When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist,
he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.
The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already late;
dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages
and buy food for themselves.”
Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away;
give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”
Then he said, “Bring them here to me,”
and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples,
who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied,
and they picked up the fragments left over—
twelve wicker baskets full.
Those who ate were about five thousand men,
not counting women and children.

— Matthew 14:13-21

They Followed Him | Matthew 14

Today’s Gospel is the familiar story of Jesus feeding the 5000. First, I ask: how did it happen that there were 5000 people there? They “followed Him.” They followed Jesus, and He was moved with pity for them and cured their sick.

When evening came, the disciples told Jesus to dismiss the people so they could go to the village and buy some food. Jesus responded, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.”

I hear Jesus cultivating an important Moment of Insight for the apostles about the mission He was preparing them for. In the previous chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus uses parables to teach the people; the apostles were being called to preach and teach. In today’s Gospel, Jesus cures the sick; the apostles were also being called to cure the sick. But their mission does not end there.

When the apostles point out to Jesus that the people are hungry, Jesus tells them, “Give them some food yourselves.” Jesus is telling the apostles that the mission He is preparing them for includes feeding the hunger of the people they will be called to serve. And, like other times when Jesus is teaching, His point is not immediately clear. We have to ask ourselves what Jesus is teaching here. Is He saying that the apostles need to be sure they bring enough food to be able to feed the crowd? No, Jesus is not referring to feeding the crowd’s need for earthly food; Jesus is talking about the need of the people to be nourished with spiritual food. Jesus is foreshadowing the Eucharist!

The actions Jesus takes to multiply the loaves are the same as at the Last Supper. Today we hear: “He [Jesus] said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples…” At the Last Supper we hear: “He [Jesus] took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.” (MK 14:22) Though they could not comprehend this yet, the apostles were being introduced to their call to feed their followers the body and blood of Jesus in the Eucharist!!

Thank you, Jesus! When you ascended to the Father, you did not leave us. You showed your love for us not only on the cross, but in giving us, “The bread that comes down from heaven for a man to eat and never die.” (JN 6:50) Alleluia!! Amen!!!

Find More Catholic Reflections On The Gospels

The Liturgical Sense of The Readings at Mass – Year A by David L. Gray 

Food for the Soul: Reflections on the Mass Readings (Cycle A) (Food for the Soul Series)

Breaking the Bread: A Biblical Devotional for Catholics Year A

The Word of the Lord: Reflections on the Mass Readings for Solemnities and Feasts

Through the Year with Jesus: Gospel Readings and Reflections for Children

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