First Reading: Isaiah 55:1-3
Reflection:
In this first reading we hear promises made by the Lord to the Israelites. In essence, God promises to provide for them. He says He will nourish them, abating their hunger and quenching their thirst, if they “heed” and “listen” to Him. In other words, God wants His people to trust and obey Him. These words, in particular, point forward to the Messianic age, when God will renew the “everlasting covenant” given to David. King David was promised an eternal kingdom. There would always be a Davidic king on the throne. God’s promise to renew this covenant He made with David came true with Jesus, who is in the line of David and reigns forever as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus, therefore, also fulfills the promises about the Lord feeding His people. The promise to abate hunger and quench thirst was not only about physically nourishing people, but also about spiritually nourishing them (i.e. feeding their souls). As promised, this food would lead to life. In today’s Gospel, we’ll see Jesus feeding the multitudes and that miracle pointing towards the spiritual nourishment He provides in the Eucharist, which is life-giving food for our souls.
Second Reading: Romans 8:35, 37-39
Reflection:
This beautiful passage from the Apostle Paul offers great comfort. It affirms the incredible power of “the love of Christ.” His love for us is perfect and infinite. Paul’s ultimate point here is that nothing in the created order can overcome Christ’s love. No matter what suffering (e.g. “anguish,” “distress,” “persecution,” etc.) we face, it cannot separate us from Christ’s love. Even if we feel in those times like God is distant or does not love us, the reality is that God’s love is still present. We can trust in this promise. And through Christ, we may “conquer overwhelmingly” in the midst of trials. This means that we are not defeated nor overcome by them. Christ gives us the strength to endure hardship and remain faithful to Him. Paul’s list of cosmic powers shows that even the greatest created realities cannot overcome the love of Christ for His people. This list includes human existence itself (death/life), the spiritual realm (angels/principalities/powers), time (present/future things), and astronomical forces (height/depth), none of which can overcome Christ’s love. The only thing that can come between us and God, that can separate us from His love, is sin, which we choose to commit. Therefore, let us run from sin and run to Christ’s love, trusting in His power.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 14:13-21
Reflection:
Jesus understandably wanted to be alone after hearing of John the Baptist’s death by beheading. He, thus, took a boat by Himself across the Sea of Galilee to go to a “deserted place.” But Jesus’ popularity preceded Him and the crowds followed on foot to be with Him. Despite His certain sadness over John’s death, He continued to give freely of Himself to the crowds, taking pity on them and even exerting the energy to heal their sick. He continued giving of His time and energy well into the evening, long enough that the people were getting hungry. Jesus addressed this problem by performing one of His greatest miracles, multiplying five loaves and two fish to feed what was likely a crowd well over 10,000 people (5,000 men, plus women and children). The magnitude of this miracle is profound. Moreover, the deeper meaning of it speaks volumes. Here we see Jesus fulfilling the promises in the first reading that the Lord will feed His people.
But Jesus is doing more here than simply filling their bellies. He is pointing forward to the spiritual nourishment He will provide in the Eucharist. This becomes evident when we read the miracle in context. The feeding of the five thousand appears in all four Gospels, evidencing its importance. In John’s Gospel, it is made explicit that this event occurred during the feast of Passover and is soon after followed by the “Bread of Life Discourse” about the Eucharist (see John 6). Additionally, the wording used by the Gospel writers evidences that this miracle foreshadows the profound miracle of the Eucharist. Jesus here multiplies bread; in the Eucharist He will transform bread into His body, blood, soul, and divinity. The connection becomes explicit when we see what Jesus does in each instance. Four verbs are used to describe Jesus’ actions: “taking,” “blessing,” “broke,” “gave.” These exact same verbs are used to describe Jesus’ actions at the Last Supper when He instituted the Eucharist. The Gospel writers, thus, make the connection clear: the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, in which Jesus nourishes people’s physical hunger, points forward to the miracle of the Eucharist, in which Jesus nourishes people’s spiritual hunger.
Application:
- Have you ever felt like God does not love you? Do you struggle to know that God is with you in the midst of trials? Meditate on today’s second reading and trust in the promise that Christ’s love is more powerful than whatever we are going through. Nothing in creation can separate us from His love.
- Are you hungry for God? Does your soul thirst for Him? He is offering Himself to us in the Eucharist to nourish our souls. Will you let Him satisfy your soul with His love?
