First Miracle Of The Loaves

 "When JESUS hear of it, HE set out by boat for a secluded place, to be alone.  But the people heard of it, and they followed HIM on foot from their towns.  When JESUS went ashore, HE saw the crowd gathered there, and HE had compassion on them.  And HE healed their sick.

Late in the afternoon, HIS disciples came to HIM and said, 'We are in a lonely place and it is now late.  YOU should send these people away, so that they can go to the villages and buy something for themselves to eat.'

But JESUS replied, 'They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat.'  They answered, 'We have nothing here but five loaves and two fishes.'  JESUS said to them, 'Bring them here to ME .'

Then HE made everyone sit down on the grass.  HE took the five loaves and the two fishes, raised HIS eyes to heaven, pronounced the blessing, broke the loaves, and handed them to the disciples to distribute to the people.  And they all ate, and everyone had enough; then the disciples gathered up the leftovers, filling twelve baskets.  About five thousand men had eaten there, besides women and children." - Matthew 14:13-21 

(They sat in fresh pastures and they ate till they were satisfied.  The crowd seated for a meal is the image of the Reign when JESUS will unite all of humanity in the fraternal banquet with GOD [Luke 14:15].

Raising HIS eyes to heaven.  By using this gesture, rather than a prayer that saints or prophets might have said on this occasion, JESUS expresses HIS personal relationship with the FATHER.

JESUS is the bread needed by humanity [John 6].  GOD has set on this earth all that humanity needs for food and development, but if we do not know how to listen to the word, we will not know how to solve the world's most urgent problem, the distribution of the riches of the earth.  Faith in GOD's promises is the only force with which to fight against egoism and unequal privileges, and it will eventually obtain food, peace, and freedom for all.

Because of this, JESUS had compassion for this crowd whose leaders had little concern for them.  Without bothering about food, this crowd listening to HIM while HE conveyed to them the word of GOD that liberates people from blindness and emptiness.  Then, being the Shepherd and the True Bread of Life, HE gave them food and distributed it.)

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