This is the second story of the multiplication of the loaves and fish; the first is recorded in Mark 6:31-44. Since Jesus is in the Decapolis, the region inhabited mostly by pagans, those who partake of the loaves and fish include both Jews and pagans.

Mark highlights Jesus’ compassion for the crowd, and God’s divine providence. But before the multiplication of the loaves and fish, Jesus teaches the people at great length. People gather around him to hear the Good News of God’s reign.

Jesus is moved with pity for the crowd who resemble “sheep without a shepherd” (Mk 6:34). Like a good shepherd, in teaching the people, Jesus feeds them with the “word of God,” as he himself declares, “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4). The word of God is bread for our souls.

As we hunger for food, we have a hunger deep within our souls—a hunger for meaning, for purpose, for fulfillment, for love. And it is only through Jesus, the Bread of Life, that this hunger can be satisfied.

Moreover, when Jesus asks, “How many loaves do you have?” (v 5), he is actually inviting his disciples to join him in feeding the St. Paul Mass Association people.

Jeroboam thought to himself: “The kingdom will return to David’s house. If now this people go up to offer sacrifices in the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, the hearts of this people will return to their master, Rehoboam, king of Judah, and they will kill me.”

After taking counsel, the king made two calves of gold and said to the people: “You have been going up to Jerusalem long enough.

Here is your God, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” And he put one in Bethel, the other in Dan. This led to sin, because the people frequented those calves in Bethel and in Dan. He also built temples on the high places and made priests from among the people who were not Levites.

Jeroboam established a feast in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month to duplicate in Bethel the pilgrimage feast of Judah, with sacrifices to the calves he had made; and he stationed in Bethel priests of the high places he had built. Jeroboam did not give up his evil ways after this, but again made priests for the high places from among the common people.

Whoever desired it was consecrated and became a priest of the high places. This was a sin on the part of the house of Jeroboam for which it was to be cut off and destroyed from the earth.

“Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.”

In those days when there again was a great crowd without anything to eat, Jesus summoned the disciples and said, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat.

If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a great distance.”

His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread to satisfy them here in this deserted place?”

Still he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They replied, “Seven.” He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to distribute, and they distributed them to the crowd. They also had a few fish.

He said the blessing over them and ordered them distributed also. They ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over— seven baskets. There were about four thousand people. He dismissed the crowd and got into the boat with his disciples and came to the region of Dalmanutha.

Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2026,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.