Jesus said to them, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." They replied, "We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish." And he said, "Bring them here to me." Matthew 14.13-21

Like the disciples in today's reading, it is easy for us to be overwhelmed by the massive human need we witness in our communities, our nation, and the world. But today's Gospel tells us that in the face of overwhelming need, if we give a little, God will do a lot. With a film crews in Ethiopia broadcasting images of starving children to the world, food aid shipments to the country are starting to pick up. But for many it is too late. With all those people in East Africa facing malnutrition and the international response being "totally insufficient," the United Nations expert on the right to food has said that under international human rights treaties States Parties were obliged to provide urgent assistance to any UN Member State threatened by famine.