They were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened

 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and he was alone on the land.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased.  And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well. 

- Mark 6:47-56

Yesterday we read that, upon returning from their first mission, the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.  And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.  But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  They arrived before them and came together to Him.  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  So He began to teach them many things.  When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."  But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"  But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go and see."  And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."  Then he commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.  And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  So they all ate and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.  Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.

Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and he was alone on the land.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased.  And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.   My study bible tells us here that knowing Christ is a matter of the heart, not merely the intellect.  It says, "When our hearts are illumined by faith in God, they are open to receive His presence and grace."  The ascetic writings of the Church call the heart the "seat of knowledge."   It is the true center of a person, which includes the fullness of what it is to be a person.  The fourth watch of the night is about three o'clock in the morning.

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well.  The fact that miracles are permitted merely by touch shows that Christ's very body is life-giving.  (See also 5:25-29, the healing of the woman with the blood flow.)

Our reading tells us that the disciples were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled, when Jesus went up to the boat in the middle of the sea.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.   This astonishing picture is one in which a number of elements are present:  Christ sends the disciples across the sea when it is already late, and He stayed by Himself on the mountain to pray.  About three o'clock in the morning, the disciples are having trouble.  All the winds are against them.  And He walks out into the sea to them.  What a picture this makes of loneliness and struggle, the disciples (again, many of whom were seasoned professional fishermen) struggle at rowing.  It's the wee early hours of the morning.  It's a story of Christ always with us, teaching us, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  That which is translated as "be of good cheer" is more accurately rendered as "take heart" or "take courage."  This story of three o'clock in the morning isn't so strange to those who know sleepless nights when worry or struggle keeps them awake.  And it is a good time for prayer, if we follow Jesus' example.  We pray so that we, too, may find His courage and His words that teach us not to be afraid.  But then something else is even more intriguing in the reading, that we are told that the disciples were amazed and marveled because they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.   How could they not have understood?  Were they not witnesses with their own eyes?  What this seems to suggest is that amazing and astonishing as walking on the water is, what happened with the loaves and fishes (in yesterday's reading, above) was somehow even more miraculous, more astonishing, required a deeper grasp of faith to understand.  The depth of mystery in this foreshadowing of the Eucharist is something with perhaps even more hidden meaning and power, an even greater gift, than the unheard-of capacity of walking on the water (only the divine can surpass the laws of nature).  Somehow something so great was happening at the feeding in the wilderness that the disciples' hearts were "hardened" against it, and they failed to understand.  After all, the whole mission of Christ in the world is one of "feeding" us with His very Person, of allowing us to participate in His life, to abide in Him.  That is an endless act of power, one that will never stop giving to us.  It is not limited in time to one event, nor is it limited in supply, but is and will continue to be endlessly replicated, infinitely feeding and giving and nurturing us.  And this is just a fragment of the immeasurably deeper mystery, the great gift contained in the feeding of the five thousand, which is central to all four Gospels.  Whatever we are given, it is contained in the fullness of what we have yet to fully unpack, so to speak, the food Christ gives us forever, for every moment, whether it be comfort or teaching or leading us as the sheep who need a Shepherd - or, mysteriously, His body and blood.  The disciples are only beginning to get a clue about what they are involved with, and even their hearts aren't ready to expand to contain what Christ brings to us.  What do you need to open your heart to that is in His life for you?