1st Reading – Isaiah 55:1-3
Thus says the LORD:
All you who are thirsty,
come to the water!
You who have no money,
come, receive grain and eat;
Come, without paying and without cost,
drink wine and milk!
Why spend your money for what is not bread;
your wages for what fails to satisfy?
Heed me, and you shall eat well,
you shall delight in rich fare.
Come to me heedfully,
listen, that you may have life.
I will renew with you the everlasting covenant,
the benefits assured to David.
This week’s first reading comes from the section of Isaiah known as Second Isaiah (Chapters 40-55), which has been called the Book of Consolation. Accordingly, our passage for today contains some of the most moving sentiments placed in the mouth of God.
The prophet is speaking to the exiles in Babylon. Because their king, kingdom, and temple have all been destroyed they are wondering whether their relationship with God has also been destroyed. Are they still God’s people? Is God still their God? Are the promises that God made to their ancestors, to King David, still in effect?
Thus says the LORD: All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk!
God is portrayed as a vendor who offers food and drink at no cost.
This is reminiscent of Proverbs 9:5-6, where Woman Wisdom invites people into her home to partake of the banquet at her table.
Together, the offering of water, grain, wine, and milk demonstrate deep generosity. While water is a basic need for everyone, it is particularly important in the climate of Mediterranean Palestine. Grain, wine, and milk are staples of the Near Eastern diet and imply abundant harvests and healthy flocks.
Note that the invitation is extended to “all you who are thirsty”; not only those who had been faithful throughout their exile in Babylon, or those who had found a way to make a living while in exile.
The only condition is a thirst for God.
Why spend your money for what is not bread; your wages for what fails to satisfy?
The previous verse was addressed to those “who have no money”; here, the invitation is extended to those who are able to pay.
What God has to offer satisfies the deepest longings of the human heart, something that money can’t buy.
Heed me, and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare.
God knows that the people are suffering. However, they are thirsty for more than water. They are hungry for more than food. They are hungry for a right relationship with their God.
Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life.
Isaiah assures the people that God has not rejected them. Rather, God is calling them to fidelity: “come to me,” “heed me,” “listen.”
We can be sure that Isaiah is referring to more than ordinary food and drink because the word used for “listen” is shāma. This is the same verb that introduces Israel’s most important prayer: Hear, O Israel! The word suggests not only hearing but also heeding the words that are heard.
It’s clear that the word of God is a source of nourishment and rejuvenation. In fact, it is the source of life itself.
I will renew with you the everlasting covenant, the benefits assured to David.
The essence of God’s invitation lies in this proclamation. God is renewing their covenant bond, referencing his royal covenant with David (see 2 Samuel 7:12-16).
The Davidic covenant was instituted as an everlasting one, but it was violated by the sins of the people. God is now eager to restore this severed bond.
For modern Christians, this passage serves as an invitation to share in the new and eternal Covenant sealed with the blood of Christ, a pledge of salvation for all mankind.
2nd Reading – Romans 8:35, 37-39
Brothers and sisters:
What will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?
No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly
through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities,
nor present things, nor future things,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Today’s reading is considered by many to be the magnificent climax of Paul’s entire letter to the Romans.
Last week we heard Paul declare that “all things work for good for those who love God” (Romans 8:28). Next, in a passage not included in the readings for Mass, Paul asks, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). He goes on to point out that God did not spare even his own son, but “handed him over for us all” (Romans 8:32b). What greater proof of God’s love could we possibly have?
Today’s reading is Paul’s conclusion to this line of thought.
Brothers and sisters: What will separate us from the love of Christ?
Paul introduces his point by posing a rhetorical question.
Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?
These hardships are generally associated with the tribulations that will occur at the end of time. They are not ordinary struggles but the kind of suffering that arises because of one’s commitment to Christ:
- “anguish” (thlípsis) is intense affliction;
- “distress” (stenochōría) conveys the idea of being confined or squeezed in a narrow space. Metaphorically, it refers to an intensely confining oppression;
- “persecution” (diōgmós) suggests religious persecution, specifically being pursued with hostile intent by someone because of their beliefs;
- “famine” (limos) and “nakedness” (gumnos) are deprivations that accompany disastrous social disruption;
- “peril” (kíndūnos) is a general term often translated as “danger” or “threat”;
- “the sword” (machaira) is a short sword or dagger which was used for both military combat and as a personal weapon. In this context, it probably refers to execution by sword rather than war.
In addition to encouraging his readers in the midst of suffering, Paul is likely also challenging the long-standing theory of retribution, which held that any misfortune a person encountered was the consequence of some misdeed.
Across his teachings, Paul instructs believers that the opposite is true, namely, that the righteous — precisely because they are righteous — share in the sufferings of Christ. Rather than separating them from Christ, misfortune unites them to him.
“None of these can separate believers; nothing can snatch away those clinging to Christ’s body and blood [the Eucharist]. This persecution is for the examination and evaluation of our heart. God wanted us to be tried and proved, as He has always tried His own, and yet, in His trials, never at any time has His help failed believers.” [Saint Cyprian of Carthage (250 AD), Letters 11,5]
No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us.
The military imagery here is striking and correlates to the interpretation that this passage is alluding to the final struggles at the end of time.
Victory is achieved not because believers have clung to Christ, but because Christ has clung to them.
And notice that their triumph goes beyond mere victory: Paul states that we “conquer overwhelmingly.” Believers in Christ are not just narrowly defeating their adversaries but are prevailing in a grand and extraordinary manner.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
Paul begins another list of terrible extremes that will never break our love relationship with Jesus. This is a merism, a literary device that expresses a complete idea by mentioning contrasting or extremely opposite parts.
By juxtaposing life and death, he includes all facets of human existence.
nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers,
Angels, principalities, and powers are names of supernatural beings. Angelic powers, some of them evil and very powerful, cannot separate us from Christ.
Not now or at any age in time.
“These are all the things which have come upon us since we were abducted by the devil (see Genesis 3:1-24). Paul lists them in order to steel us against them if they should appear so that, confident of the hope and help of Christ and armed with faith, we might be able to fight against them.” [The Ambrosiaster (ca. 366-384 AD), Commentaries on Thirteen Pauline Epistles Romans 8,38]
nor height, nor depth,
Another pair of extremes. This is probably a reference to cosmic or celestial forces, which in the culture at that time were thought to influence the lives of men. For example, these may have been astrological terms denoting a star’s closest and farthest point from its zenith.
Paul refutes this line of thinking by declaring that there is nothing in the entire cosmos that can sever our bond with Christ.
nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This final statement encompasses the entirety of creation.
The love of God revealed in the redemptive work of Christ is thus the unshakable basis of our life and hope as believers.
Gospel – Matthew 14:13-21
When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist,
he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.
The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already late;
dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages
and buy food for themselves.”
Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away;
give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”
Then he said, “Bring them here to me,”
and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples,
who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied,
and they picked up the fragments left over—
twelve wicker baskets full.
Those who ate were about five thousand men,
not counting women and children.
Today’s gospel reading is the famous story of the Feeding of the Five Thousand, also known as “the multiplication of the loaves.”
Since last week’s gospel reading, two things have occurred: Jesus has returned to his hometown in Nazareth only to be rejected (Matthew 13:54-58), and Herod has killed John the Baptist (Matthew 14:1-12).
Antagonism against Jesus is growing.
When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.
The scene begins with Jesus’ response to the murder of his cousin, John the Baptist. He withdraws from the constant press of the crowds for some time alone.
Galilee was a small area, spanning about 50 miles north to south and about 25 miles east to west. In Jesus’ time, it contained about 200 villages and towns, each with a population of 15,000 people or more. It was therefore not easy to get away from people for any length of time — this is why Jesus withdrew in a boat.
The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.
As much as Jesus needs time alone, the crowds need Jesus. They follow him so that when he returns to shore they are waiting for him.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
The word translated as “pity” is splanchnízomai, which refers to profound inner emotion. It is used in the gospels only by or about Jesus and has messianic significance (see Matthew 9:36, 15:32, 20:34).
Instead of prioritizing his own needs and heading back out in the boat, Jesus is moved by the plight of the people and responds to their needs.
When it was evening, the disciples approached him
One gets the impression that Jesus was forgetting the time while attending to the people — it was already evening when the disciples approached him.
and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.”
When the disciples see the needy crowds, they have the opposite reaction. Instead of responding to the people, the disciples suggest they be sent away.
Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.”
Jesus is training his disciples to be leaders: to have confidence, and show initiative.
But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”
Bread and fish were staples in the diet of poor Galileans.
Five loaves and two fish wouldn’t even be sufficient for Jesus and the twelve, much less the large crowd that has gathered.
By pointing out this meager offering, the disciples are essentially telling Jesus that what he is requesting is impossible.
Then he said, “Bring them here to me,” and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.
Jesus’ instruction to the crowds is anaklínōsin, to recline. This is the customary position taken at a banquet, foreshadowing the abundance, hospitality, and fellowship that is about to occur when Jesus miraculously feeds them.
The presence of grass indicates that this even happened in the springtime (see Mark 6:40, John 6:10).
Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples,
Jesus’ actions here are concise but powerful. He took the food, offered a blessing, broke the bread, and asked the disciples to distribute it. The description is remarkably similar to the words Jesus will use a year later in instituting the Eucharist at the Last Supper (see Matthew 26:26-27). The Greek word for the blessing is eucharisto.
In the Near East, loaves were usually made very thin, which meant it was easy to break them by hand and distribute them to those at table; this was usually done by the head of the household or the senior person at the meal. Jesus follows this ritual of the daily Jewish meal, and a miracle occurs when he breaks the bread.
It’s difficult to know whether the historical Jesus performed these precise actions over the food. If he did, was he prophetically anticipating the Last Supper?
Regardless, it’s certain that Matthew wanted these connections to be made.
who in turn gave them to the crowds.
The role of the apostles is critical. They were the conduits through which the crowds experienced Jesus’ overwhelming generosity. They distributed the food and, in the next verse, collected what was left over.
This clearly demonstrates Jesus’ desire to have people cooperate in his work to bring about the kingdom of God. It also shows how Jesus provides for his people through the agency of the Church.
(There’s also a touch of irony here: Those who wanted Jesus to send the crowds away wind up serving as the banquet’s waiters!)
They all ate and were satisfied,
Miraculously, all had their fill.
and they picked up the fragments left over — twelve wicker baskets full.
Twelve baskets of food being left over demonstrates the lavish abundance of this miracle. The excess after everyone is satisfied is substantially more than what Jesus began with. God’s provision is abundant and neverending, always exceeding what is required.
Of course, the fact that there are specifically twelve baskets carries symbolic and theological implications. In the Jewish tradition, the number twelve signifies completeness, wholeness, and divine order. That symbolism factors significantly throughout the Bible, particularly in relation to the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles chosen by Jesus.
In the context of this story, the twelve baskets of excess means there is enough left over for everyone; i.e., all Israel.
Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.
Since the count of five thousand only included men, the total figure could have been as high as twenty or thirty thousand. The whole idea is to characterize abundance — the abundance of the messianic age.
There is a doublet of this story in Matthew 15:29 (the Feeding of the Four Thousand) which takes place in Gentile territory (Canaan). While our gospel reading today involved a primarily Jewish crowd, this second miraculous feeding for a Gentile crowd demonstrates Jesus’ care and provision for all people, regardless of their background or ethnicity.
In the second story, seven baskets are left. Some see this as corresponding to the number of tribes displaced when the Jews first occupied the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 7:1-2). This symbolism would indicate that enough was left over to feed all the Gentiles as well as the Israelites.
These two stories of feeding the masses aren’t things that happened just once; they occur at every Mass. Just as Jesus satisfied the deepest hunger of the crowds in Galilee and Canaan, he continues to satisfy the hunger of people throughout all time.
Connections and Themes
The One who nourishes. Jesus is the one who nourishes us, who provides us with everything we need. Bread and fish, the peasant food of first-century Israel, symbolize the diverse ways in which we, as individuals living in the modern world, find sustenance in Him. Amidst a world that often feels devoid of meaning, Jesus offers us purpose; in times of confusion and darkness, He guides us with clarity. He satisfies the longings of our hearts and revives our weary spirits.
When we faithfully follow Jesus, we often discover surprising ways in which he sustains us. Occasionally we are seated at a grand feast, but more often we are nourished by the simplicity of everyday life. A person from our past expresses gratitude for a kindness we extended long ago. Our words alleviate the fears of another and provide comfort. We are warmly welcomed by a group of friends. We are moved by the glow of Christmas or the joy of Easter. Jesus nourishes us through the ordinary aspects of life, revealing his presence and provision in subtle and profound ways.
Bread that satisfies. When we are attuned to the providence of God, we are amazed at his generosity, which exceeds all our expectations and also our understanding. Often, our hunger stems from a sense of dissatisfaction. Because we desire a feast, we overlook the bread and fish within our reach.
Importantly, this sustenance comes to us within a community of disciples. We are nourished by God through the ministry of one another, through simple actions: providing meals, visiting the sick, comforting the grieving, caring for a child, assisting the elderly. When we pause to contemplate life, we are astounded at how simple acts of kindness toward others can satisfy our own deepest desires.
Without cost. Perhaps the most astounding aspect of God’s goodness is that it is given freely, with no requirement to pay. There was no thought of collecting payment from the multitude on the mountain. In our first reading, Isaiah insists that God simply invites: “Come, receive grain and eat!”
Of course, stepping forward to receive requires acknowledging that we are needy. We must extend our hands to receive. When we do, we not only receive love and sustenance, we are bonded to God in a new way.
Jesus’ compassion for the multitude was not a passing emotion but a reflection of his enduring concern for us, a concern that will never change. We will never be turned away to fend for ourselves.
Remember, nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.
Sunday Readings 