Today we hear of Jesus multiplying the loaves and the fish. Do we give Jesus everything we have for His service? Two practical examples of people who did so were St. Mother Teresa and my community’s founder, St. Stanislaus Papczyński. St. Mother Teresa – seeing the poverty outside the walls of her convent – obeyed the Lord’s request that she herself take care of the poor and impoverished along the streets of India. With nothing but the clothes on her back – and the mockery of others – she offered herself and her talents to the Lord. Today, there are over 4,500 Missionaries of Charity serving the poorest of the poor throughout the world. What is key to resolving the needs of others and the evil in the world is simply obedience to the Lord’s request: “Feed them yourselves.” We entrust to Him our talents, and He will multiply them!

Another example is St. Stanislaus Papczyński. Having several visions of the souls in Purgatory, he exhorted the Marians and all people to pray for the souls in Purgatory: “…it is the greatest charity to pray earnestly to God for the freedom of the souls remaining in purgatory, or to assist them by merciful alms as by various other means” (Mystical Temple of God). Jesus told St. Faustina that, even if we do not have enough material means to do corporal works of mercy, we can always do spiritual works of mercy which are more meritorious and do not require money (Diary, 1317). We can unceasingly “feed” the souls in Purgatory with our prayers, hungry as they are for help and to enter Heaven! Bl. George Matulaitis, the Renovator of the Marians, suggested to the Marians to make a complete offering of all one’s work and suffering for the souls in Purgatory each day. If we have nothing else to bring to Jesus, we can bring that – our work and suffering – to feed the souls in Purgatory who need our help.