FIRST READING
“I am not able to carry all this people alone.”
A reading from the Book of Numbers (Numbers11:4b-15)
In those days: The people of Israel said, “O that we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.” Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of gum resin. The people went about and gathered it, and ground it in mills or beat it in mortars, and boiled it in pots, and made cakes of it; and the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked with oil. When the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell with it. Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, every man at the door of his tent; and the anger of the Lord blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased. Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favour in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people upon me? Did I conceive all this people? Did I bring them forth, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries the sucking child,’ to the land which you swore to give their fathers? Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat. ’I am not able to carry all this people alone, the burden is too heavy for me. If you will deal thus with me, kill me at once, if I find favour in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.”
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 81:12-13.14-15.16-17(R.2a)
R/. Sing joyfully to God our strength.
“My people did not heed my voice,
And Israel would not obey me.
So I left them in their stubbornness of heart,
to follow their own designs.” R.
“O that my people would heed me,
that Israel would walk in my ways!
At once I would subdue their foes,
Turn my hand against their enemies.” R.
R/. Sing joyfully to God our strength.
“Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him,
and their subjection would last forever.
But Israel I would feed with finest wheat,
and satisfy with honey from the rock.” R.
ALLELUIA Matthew 4:4b
Alleluia. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
“He looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew14:13-21)
At that time: When Jesus heard [of the death of John the Baptist], he withdrew from there in a boat to a lonely place apart. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. As he went ashore he saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a lonely place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said. “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass; and taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Today’s Reflection
We often say, ‘God knows!’ Yes indeed, God has the answer. He gives the answer to a significant question that Moses asked: “Where am I to get meat to give to all these people?” (Num. 11:13). He also gives an answer in the Gospel: “Bring them here to me,” (Matt 14:18) which can be interpreted in two ways: First, “Bring the people here and I will feed them”; second, “Bring the little that you have and I will bless and multiply it for everyone.” Another way to interpret Jesus’ answer, “Bring them here to me,” is: “Bring your cares, your worries and anxieties to me, and I will lighten them.” Our God surely supplies all our needs and satisfies our longings according to his riches and glory.