This Sunday’s gospel (John 6:1-15) appears in all the other books of the gospel (Matthew 14:15-21, Mark 6:35-34, Luke 9:12-17). It is about the feeding of the vast crowd with five loaves of bread and two fishes.
We can recount what happened in last week’s gospel. The apostles barely returned from their first mission trip, tired but full of stories to tell their master how they have performed in the ministry. Jesus, always mindful about the welfare of his disciples, told them to first take a rest. With so many people coming, however, Jesus and his apostles decided to take a boat and move to a deserted place where they can unwind. Upon disembarking however, the Lord saw that the people, traveling by foot, got into the place ahead of them. Moved with pity, Jesus began to teach the multitude with many things and to heal their sick.
With this as backdrop, this week’s gospel unfolds. Knowing that the people must be hungry, Jesus asked Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” Philip answered, "Two hundred days' wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little." Another apostle, Andrew, then said, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fishes, but what good are these for so many?”
Obviously, there was a logistical problem here. There was a plan to feed about five thousand men, plus the women and children, but the resources are just too limited, and in fact, negligible compared to the enormous requirement. The location is a secluded one, and even if a seller could be found who would agree to deliver food, the cost to feed people of this number will be very huge.
The rest is history. We know what Jesus did. He took the loaves, gave thanks, and then gave them to the people. The people ate as much as they wanted, and when they were full, twelve wicker baskets were filled with the fragments of bread left over.
What reflections can be made out of this beautiful story?
First reflection: that Jesus longs to satisfy our needs as human beings. He knows and understands the reality of hunger, and as our Good Provider, he desires to feed us. The reality of the broken world corrupted by sin, however, clearly shows that this is still a work in progress. While rich nations enjoy an oversupply of food, poor nations experience food shortage. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), in June 2024, about 309 million people in 71 countries faced acute levels of food insecurity, 37. 2 million people in 47 countries suffered at worse levels, and 24.5 million children in 24 countries bore malnutrition. At a future time when the kingdom of God will fully reign, this dire situation will end. Of believers, the Bible says, “They will hunger no more and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat, for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:16-17).
Second reflection: that Jesus expects us to do our part in solving this problem of hunger and in helping satisfy the other needs of our fellowmen. The young boy in the gospel brought five loaves of bread and two fishes, presumably, for himself and his immediate family or friends. When he heard about the problem, he did not hesitate to come forward and share whatever little he had for the good of the community. It was indeed a heroic act and a gesture of selflessness. The question is, how many of us in our times will do the same? We can share in our abundance, but can we do the same when what we have is just enough for our own needs, or worse, when we ourselves face scarcity? Can we sacrifice our own welfare for the sake of others? These, indeed, are hard questions, and we pray that God inflame his Church with a spirit of deeper compassion and greater generosity.
Third reflection: that Jesus honors our small acts of love which are done in great faith. In the gospel story, the Lord could have just performed his miracle by producing bread and fish out of nothing. After all, he created everything and everyone by his mere spoken word (Genesis 1:1-27; Colossians 1:16). He could have done the same in this gospel story, but he did not. Rather, he chose the participation of a young boy in doing his miracle and in fulfilling his purpose.
In the same way, God could easily grant our prayer requests by a simple command, if these were in accordance with his will. He can heal sickness, provide jobs and bless careers, build houses, increase wealth, solve family and relationship issues, and provide solutions to all the big and small problems of this world miraculously, that is by accomplishing something in defiance of the laws of nature. Other times, however, he chooses to answer prayers by making man his partner in doing acts of righteousness. He may work through the doctor who treats, the employer who hires, the family member who sacrifices himself, the peacemaker who resolves conflicts, and the very person who takes a leap of faith, trusting that God will fill whatever he lacks. Thus, in the face of a dream or a pressing need, let us then take the bold step to begin, depending on our loving God to bring into completion whatever he has started in us.
Fourth and last reflection: that the story is that it points to something higher, bigger, and more important – of God feeding his people with his own flesh and blood in the Eucharist. More of this in another article in this column.