Both Elisha and Jesus face a crowd of hungry people with only a few “barley” loaves. And in both the miraculous multiplication of bread satisfies the hungry and leaves food left over. The Elisha story looks back to Moses, the prophet who fed God’s people in the wilderness. Moses prophesied that God would send a prophet like him. The crowd in today’s Gospel, witnessing His miracle, identifies Jesus as that prophet. The Gospel today again shows Jesus to be the Lord, the good shepherd, who makes His people lie down on green grass and spreads a table before them.

Today Jesus points to the final fulfillment of that promise in the Eucharist. He does the same things He does at the Last Supper—He takes the loaves, pronounces a blessing of thanksgiving and gives the bread to the people. We should see that twelve baskets of bread are left over, one for each of the Apostles. These are signs that should point us to the Eucharist—in which the Church founded on the Apostles continues to feed us with the living bread of His Body.

When we approach the Table of the Lord today, what do we expect to receive from the Good Lord? I am sure that He will give us healing, pardon, comfort, and rest for our souls. The Lord has much more for us, more than we can ask or imagine. The principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist at the Lord’s Table is an intimate union with Jesus Christ, our Divine Healer and Savior. As bodily nourishment restores lost strength, so the Eucharist strengthens us in charity to be more firmly rooted in the love of Christ. We have to hunger for the “bread of life” every day of our lives. To live a Eucharistic life means to be transformed within by Jesus in such a way that we begin to offer our bodies, blood, sweat, tears, calluses, energy, time—all we have and are—for those for whom Jesus died.

The feeding of the five thousand shows also the remarkable generosity of God and his great kindness towards human beings. When God gives, he gives abundantly. He gives more than we need for ourselves so that we may have something to share with others. God takes the little we have and multiplies it for the good of others. For that we must trust in God’s provision for us and then share freely with others, especially those who are in need. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, we shall live our lives for Christ always and receive the Eucharist and live a Eucharistic life, sharing with our brothers and sisters what God gave and multiplies in our lives.

God Bless you all,

Fr. Charley