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

 

 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what the 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. 

 

- Mark 6:30–46 

 

Yesterday we read that now King Herod heard of Jesus, for His name had become well known.  And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."  But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!"  For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.  Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."  Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.  Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."  He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."  So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"  And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"  Immediately she came in with haste to th king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."  And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.  Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought.  And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples hears of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

 

  Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what the had done and what they had taught.  This verse continues the narrative of the Gospel from the reading in which Jesus sent out the Twelve on their first apostolic mission (see this reading).  Yesterday's story of the beheading John the Baptist (see above) was given parenthetically, as an explanation of Herod's fear that Jesus is John the Baptist returned from the dead.

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.  My study Bible comments that Christ gives rest to His disciples to show those engaged in preaching and teaching that they must not labor continuously, but must also take rest.  

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.  My study Bible comments that this miracle is reported by all four evangelists.  It shows Jesus feeding a great multitude of His people as He fed the Israelites in the desert (see Exodus 16).  It notes that the Church Fathers see in this an image of the Eucharist, which is an idea made clear in John 6.  There is another feeding miracle reported in Mark 8:1-10, in which Jesus feeds four thousand people with seven loaves and a few small fish.  Some modern scholars have attempted to say that these are simply the same story, my study Bible says, but the witness of the Gospels is clear that they are two distinct accounts -- and Christ Himself refers to them separately (Mark 8:17-21).  The text tells us that Jesus was moved with compassion, a phrase used consistently concerning our Lord (Matthew 20:34; Mark 1:41; Luke 7:13).  It shows that Christ's power and authority are extended to those who suffer.  My study Bible further mentions that there is a spiritual interpretation in patristic literature which teaches that the five loaves indicate the five books of the Law (Genesis through Deuteronomy), which are broken open in Christ and therefore feed the universe.  The two fish are representative of the Gospel Book and the Epistle Book, the teaching of the fishermen.  That the apostles gather the leftovers shows that the teachings which the faithful are unable to grasp are nonetheless held in the consciousness of the Church.  Additional understandings from this miraculous feeding include that we are shown here we should never eat without giving thanks to God.  This terminology, my study Bible says, points to the Last Supper (Mark 14:22-24) which also leads to a eucharistic interpretation of this miracle in today's reading.  As the disciples distribute the bread to set before the multitudes, so also Christ feeds the Eucharist to His flock through the hands of His bishops and presbyters.

 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.   After this significant occasion and development in His ministry, note that Christ departed to the mountain to pray.  So we should imitate Him at each new turn in our own lives, for guidance and the strengthening of our faith.

The feeding of the five thousand is also significant in the symbolism of the numbers.  Five is often seen as a number that symbolizes change, and this is, effectively, the story of the New Covenant, in which Christ -- as my study Bible says -- feeds the universe.  The "thousand" number gives us the sense of universality, and the multitudes included therein.  He who spoke the universe into existence, as the Word Himself, is the One who also comes into our world as the Son of Man, living the life of a human being, a creature of God, and so able to feed the entire creation through all that He does in that life, and through this New Covenant, His gospel.  At His Ascension, we understand that He rises -- including His now-glorified human flesh -- to sit at the right hand of the Father.  That is, He sits on the throne of judgment, as the Almighty, and so fills the place as the One to whom every knee shall  bow, rendering God all in all (1 Corinthians 15:28).  This story not only teaches us a sense of universal fulfillment through Christ, but also of the universality of the very food He offers, which may include all a universe can give to us, regardless of our specific needs.  We turn to Him first, regardless of our need, our problem, our desire, our question to Him.  He is there for all, and this miracle declares this to be true.  Let us remember that all that He does comes from compassion.  The text says that 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.  For He is our great Good Shepherd, who serves, protects, guides, and feeds us with what we need.

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

 

 Then 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.

 

- Mark 6:30–46 

 

Yesterday we read that, while on their first apostolic mission, the twelve cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.  Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known.  And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."  But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!"  For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.  Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."  Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.  Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."  He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask em, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."  So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"  And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"  Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."  And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.  Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought.  And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.   

 

Then 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.   The apostles have just returned from their first apostolic mission (see Tuesday's reading).  My study Bible says that Christ gives rest to His disciples to show those engaged in preaching and teaching that they mustn't labor continuously, but also take rest.  This is especially an important lesson in a busy modern world, where "time-saving" devices overall work (according to economic historians) to give us less free time than in the past.  We must intentionally take time out for prayer and rest.

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.  Again, Mark's Gospel emphasizes the swift growth of Christ's ministry (especially in this particular part of Galilee where He is already well-known to the multitudes), so much so that now the people follow Him and anticipate where He'll be, so they arrived before them.  Note how Christ was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  This is a key phrase in the Gospels, for us to understand the perspective of Christ and also His work in this world.  As the good Shepherd, He initial impulse is 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.  My study Bible comments that this miracle, which is reported by all four evangelists, shows Jesus feeding a great multitude of His people as He fed the Israelites in the desert (see Exodus 16).  In patristic commentary, this is seen as an image of the Eucharist, an idea made clear to all in John 6.   Here, Christ breaks and blesses the loaves similarly to the language used of the Last Supper (Matthew 26:26).  My study Bible comments that just as the disciples distribute the bread to this multitude, so Christ feeds the Eucharist to His flock through the hands of His bishops and presbyters. There is another miracle in Mark 8:1-9, in which Jesus feeds four thousand people with seven loaves and a few small fish.  There are those modern scholars who have attempted to say that they are the same story, but the witness of the gospel makes very clear they are two distinct accounts.  Christ Himself refers to both of them as separate incidents in Mark 8:13-21.  Again, this is another extension of Christ's compassion extended to the people who are "like sheep not having a shepherd" (see also Matthew 20:34; Mark 1:41; Luke 7:13).  My study Bible says that this shows that His power and authority are extended to those who suffer.  It also present another, spiritual interpretation of this feeding miracles, in which the five loaves indicate the five books of the Law (Genesis through Deuteronomy), which are broken open in Christ and therefore feed the universe.  In this understanding the two fish represent the Gospel Book and the Epistle Book, the teaching of the fishermen.  The gathering of the leftovers by the apostles, it says, shows that the teachings the faithful are unable to grasp are nonetheless held in the consciousness of the Church.  Let us note at the end of today's passage how Jesus still takes time to pray, departing from the mountain alone to do so.

What is always striking to me in the Gospels and the ministry of Christ is how we are repeatedly taught, in so many ways, that God works through small things.  What appears to us to be broken, or not quite good enough (even highly inadequate) is seen with different "eyes" in the mind of God.  Because God works through things with God's power, what God sees about the world is the capacity for that power and grace to work through small things, which may appear to us even to be defective.  This is the God of promises and surprises, the God of miracles.  Here Christ begins with whatever the disciples and those in this makeshift crowd, who've run to meet Christ as He tried to get away to a deserted place with the disciples, have on hand.  That is, five loaves, and two small fish.  Let us remember that the loaves are broken and blessed, and the fish are divided, to feed five thousand men (a system of counting), and yet more women and children who were also present.  This is the nature of the God we know through the Old Testament, and the divine nature of Jesus Christ, God the Son who also became human, one of us.  In the Old Testament, when Samuel was sent to anoint a king, it was God who chose the youngest and smallest, the unlikely David (1 Samuel 16:1-13).  We read there that the Lord said to Samuel, when Samuel felt the eldest was surely fit to be king, "Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."   In terms of the New Testament, the very action of the Incarnation itself is a testimony to the limitless God who works through small things, even as a human being in the person of Jesus.  In this reading, we discussed Christ's parable of the Mustard Seed in this vein, how the very nature of the tender tiny elements Christ brings into the parable teaches us something about the greatness of God, and God's great grace working through the smallest and least likely things of this world.  Indeed, if we look at these patterns, we might notice that God seemingly prefers the small, just as God loves the poor.  In the great Song of Mary (Luke 1:46-55), she sings that God has exalted the lowly (verse 52).  In a great image of today's feeding, Mary sings, "He has filled the hungry with good things" (verse 53).  All of this is tied to the promises made to Abraham, as she sings, "He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever" (verses 54, 55).  Finally in St. Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians, he speaks of an infirmity, a "thorn in the flesh" which has not been alleviated through prayer.  But the Lord tells him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness" (see 2 Corinthians 12:7-10).  So, from the smallness of Israel, to the tiny mustard seed, to a girl named Mary, to today's five loaves and two fish, to St. Paul bragging in his infirmities and weakness and distresses, we read of the God who chooses the small things to work through, together with great faith.   St. Paul goes so far as to say affirmatively,  "For when I am weak, then I am strong."  Let us once more consider our God whose grace is sufficient for our weakness, Who so often chooses to work through the small and distressed, for this is the God who champions faith, who is filled with compassion, our good Shepherd who feeds us what we need. 

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

 

 Then 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.

 

- Mark 6:30–46 

 

Yesterday we read that, on their first apostolic mission mission, the twelve cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.  Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known.  And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."  But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!"  For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.  Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."  Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.  Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."  He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."  So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"  And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"  Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."  And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.  Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought.  And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.   

Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.   This verse continues from Tuesday's reading, in which the twelve have just been sent out on their first apostolic mission. 

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.  My study bible comments here that Christ gives rest to His disciples in order to show those engaged in preaching and teaching that they must not labor continuously, but must also take rest.  It also teaches us, generally speaking, about our individual lives as Christ's followers.  We need periods of activity and also reflection.  Our way is a median way, not merely an ideological or philosophical one, but one that understands our full humanity, and is organic to all that we are:  body, soul, and spirit.

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.  Let us look at Jesus' response to the multitudes.  They clearly are seeking something from Jesus in a deeply heartfelt way, out of real need.  Jesus understands them through His compassion for them, and sees that they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  Let us note Christ's immediate response to their real need.  It is to fill them with spiritual food:  He began to teach them many things.  My study bible pays special attention to the phrase "moved with compassion."  It is used frequently concerning Jesus (Matthew 9:36, 14:14, 20:34; Mark 1:41, Luke 7:13), showing that Christ's power and authority are extended to those who suffer.

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.  This miracle in the wilderness is reported by all four evangelists.  My study bible comments that it shows Jesus feeding a great multitude of His people just as He (as the Lord) fed the Israelites in the desert (see Exodus 16).  The Patristic fathers see in this an image of the Eucharist, which is especially clear in John 6.  There is also a traditional spiritual interpretation to this miracle, in which the five loaves indicate the five books of the Law or Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy), which are broken open in Christ, and thereby feed the universe.  The two fish represent the Gospel Book and the Epistle Book, which constitute the teaching of the fishermen.  The gathering up of the leftovers by the apostles (twelve baskets) shows that the teaching which the faithful cannot grasp are nevertheless kept in the consciousness of the Church.

 

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.   Does Jesus stay to be acclaimed as king by the multitudes He has just fed in the wilderness?  No, instead His concern is for His mission and what He needs to do.  The disciples are sent back across the Sea of Galilee, while He Himself departed to the mountain to pray.  Once again, we should all learn and take seriously His example of constant communion with the Father, freed of distractions.

Let us take up Jesus' first task that He appears to fulfill in today's reading, and which He fulfills because He is moved with compassion.  It is noteworthy that this task is not feeding thousands of people in the wilderness.  It is not to listen to whatever complaints they have, and it's not even to physically heal them.  Jesus' first task, the need to which He responds in today's reading, is to address -- out of His compassion on them -- the state of these people being "like sheep not having a shepherd."  It is this dire condition He addresses, and the healing medicine that they need, and which He uses, is to teach them many things.  Their real need -- the true way to address and to fill the needs of these lost sheep -- is for wisdom, and specifically the wisdom and teachings of Christ.  For what these people truly lack is leadership that really cares about them, and which is capable of perceiving the real need they have and fulfilling that need.  People need leadership in the form of good teachings, things by which they can live good lives, truth in which they can trust -- and especially those good things which come from the One who loves them.  Jesus will give it to them straight, and not just pander to whatever it is they might think they want or need.  He truly heals with His leadership.  The last thing Jesus does is play to the crowd, for the very last thing for which He pursues His ministry is popularity.  One gets the feeling that His real joy comes from fulfilling the will of the Father, and hence He engages in His public ministry and His walk toward the Cross and the powerful meaning that will bring as part of the fabric of this world.  But in terms of His personal happiness, that notion of what might give some peace in the moment,  one wonders if the life of the carpenter from Nazareth wasn't far easier.  But Jesus' real mission to us is leadership, and to show us the most exemplary model of what that is.  So here, He both perceives and fulfills the real need of these people who've followed Him into the wilderness, even as He tried to withdraw with the twelve to hear about their first apostolic mission.  Jesus is moved with compassion as He detects that this crowd's need is for a good shepherd (John 10:11-16).  As that good shepherd, the first thing with which He feeds them is to teach them many things.  This is what a geniune good leader does.  He gives direction and guidance, giving the sheep what they need to live good lives.  It is only as the day progresses, and all are there without resources for food, that the occasion arises for the miracle of feeding in the wilderness, mirroring the action of the Lord in the Old Testament.  When this happens, one must think in terms of "fulfillment" in the sense of Christ's saying, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill" (Matthew 5:17).  And it follows in as extention of feeding the multitude by teaching them many things.  It figuratively places the Eucharist, by extension, into the place of filling us with good things, including the fullness of Christ which incorporates His word and teachings, as well as Himself as the Word or Logos.  It's important that we don't lose sight of all of these realities, and especially that to be filled and given the good things we need isn't simply to have our physical needs met.  Our very human needs consist also of that which feeds soul and spirit, and especially our communion with God, for without that our worldly lives are empty in ways we will search to fulfill until we find the true food of the shepherd for the sheep.  He is that food, the living bread of life, the food for everlasting life.

Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while

 Then 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.

- Mark 6:30-46

Yesterday we read that King Herod heard of Jesus, for His name had become well known.  And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."  But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!"  For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.  Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."  Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.  Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."  He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."  So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"  And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"  Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."  And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.  Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought.  And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

Then 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.   Christ teaches the need for rest, and this is particularly of note here for those who labor for the Kingdom.

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.  Mark's Gospel has consistently shown us a build up of the power and draw of Jesus' ministry upon the populations.  We note that Jesus, in His compassion for them,  first "feeds" the needs of the people by beginning to teach them many things, as they are like sheep not having a shepherd.

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."   It's quite interesting that it is Jesus who has been teaching them, out of His compassion, until this late hour.  Perhaps, after the apostles have returned from their first mission, in which Jesus' power was shared with them, it is the time for this new expression of His power for their understanding.

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."  They begin with the instruction that they are to see what is at hand, what resources they may begin with.  One traditional spiritual interpretation of this passage suggests that five loaves indicate the five books of the Law (Genesis through Deuteronomy), which as broken open in Christ and thus feed the universe.  The two fish then represent the Gospel Book and the Epistle Book, the teaching of the fishermen.  In this same interpretation, the gathering of the leftovers by the apostles (after the feeding) shows that the teachings the faithful are unable to grasp are nevertheless held in the consciousness of the Church, says my study bible.  Altogether, interpreted spiritually, this food is still "teaching" for those who are like sheep without a shepherd, which was the need originally discerned in the crowd through the compassion of Christ.   As we take on the eucharistic images in the rest of the passage, how Christ teaches and feeds us becomes even more profoundly substantial.

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.  The image of the Eucharist is clear.  Jesus looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, then gave them to the disciples to set before the people.   The division and distribution in the image is unmistakable.  The twelve baskets that remain suggest all the fragments taken to the world by the twelve apostles, which will be continually broken and distributed for all.  The imagery and terminology also reflects that of the Last Supper.  My study bible says that just as the disciples distribute bread to the multitudes, so also Christ feeds the Eucharist to His flock through the hands of His bishops and presbyters.   The number of those who had eaten the loaves reflects a traditional way of counting only the men; in addition to five thousand men, there were no doubt additional women and children.

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.  Our "scene" ends with Jesus departing to the mountain to pray, seeming to go to the rest He had tried to set aside for the disciples in the beginning of story.  Prayer is also a kind of food for Him from which He takes nourishment and direction for His ministry.

It's almost kind of remarkable to consider how it is or why it is that Jesus so often goes by Himself to pray.  After all, He is the Son of God.  Does He need to pray?  Is He not in constant communion with the Father?  These are mysteries we don't know the answer to.  One possible answer is that, of course, while He is divine and the Son, He is also fully human, and the human Jesus is clearly aligned with His spiritual purpose, this mission for which the Son has been sent into the world.  But none of these explanations does Jesus' constant example of prayer real justice.  There is a deeper and more powerful message in these repeated instances of prayer for which Jesus goes aside by Himself to pray.  There are instances, of course, from the Old Testament, of those who commit heroic deeds in the service of the people of God, their devotion to prayer in a deserted place and in the early hours, especially before a great challenge will require strength and courage.  There are the prophets, as in the tradition of Elijah and John the Baptist, who live on the "outside" of the society, in places of wilderness, in order always to pray and be closely dedicated to God.  But why does Jesus need to do this?  From the beginning of His ministry, it has been so.  We have been told first about the temptation in the wilderness, when after His baptism, the Holy Spirit "threw" Him into the wilderness for forty days (Mark 1:12).  There are important turning points when we're told Jesus goes apart by Himself, again often in the very early hours of the morning, to pray.  One thing we must certainly think for ourselves is that if it was this essential to Christ, then how essential must it be for each one of us to make such regular times in our lives for prayer -- and preferably set apart somehow and alone.   This prayer not only seems aligned in the structure of the text with rest, but also with feeding, nourishing, taking strength.   The prayer is inseparable from the source of the abundance He shares with others:  the power that is distributed to His disciples so that they may heal and cast out demons, the power that creates endless food from five loaves and two fishes, and the great compassionate heart that knows what each and ever person needs, that discerns the sheep that need a Shepherd and gives them the true food for their lives.  How are we ever to discern our own true needs without prayer and communion?  Or how can we receive true rest if we don't participate in this deep and full sort of prayer?  Prayer and rest frame our reading today -- it is connected with the food given by Christ and with the Eucharist, inseparable from His teaching and the distribution of the word of the presence of the Kingdom.  How else can we truly, fully, and deeply experience the Kingdom without such personal prayer?   In Him, He tells us, we must abide (see John 15:4-17).  Everything in our faith tradition gives us such means of abiding in Him:  the Eucharist, our worship services, even to the decor and beauty of the Church, its hymns, and all its practices.  But we mustn't leave out the need for personal prayer, and that of especially the example He sets for us.   Without this, where and how do we truly abide even to the depths He seeks in us?

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

Then 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 awhile." 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 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.

- Mark 6:30-46

Yesterday, we read about John the Baptist. King Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee, has heard of Jesus' great fame, and believes that He may be John the Baptist returned. The reading gave us the reasons for this, about the beheading of John the Baptist in Herod's court, through the request of his wife, Herodias', daughter. See I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.

Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. We recall that the apostles have just been sent out on their first mission. The twelve were first disciples, living with Jesus and learning from Him. My study bible says that the word "apostle" is found frequently in the epistles but is rare in the gospels. It means "one who is sent" -- my study bible says, "It designates an official representative authorized to carry our a specific mission."

And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile." 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. Having just returned from their great first challenge, Jesus invites the disciples to rest. Always, in the gospels, we read of the need for rest, relaxation, rejuvenation (especially through prayer in solitude). The same can be said for each of us when we take time out for prayer and relaxation, and follow this great example of intimate solitude with the Lord.

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. Everywhere He goes, Christ is mobbed. The people, in this picture in Mark's gospel, are desperate for what He has to offer. They are like "sheep without a shepherd," and they evoke compassion in Christ. Their vulnerability stirs in Him, we note, compassion, love. To a "worldly" sense of power such vulnerability means something else. Mark's gospel has been showing us the clear differences between Jesus' Kingdom and the one of the "ruler of this world" -- here is a clear instance of Jesus' response to the "lost sheep." What is it that these sheep not having a shepherd need? They need His teaching, and this He gives to them, freely.

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." Instead of the rest and solitude they wanted, the disciples are now challenged to meet a new demand, "You give them something to eat." Jesus will take this encounter in the wilderness one step further, and teach His apostles yet more about their missions in the process.

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. We are reminded here of the parables about the Kingdom that Jesus has given us in this Gospel. Those of the lampstand, the harvest and especially the mustard seed come to mind. Wherever they are, they start with what they have. This is what Jesus has done in His ministry, what He teaches the apostles in this reading, and what He teaches to us.

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 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. In what is clearly a prefiguring of the Eucharist, Jesus blesses and breaks the loaves, while His disciples distribute. It is a clear messianic sign. The bread in the wilderness reminds us of God's feeding of the Israelites with manna, the twelve baskets left over symbolize not only the Apostles but also the twelve tribes of Israel. My study bible notes, "Jesus' sustenance is never exhausted, just as His eucharistic body, multiplied and distributed, is 'ever eaten and never consumed, sanctifying those who partake'" (from the divine liturgy of St. John Chrysostom). It adds, "the disciples learn a great lesson here: whatever they have is enough to feed the people, whether physically or spiritually. God can multiply our resources so that everyone can be filled. But we must participate in His grace: Christ, along with the Father, blesses the loaves, but the disciples distribute them." The figure of five thousand men indicates only the number of men (a cultural custom) -- certainly women and children were also present.

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. This story is framed in the need for rest, solitude, and prayer, like two parentheses on either side of this great messianic sign. The work continues, and Jesus will follow them once again to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. The multitudes are sent away. But Jesus goes to the mountain to pray. We should remember and do likewise!

The feeding of the five thousand men is an extraordinary sign in the Gospels. We note the twelve baskets of fragments left over -- there is more for each Apostle, to continue the mission of feeding. And although these "sheep not having a shepherd" are first of all taught, because this is what they need, they are also fed -- and so are we. Feeding is a great image not only of filling our needs but also the very closeness and intimacy of what it is to share a life with Christ. He is not merely a close and intimate companion, but becomes a very part of us, part of our being, and shares everything with us by grace. So let us consider what it is to have this faith, to share it in prayer, in intimate moments, to take the Eucharist and participate in sacraments and in worship. Altogether, it is a journey of great and growing intimacy, where we become part and parcel of one another. Christ feeds us with our "daily bread" -- something more than merely the bread of this world, but also His life added to us. He is the bread of life, and the life in the power of His Resurrection also feeds us, nurtures us, and by grace is shared within us, in the deepest part of who we are. Let us consider, then, those moments of rest in prayer, and how necessary they are to all things, and follow His great example. Do you ever feel lost, like a sheep not having a shepherd? Go where He teaches us to go, to prayer, to the sacraments, to the great gifts He has given to transform our world with His Life. And remember His disciples through whom they may come as well. He is here to bring His Kingdom into the world; it is a Kingdom of love and compassion and nurturing, in which we can all share and participate -- and which does its transforming work in us and our world as well.