Unfathomable Compassion

𝐉𝐀𝐍. 𝟔, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔: 𝐓𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐏𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐘

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟏 𝐉𝐧 𝟒:𝟕-𝟏𝟎

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟕𝟐:𝟏-𝟒, 𝟕-𝟖 “𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮.”

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐌𝐤 𝟔:𝟑𝟒-𝟒𝟒

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞: “𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐚𝐭.” (𝐯.𝟑𝟕) 

         Love seems to be the underlying theme today and for us to fully appreciate the relevance of the Sacred Scriptures with our present day realities we must make it a habit to tie in the events in the life of Jesus as depicted in the four Gospels to our own faith experiences. Such is necessary for us to be able to establish a connection between the message of the Bible and the purpose of our existence.

         Take for example the scene when Jesus went to a solitary place upon learning of the death of John the Baptist, he saw a large crowd and he had compassion on them (𝐌𝐤 𝟔:𝟑𝟒; 𝐌𝐭 𝟏𝟒:𝟏𝟒). Still, upon being told the people had nothing to eat, Jesus told his disciples: “𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐚𝐭.” (𝐌𝐤 𝟔:𝟑𝟒; 𝐌𝐭 𝟏𝟒:𝟏𝟔)        

          This scenario was so replete with meaning that we can readily equate the large crowd that Jesus saw (in some versions the word used was “multitude”) to our Church today, the same Church that grew from the 12 Apostles and a handful of disciples who followed Jesus and the 3,000 who were added when Peter spoke after the Holy Spirit dwelt on the people who were gathered on the Day of Pentecost.

         And today we have the Church to which we belong and in the same breadth the parable of the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish is not only being reenacted and replicated as we gather to celebrate the Holy Eucharist but we in fact can still hear Jesus say: “𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐚𝐭.” (𝐯.𝟑𝟒) and this is what we commemorate as we eat from the same bread offered at the altar that multiplies for everyone to eat.

         This miracle event also showed who Jesus was. He was not only sent down from heaven to be with the chosen people of God, but this gospel passage is like a door through which we are being invited by Jesus himself to enter in to see what his heart was made of. What happened in this gospel event shows us the love of God specially for those who have nothing in life.

         A very beautiful Bible translation of this event was recorded by Mark the Evangelist in 𝐯.𝟑𝟒: “𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐤.” This translation sums up not only what Jesus felt at the time, but it provides us with a picture of the true nature and character of Christ. “To the depths of his being” meant that compassion filled his entire being that there was nothing in his heart that did not translate to compassion.

         In fact, Jesus could have driven away the crowd, but he did not. Instead, he gave the people what they needed. He healed all those who were sick and when nighttime came, he ministered to the people by feeding them from what his Apostles can gather – five loaves of bread and two fish.

         Today’s gospel passage shows us that God’s love is beyond measure. As St. Paul wrote to the Romans in 𝐑𝐨𝐦 𝟖:𝟑𝟗 “…𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬.” God’s love is such that no matter the circumstances we find ourselves in, we will never be lost in his love. As St. Paul said, it would be next to impossible for us to be separated from the love of God. His birth, his life, his death and resurrection is proof of his unfathomable love.

         Jesus in this gospel opened a window for us to see our roles in the Church today and Pope Francis echoes this same call that Jesus made to his Apostles and disciples for all baptized Catholics to proclaim the Gospel with joy. This is the reality that we face today. For the Good News to reach the ends of the world, Jesus has to use us because it is through us that the truth can be proclaimed.

         What this gospel is also telling us is that we need not wait for an event to happen so that we can feel or have a taste of what God’s love is because love is something that we receive and give since it is an experience that is shared in all human relationships.

         Parents are expected to love their children and vice versa. Siblings of course also display their love for one another. Those growing up experience a taste of what love is even if it may start with infatuation or crushes. Stepping into adulthood, people become more serious in the way they express their love especially for the opposite sex. Friends also share their love for each other and marriage often grows from a mature and responsible kind of love especially when the vows of marriage are made at the altar of grace.

         But all these are examples of what human love is that it cannot be equated to the infinite kind of love that comes from God and this is why there are instances when unfortunate circumstances and or inappropriate behavior led to love being lost even among families.

         The love of God, on the other hand, was so great that he wants us to share his love to the world that he created. This is why he sent his only Son to become a part of humanity so that through Jesus Christ whose birth we just celebrated a few weeks ago we can all have a tasted of the commingling of our humanness and the divinity of God.

         The birth of Jesus also shows us that the initiative did not come from us but from God which is like what we all do when we have found the one that we love. Don’t we also make the first move with the person with whom we want to spend the rest of our lives with?

         What we also see in this miracle was not just the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish but the miracle of the transformation of the people from an uncaring type of people who were indifferent to the needs of their fellowmen to a multitude of Jews who have become generous to one another.

         When Jesus lifted the five loaves and two fish and said a blessing, he must also have partaken a slice of bread and maybe also a slice of the fish and handed these to his Disciples to be distributed. In effect, what Jesus did was he gave the Apostles an advance screening of the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

        More than anything else, Jesus showed that anything is possible when it is done in love. Love conquers all things and in this Gospel passage, Jesus gave the Apostles and his Disciples a lesson on what love meant. When Jesus refused to drive away the people and instead responded to the cry of the people especially the sick and, when he used his power to multiply the five loaves and two fish, Jesus only showed that love can change even self-centered men into becoming generous to others.

         This is the same attitude that Jesus is asking of anyone who will follow him. We are to share this same love that we received from Jesus so that others may also be blessed. This gospel reading is an invitation for us to get immersed in the love of the One who is the symbol of what love is.

         To sum it up, the other reality that those reading this Gospel passage may miss was that Jesus could make use of the little that we have. The five loaves of bread and two pieces of fish were enough to feed a crowd of more than 5,000 and the leftovers filled 12 wicker baskets that could still be used to feed other people who may be in need.

         What this miracle showed was that Jesus can always put to good use even the little that we have. What Jesus was actually saying here was that anyone can come to him with what they have as he will welcome not just the learned, the rich and the famous, the skilled and talented but he will welcome with open arms even the simplest, the poorest, unskilled, uneducated among us because Jesus can make use of even the least of us.

         In v.34 Jesus showed his Apostles the kind of sacrifice that awaits them when it will be time for them to go and make disciples of all nations. Here, Jesus showed the kind of character that every servant must have. A servant must be willing to sacrifice even his own time in the service of others that is done with compassion. And this is the kind of response that Jesus expects from us. (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 - 𝘑𝘢𝘯. 6, 2026)