Tuesday after Epiphany
Today we hear of one of great miracles of Jesus in which He feeds thousands of people; from but five loaves and two fish five thousand men—not counting women and children—"…ate and were satisfied…” with twelve wicker baskets of leftovers collected afterward. Remarkable indeed! But this miracle often eclipses what ought to be the most remarkable aspect of our Gospel today, mentioned at the very beginning.
“When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them.”
The very Heart of the Son of God was moved with pity for the crowd, because “…they were like sheep without a shepherd.”
They were lost, and so, being the good shepherd (John 10:11), “…He began to teach them many things,” guiding them, and then feeding them. It all begins, though, with the Heart of Jesus being moved out of love for the crowd.
To think that such a Heart—eternal, omnipotent, invulnerable—could be moved by the needs of sinners. That is the same Heart that was pierced upon the Cross and ceased to beat for our sake; the same Heart which is moved by our every prayer and plight. For the hunger of the crowd He provided enough from very little; what might His Heart, moved by your prayers and needs, accomplish for you?