11 February 2023 – Mark 8:1-10
Today’s Gospel reports the second of the two multiplications of the loaves and fishes found in Mark. The first, with 5,000 people, is in a Jewish area while this one, with 4,000 people, is in pagan territory. Jesus reaches both groups. The people have no food and are hungry and this has both physical and spiritual significance.
The structure of the narrative is identical to that of the first miracle: Jesus’ compassion for the crowd as the reason for the sign, the dialogue with the disciples, the prodigious meal with the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, the gathering of the leftovers and, finally, the ascertainment of the number of participants. Alongside these obvious similarities, differences emerge, especially in the details: three days of the crowd staying with Jesus (8:2); a deserted place (8:6); the numbers are also different: seven loaves as opposed to five; seven bags as opposed to the twelve
of the first miracle.
The second account of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes connects very well with the perspective of the call of the Gentiles to salvation.
Jesus eliminates the separation between Jews and Gentiles and with this miracle, performed in pagan territory, he gives the latter salvation.
The above leads to the same teaching: the discovery of the mystery of Jesus’ life and the sacramental and missionary mystery of his new religion.
For the good workers…
– Jesus is the one who always takes the initiative and recognises the need for bread for all the journey ahead. Today we know that he himself is this bread, given to us in the Eucharist, for our lives and for the life of the whole world.
– How many loaves do you have? We too must discover as a community how many loaves we have. In fact, if we reflect on the disciples’ response, we see that they have seven. Seven loaves, however, neither Peter, nor Andrew, nor any other of the disciples has them, but all together they have everything, nothing is missing (seven is the number of fullness). Jesus invites me to enter into myself and discover that together with others I have the possibility of responding to all the expectations of today’s world.
Lord Jesus, You alone can satisfy our hunger, You alone can give dignity to our life, You alone can lead us to life without end. Amen!
P JOBY KAVUNGAL RCJ