The Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order
Blessed is a person who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord promised to those who love him.
Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God,"for God can't be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed. Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin. The sin, when it is full grown, produces death. Don't be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation nor turning shadow. Of his own will he gave birth to us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
Blessed is the man whom you discipline, Lord, and teach out of your law, that you may give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit is dug for the wicked.
For the Lord won't reject his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. For judgment will return to righteousness. All the upright in heart shall follow it.
When I said, "My foot is slipping!" Your loving kindness, Lord, held me up. In the multitude of my thoughts within me, your comforts delight my soul.
They forgot to take bread; and they didn't have more than one loaf in the boat with them. He warned them, saying, "Take heed: beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod."
They reasoned with one another, saying, "It's because we have no bread."
Jesus, perceiving it, said to them, "Why do you reason that it's because you have no bread? Don't you perceive yet or understand? Is your heart still hardened? Having eyes, don't you see? Having ears, don't you hear? Don't you remember? When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?"
They told him, "Twelve."
"When the seven loaves fed the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?"
They told him, "Seven."
He asked them, "Don't you understand yet?"
The Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order were merchants in 13th-century Florence who left their comfortable lives to form a religious community devoted to Mary and service to others. Their radical choice speaks to the kind of spiritual clarity that cuts through life's distractions.
Notice how the disciples in Mark's Gospel get completely caught up in their bread shortage, missing Jesus's real warning about the corrupting influence of religious and political power. They're fixated on the practical problem right in front of them while Jesus is trying to address something far more dangerous to their souls. The irony is almost comical - they're worried about having enough food while traveling with the one who just fed thousands with a few loaves.
This kind of spiritual myopia happens to us constantly. We get so absorbed in our immediate concerns - the bills, the deadlines, the relationship tensions - that we lose sight of the deeper spiritual realities at work. James reminds us that every good gift comes from above, yet we often act as if our security depends entirely on our own efforts and resources.
The movement here is from anxiety about material needs to trust in God's abundant provision. Jesus isn't dismissing the disciples' practical concerns, but he's inviting them to remember what they've already witnessed. When we're caught in cycles of worry, there's wisdom in pausing to recall how God has provided before.
The Servite founders understood this. They traded worldly security for something more lasting, trusting that God would meet their needs as they served others. Their example challenges our tendency to cling to what seems safe while missing opportunities for deeper purpose.
What "bread shortages" in your life might be distracting you from God's larger invitation? How might remembering past provisions help you trust more fully today?