St. Andrew and Zek

(originally posted on September 14, 2009)

me :

Papa Jesus and his disciples rode a boat and went to a deserted place but a multitude of people followed them. Jesus taught them a lot of things until it was late and it was time to eat. But the people did not bring along food and neither did the disciples. Papa Jesus instructed Andrew and the other disciples to feed the people but they can not find any food in the crowd except for one small boy named Zek.

(I paused for a while but before I can tell how Andrew called Zek to come near to Papa Jesus, Zek interjected)

Zek :

Papa Jesus, here!. I have 5 breads and 2 fishes! (while motioning his man-shaped hand, index and middle fingers as legs, rushing towards me)

me :

“Thank you, Zek”, said Papa Jesus. He took the breads and fishes and prayed over them before giving them to His disciples to be given to the people. Afterwards, the disciples gather all the left over and prepared to leave.

Zek :

Papa Jesus, wait po! (as his small hand-man rushes towards me again). Here o, which one you like? choco or juice?

me :

“Wow, thank you Zek for the drinks”, as Papa Jesus smiled.

My wife and I smiled, too.

For the past days, we have been re-telling Jesus’ miracle of feeding about 5,000 hungry followers (read Mark 6: 31-44, Matthew 14: 13-21). We replaced the traditional character of the boy who offered his 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes with our Zek to make him more attentive to our story-telling. But recently, Zek has added his cute yet thought-provoking twist to this inspiring miracle-story.

Cheerful Givers Need Not to Be Reminded

After hearing the story a few times, Zek knew already what is expected of him – to give his breads and fishes to Papa Jesus so He can multiply it to feed the people. In a short time, he knew that he did not need to wait for Andrew to call him to start offering his food. That is his role and duty so he was simply excited to do it without cue.

Am I cheerful giver who gives without prodding or do I wait for someone to ask me before I give help?

Do I look for people to help or simply wait for them to find me?

Cheerful Givers Gives More

How many times have we heard this story but didn’t really ask how and where did the people get their drink after their meal. It is as if that it was a given that all people including mothers and children can eat their solid foods without drinking anything, even water. Maybe, it was part of the traditions then so it was simply deleted from the parable.

Zek knew, from his own personal experiences, that a drink is always necessary after a meal. His mommy would always prepare his choco or juice drink after his every meal. And so he knows there was something sounded wrong in the story we were telling him and decided by himself to add up that scene to complete the story. He offered the choco and juice to Papa Jesus, maybe half-consciously knowing, that with Him, the drinks would also be miraculously multiplied to be given to all. Or maybe he just wanted to give it to Papa Jesus in particular since he saw that He was tired and in really need of a drink. It does not really mattered what his yound mind is thinking. The bottomline remains – he gave more that what is expected of him.

How many of us can claim to give 10 pesos when a beggar child asks for 2 pesos?

Better yet, how many of us will pause and offer the child food instead of money, which may or may not be used for basic needs at all?

The Lord has spoken to us through Zek’s slight revision of this parable.

We hope to learn it well and live it.

We also hope our dear readers learn something from this.

Let us all be cheerful givers.

God bless po.