Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them (Sabong News)
Author
Manila Bulletin
Date
APRIL 29 2022
This miracle story remembered by the early believers lies behind our celebration of the Eucharist. Every day, this sacrament is celebrated to underline that Jesus is our daily spiritual food and nourishment. For we may be abundant in material food, but bereft or deprived of the real bread that nourishes us not just momentarily but unto eternal life, as the Evangelist John underlines. This story also makes us realize that by our sharing of the mere “five loaves and two fish” that we have, we provide the “means” by which God effects his power to satisfy all of us. Concern for others and actually sharing what we have will enable us to be vehicles of God’s power to fill the needs of our fellow human beings.
Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.” Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.
SOURCE:
ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail:
; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.
