Thoughtfor theweek

On Friday, we celebrate our country’s patron, St Andrew, Apostle of Christ and brother of St Peter, who is also the patron saint of the Scots College in Rome where young men train for the priesthood before returning to Scotland.

The chapel in the college is dominated by a stained glass window that portrays scenes from the life of Andrew from the Gospels. One of these is the miracle of the loaves and the fishes. You may recall that Jesus wanted to feed a multitude of people and asked the disciples to bring what they had. In one account it was Andrew who brought the boy with five loaves and two fish, with the comment that this would hardly go very far. And yet, from such a small amount Christ is able to feed the thousands.

It’s a story of a miracle obviously, and a recurring theme in the Bible. An individual can have very little or appear insignificant and yet to God they are more than enough. Think of David, chosen to be King and anointed by Samuel. As the youngest of eight, he is overlooked even by his father Jesse as only a child, insignificant and not a candidate for king. And yet he becomes the most famous king in the Bible.

Christ watches people put all sorts of large offerings into the Temple treasury, but the one he notices is the poor widow who brings only two small coins. She is the one whose generosity he praises.

Sometimes, we look at the world around us and feel so small and helpless. But God looks at each of us as valued. He loves us all and knows we all have something to bring, even if it is just a smile to a stranger who is having a bad day. If you feel small and insignificant at times, just remember: you are important to God, and He’s a pretty good judge of character!