Today’s Catholic Reflection
Jeroboam was worried about losing his kingdom to Rehoboam, the king of Judah. To keep the people from going to Jerusalem to worship, he made two golden calves. He told the people these were the gods that had brought them out of Egypt and placed one in Bethel and the other in Dan. This led many to worship the idols instead of the Lord. Jeroboam also set up unauthorized temples and appointed priests who were not from the Levitical line, showing his disobedience. His actions brought a curse on his house, destined for destruction.
In the Gospel, Jesus saw a large crowd that had been with him for three days without food. He felt compassion for them and worried about their well-being. His disciples wondered how they could feed such a large group in a remote place. Jesus asked them how many loaves they had, and they said seven. After giving thanks, he broke the loaves and shared them, along with some fish, with the crowd. Everyone ate and was satisfied, and they collected seven baskets of leftovers, showing Jesus' ability to provide.