Feeding 5,000 Costs What?

“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.” – Mother Teresa

Today is the day! We finish our NFP classes and await our final certification to teach NFP!

I was all excited about this until I read that today is the first day the Health and Human Services Mandate (which taxes everyone, including religious institutions but not churches, so that women might receive birth control, sterilizations, and abortions for free) takes effect. Way to rain on my parade. I have to say I got seriously depressed. I wasn’t sure what I could do to combat something on a national scale and so engrained in both our country and our world’s mindset. I want nothing more than for other people to find the joy in NFP that my husband and I have found. Honestly, I can’t think of something I want more because we’ve found peace in Christ and what His teachings have led us to in our lives. But how do I show people that? I was about to break down in tears in my office at work when I remembered something I heard at mass last Sunday.

Thanks to the ladies at IuseNFP.

The Gospel reading was the very well known story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 with five loaves and two fish. I’ve heard it a million times, and I reluctantly admit the homily usually falls on deaf ears when it comes to me. However, this Sunday my priest’s words resonated with me. He spoke about how Jesus took what little the boy had to offer (the bread and fish) and used it to feed 5,000. Now whether or not that was the actual number Jesus fed is beside the point. In biblical terms, 5,000 is a huge number. It would be like someone today saying, “I’ve heard it a million times” … oh wait. So Jesus fed thousands of people and there were still leftovers. How incredible!

Also, after doing a little of my own research on the Gospel story, I found something else out. Did you know that aside from the miracle of the resurrection, the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 is the only story that appears in all four Gospels (Matthew 14: 13-21, Mark 6: 31-44, Luke 9: 10-17, and John 6: 5-15)? The death and resurrection was basically the whole point of the entire Bible, and if that was the only other story that repeats in all four Gospels, then that must mean that the story I’ve heard a million times, was worth hearing that many times and more. It’s that important because Christ is telling us that if he can feed 5,000 with a little bread and fish while on Earth then He can do the same with anything else we have to offer.

I thought about what my husband and I have to offer, and it’s our time, our home, and our commitment to NFP. Our teaching NFP is one small way of helping spread God’s message about the beauty of the human body, life from conception to natural death, and the importance of relationships based in Christ.

I don’t have misguided preconceptions about having to rent out a hall in order to teach all the couples we have lined up about NFP. In fact I’m pretty sure we’ll be lucky if we get one couple at any given time, but I have faith that God will use us as His hands and feet. So, depression gone and an incredible sense of wonder and joy has replaced it! I’m so ready to start teaching!