Loaves, Fishes and the Future of Religious Life

This reflection is cross-posted on the Giving Voice website which is featuring short reflections by younger women religious throughout the Easter Season.

"Anyway, this kid comes up to us, about your size, … with these loaves and fishes. Sardines. And Jesus blesses them and passes the plate round. … And then that plate went all the way round and back to Jesus and it's still got the fish and the loaves on it. I think Jesus was a bit taken aback. He says, 'what happened? 'And I just said 'miracle'. And at first I thought I'd fooled him. But now I see it was a miracle, one of his best. But this little kid had stood up and everybody there just got bigger." (Saint Peter in the movie, Millions)

In the movie Millions by Danny Boyle, Saint Peter tells the story of the miracle of the loaves and fishes. It’s an unconventional telling of the tale, to be sure, but instructive for us today.

The miracle, it seems, was in the trusting and the sharing. As we look towards the future of religious life, are we worried about numbers, like the disciples were that day on the mountain? Or, like the boy, are we ready to share our lives and our gifts and trust that others will do the same?