Matthew 15:29-37

At that time:

Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee,

went up on the mountain, and sat down there.

Great crowds came to him,

having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute,

and many others.

They placed them at his feet, and he cured them.

The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking,

the deformed made whole,

the lame walking,

and the blind able to see,

and they glorified the God of Israel.

Jesus summoned his disciples and said,

“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,

for they have been with me now for three days

and have nothing to eat.

I do not want to send them away hungry,

for fear they may collapse on the way.”

The disciples said to him,

“Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place

to satisfy such a crowd?”

Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”

“Seven,” they replied, “and a few fish.”

He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.

Then he took the seven loaves and the fish,

gave thanks, broke the loaves,

and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.

They all ate and were satisfied.

They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets full.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I thank you for inviting me to the banquet of the Eucharist. It is a foretaste of the heavenly banquet that I long for and hope to enjoy one day. Wipe away my tears, vanquish evil, destroy death, and console me as I walk toward you.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Great Crowds Came to Him: In the Old Testament, the Lord promised to provide a feast of rich food and choice wines for all peoples (Isaiah 25:6-7). The Gospel today sees how Jesus begins to fulfill that promise. The crowds followed Jesus up the mountain, eager to experience his healing power. They brought the lame, the blind, the mute, and those who were sick up the mountain, and placed them at the feet of Jesus. Jesus cured them all. The lame were healed and began to walk. The blind were healed and began to see. The deformed were healed and made whole. Those who were mute were healed and began to speak. They experienced healing through Jesus and glorified God. How have I climbed the mountain to encounter Jesus? How have I experienced the healing power of Jesus? How was I lame, blind, deformed, or mute? What was my immediate response to this healing? How did I give glory to God?

2. My Heart is Moved with Pity for the Crowd: The response of Jesus to the crowds is not one of frustration. He was not overwhelmed by the crowds and their needs. The opposite happens. Jesus’ heart is moved with pity and compassion. They have been with Jesus for three days and have exhausted all the food they brought with them. By following Jesus into a deserted place, the people in the crowd signaled that they chose Jesus over earthly goods and comforts. In the desert, Jesus sees both their material and spiritual needs. He knows them better than they do. Do I trust that Jesus knows my material and spiritual needs? How do I bring these to Jesus in prayer? How do I need to go into the desert to encounter Jesus? What is it that I need to leave behind?

3. They Gave the Loaves and Fish to the Crowds: When Jesus told his disciples that he didn’t want to send the crowds away hungry, his disciples questioned where bread could be obtained to satisfy such a crowd. Earlier, in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus fed the five thousand with five loaves and two fish (Matthew 14:13-21). Today’s Gospel is the feeding of the four thousand. Given that Jesus already fed a large crowd with a few loaves, it is curious that the disciples still questioned how they could feed such a crowd. There are many reasons to hold that the feeding of the four thousand was a Eucharistic sign for the Gentiles. The crowd has been with Jesus for three days with nothing to eat. This hints at the three days in the tomb and the sign of the prophet Jonah (12:40. “And it is after those three days that Jesus is raised from the dead and then tells his eleven Apostles to ‘make disciples of all nations’ (Matthew 28:19)” (Huizenga, Behold the Christ, pp. 280-281). The seven loaves and seven baskets symbolize the seven pagan nations that inhabited the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 7:1), just as the five loaves and twelve baskets symbolized the Five Books of Moses and the twelve tribes of Israel. While the 5,000 people in the first miracle symbolized Israel, the 4,000 in the second miracle symbolized the world and the four points of the compass. The Apostles will be sent to the four corners of the globe to bring not only the healing touch of Jesus but also the Eucharistic Bread of Life.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, Good Shepherd of my soul, bring me to restful waters, protect me from the evil one, and bring me into the safety of your gates. Tend to my wounds when I sin through stubbornness and folly. Nourish me with the food that confers the gift of eternal life.

Living the Word of God: What do I need to give thanks to God for this past year? How has God saved me in recent months? Have I been oblivious to God’s action in my life? How can I be more attentive to the work of God in my life and in the lives of those I love and care for?