Multiplication of the Loaves

Today's Reflections

Multiplication of the Loaves 

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Jn 6:1-15

¹Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee [of Tiberias]. ²A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. ³Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. ⁴The Jewish feast of Passover was near. ⁵When 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?” ⁶He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. ⁷Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little [bit].” ⁸One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, ⁹“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” ¹⁰Jesus 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. ¹¹Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. ¹²When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” ¹³So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. ¹⁴When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.” ¹⁵Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

Reflection:

They filled twelve wicker baskets. Jesus comes so that we may have life in abundance. The law of life for God’s children is the law of abundance.

We see this illustrated in the Gospel. There does not seem to be enough food for the five thousand men (not yet counting the women and children) who need to be fed. There are only five barley loaves and two fish. But with those, Jesus feeds the multitudes, and they have more than enough. They even have 12 wicker baskets of leftover barley bread.

The little that we have, when put in the hands of Christ, will be able to supply the needs of others. Do not say that you can contribute only little. You may have only little to give, but Christ can do much with your little.

Give and do what you can,

and Christ will do the rest.