Mark 6:34-44

1 John 4:7-10

Psalm 72:1-2, 3-4, 7-8

Mark 6:34-44

When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them,

for they were like sheep without a shepherd;

and he began to teach them many things.

By now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said,

“This is a deserted place and it is already very late.

Dismiss them so that they can go

to the surrounding farms and villages

and buy themselves something to eat.”

He said to them in reply,

“Give them some food yourselves.”

But they said to him,

“Are we to buy two hundred days’ wages worth of food

and give it to them to eat?”

He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?  Go and see.”

And when they had found out they said,

“Five loaves and two fish.”

So he gave orders to have them sit down in groups on the green grass.

The people took their places in rows by hundreds and by fifties.

Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven,

he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples

to set before the people;

he also divided the two fish among them all.

They all ate and were satisfied.

And they picked up twelve wicker baskets full of fragments

and what was left of the fish.

Those who ate of the loaves were five thousand men.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, all this week, I will contemplate the epiphany of your Son. He manifested your glory to Israel and to all the nations. He cured the sick and did mighty deeds to testify to his divine nature as your Son. I believe in him, in you, and in your Holy Spirit.

Encountering the Word of God

1. A Prophet Like Moses: The Book of Deuteronomy (18:15) promised that one day, God would send his people a prophet like Moses. Many prophets, such as the prophet Elijah, were like Moses. But the one who ultimately fulfills the prophecy of Deuteronomy is Jesus Christ (Acts 3:22; 7:37). Moses was a ruler, preacher, lawgiver, intercessor, wonderworker, and foreseer of the future. Jesus does all of these and does them in a superior fashion. Today’s Gospel recalls how the people of Israel were fed by God in the wilderness under the leadership of Moses. The first line in today’s Gospel speaks about sheep without a shepherd. Moses was a shepherd (Exodus 3:1) and tended the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro. While tending the sheep, the Lord called Moses to tend his people and lead them out of Egypt to the land promised to Abraham. Jesus sees the vast crowd and, like God the Father, has pity on them. Jesus, like Moses, will shepherd them and lead them out of the slavery to sin to the Promised Land of Heaven.

2. The New Manna: One of the greatest works of the Lord God in the desert was providing Manna for his people: “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you” (Exodus 16:4). When the disciples approached Jesus, they pointed out how the vast crowd had followed Jesus into a deserted place and were in need of food. Instead of sending the people to the local farms and villages to buy bread and food, Jesus commands his disciples to give the crowd something to eat. The miracle of feeding the five thousand with five loaves and two fish looks forward to the Eucharist, the New Manna, which feeds God’s adopted children for eternal life. The old Manna was sufficient to sustain God’s people for a day in the wilderness. The New Manna nourishes us, not just for a day, but for eternal life.  

3. Five Loaves, Two Fish, Twelve Baskets, Five Thousand Men: All of the numbers in the Gospels have a profound meaning. Nothing is arbitrary. The number five recalls the Law of Moses, the first five books of the Bible. These five books narrate the story of creation, the fall of humanity, the renewal of the covenant of creation with Noah, the sin of the Tower of Babel, the covenant promises made with Abraham, the twelve sons of Israel, the exodus from Egypt, the covenant at Sinai, the worship of the golden calf, the priestly code and the holiness code in Leviticus, the ten rebellions of the people during their 40 years in the desert, and the “second law” given by Moses before the people entered the promised land. While the five loaves and five thousand men symbolize the Old Law, the two fish symbolize the New Law given by Jesus, the New Moses: love God above all things and love your neighbor as yourself. The twelve baskets symbolize the New Israel, which gathers people not just from Jacob’s descendants but from all nations into the new Kingdom of God.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, thank you for the awesome gift of the Eucharist. Help me to appreciate how you have stayed close to us through the centuries and will continue to do so. I want to spend more time with you this year. Help me to do so.

Living the Word of God: How am I living the New Law this year? How can I love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength? How can I love my brothers and sisters as Christ did and does? Do I need to make new resolutions for this year that focus on the new commandments of love?