Biblical Verse: Matthew 14: 13-21
Hearing what had happened, Jesus withdrew privately by boat to a deserted place. When the crowds heard of this, they left the cities and followed him on foot.
When Jesus got out of the boat and saw such a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
At eveningfall, the disciples approached him and said: “This is a deserted place, and it is already getting late. Send the crowd away so they can go to the villages to buy food”.
Jesus replied: “They need not go. Give them you something to eat”.
They told him: “All we have here are five loaves and two fish”.
“Bring us here for me”, he said.
He ordered the crowd to sit on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up at the sky, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and these to the crowd.
All ate and were satisfied, and the disciples collected twelve baskets full of leftover pieces.
Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.
The Bible Story: The Multiplication of Breads and Fish for Children:
It was a sunny day by the lake, and Jesus was surrounded by many people. Children, adults, seniors – all wanted to hear your loving words and receive your blessings. Jesus looked at the crowd and saw that many were tired and hungry.
Jesus said to His Disciples, “let us take care of these people. They’ve been here a long time and they’re hungry. What do we have to offer them?”
The disciples looked around and found only five loaves and two fish. It seemed too little to feed so many people. But Jesus smiled and said: “Don’t worry. Bring these loaves and fish to me.”
Then the children approached with the food baskets. Jesus took the loaves, looked up to heaven, and thanked God. Then he broke the loaves and divided the fish. Surprisingly, when the disciples began to distribute the food, there was enough for everyone!
People ate, smiled and thanked him. And not only that, by collecting the leftover pieces, the disciples filled twelve baskets! It was an incredible miracle that showed how the love and generosity of Jesus can meet all our needs.
Lessons for Today:
This story teaches us about the importance of compassion, generosity, and trust in God. Even when we face challenges and have limited resources, we can trust that God can multiply the little we have to bless many.
Nowadays, we face situations where we may feel that we do not have enough, whether it is time, love, patience or resources. However, the story of the loaves and fishes reminds us that when we share what we have generously, God can turn it into something amazing.
We can apply this lesson in our everyday lives by being compassionate to others, sharing what we have, and trusting that God is in control. This story reminds us that even in the most challenging situations, love and generosity can make a difference and overcome any shortage.
Jonah’s Story for Children: Obedience and the Second Beginning
Once upon a time there was a man called Jonah, chosen by God to carry out an important mission. God told Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and tell the people about the need to repent of their evil ways.
