norms of society with the truths of Christ? How often do we hear that there is no such thing as sin, that as long as you’re a good person you’ll be fine. How often do you hear that God doesn’t even exist? Well Christ has told us something different. We do mess up and our sins bring us away from God. Being a good person is great, keep it up, but there is so much greatness offered to us. There is so much love that is found in relationship with God. There is grace, joy, love, peace, eternal rest, and more. Being a good person is okay, but it misses out on all that God has to offer us. 

This is what the Apostles are proclaiming. There is a Savior who has taken on the debt of our sins and has brought us back into a relationship with God. He was killed by man but “God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.” We have the opportunity to receive the sacraments, to be reconciled with God through the grace of Jesus Christ. The Apostles were witnesses of this, but we too “are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we go out and spread the Good News with the same boldness of Peter and Apostles. There is so much to receive from God and so much to give to others. Let us follow the examples of the Apostles and obey God rather than men through boldly proclaiming the Truth that is Jesus Christ. ​

What would it be like to be with the Apostles standing before the Sanherdrin? Are you ever ridiculed for your faith in Jesus Christ?

Who is your example of a disciple of Jesus who is bold in their faith? What about their example inspires your own faith in Christ?

Do you trust that the Holy Spirit will always be with you, especially in the difficult times, like standing up for God? How can you grow to follow the example of the Apostles' dependence on the Holy Spirit? ​

​Spend time with the Holy Spirit today. Get to know Him better through prayer and grow in your relationship together. When in prayer, ask for the intercession of Peter and the Apostles, that they would pray for your courage in faith. After prayer time, go out in confidence and trust in the truth of Jesus Christ. Stand up for Him and all that He did for the salvation of all of mankind.

​Today's prayer was prepared by Mary Griffin, a Senior Theology and Catechetics major at Franciscan University of Steubenville. 
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Lately, the question I find myself repeatedly asking is why do people ACTUALLY believe in God? What leads people to commit their entire lives to Christ? And in response, I hear the Lord turning the question around and asking me, “Why do YOU believe in me?”

Today’s Gospel reminds us why we believe. We believe because of the cross, the ultimate symbol of the Father’s love for us. On that cross, we are invited to believe not out of fear of what will happen if we do not believe, but out of the conviction that there is a God whose love is stronger than any fear. When we live in this truth, nothing can harm us, because the prayer of the cross is the prayer that sees the light and the hope of the Resurrection even in the midst of suffering. We can endure any desert once we have tasted the sweetness of Easter and joy of the Resurrection. 

In this Easter season, we can choose live the witness of someone who walks in the light, or continue to live in the shadows of night. Our Lord did not die in vain; He died so that you might believe and spend eternity with Him. That is a truth that we need to hear repeated every day. In this time, God calls us to remain in the light of the Resurrection. We no longer have to hide in fear; we no longer have to live as slaves to sin. He is calling us out of the darkness into the eternal light of truth. This is the gift of faith.

Share with us why you believe! Visit our facebook page and comment any prayer requests and/or reasons why you believe in God.

Today's prayer was prepared by Maggie Overbeck, Assistant Director of Youth Ministry at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Huntley, IL. 
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​Take time today to meditate upon the cross. Spend time looking at a cross that you have in your home or look up some sacred art online to consider the paradoxical defeat and victory that comes from Jesus on the cross.

"Today's prayer was prepared by Adam Smyth, a high school youth minister at Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish in Ellicott City, MD. 
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