Today’s Gospel is one of the miraculous multiplications of food that Our Lord performs for the people. While there is much to be said about the miracle itself, Eucharistic foreshadowing, for instance, I want to concentrate on Our Lord’s motivation for the miracle that is recorded by St. Matthew. It is important to examine the details recorded by each Evangelist, as everything in Scripture has a purpose. It is easy to focus on the wonders that Our Lord does, with good reason, but we ought not lose sight of the other details.
St. Matthew records:
Jesus summoned his disciples and said,
“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
for they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.
I do not want to send them away hungry,
for fear they may collapse on the way.” Matthew 15:32
The translation above is from the New American Bible, which is the norm for liturgical readings in the United States. In the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition, this passage reads like this:
“Then Jesus called His apostles to Him and said, ‘I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days, and have nothing to eat; and I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.’” Matthew 15:32 RSV2CE
Here, I want to make the contrast between the words pity and compassion. The Greek used here is σπλαγχνίζομαι (splagchnizŏmai). This means to have a yearning within oneself, or to be moved with compassion for someone else. Compassion is an important term as it shows that Our Lord suffers with His people. Likewise, the Latin uses the term Misericors, literally, a suffering heart. St. Thomas picks up on this use and lays out three motives for Our Lord’s compassion for the people:
“But a threefold motive for compassion is set down: first, their perseverance is set down; second, their poverty; third, the imminent danger.”1
Our Lord, who is compassionate and merciful,2 turns His eyes of mercy toward His people’s needs. St. Thomas begins with the perseverance of the people:
“First, perseverance is set down, when it says, because they have been with me now three days. From this you can know that they who persevere with Christ are refreshed with His own bread, for but he who will persevere to the end, will be saved (Matt. 24:13).”3
Those who stay with the Lord through the sufferings will persevere to the end. This perseverance is fed through the Bread from Heaven.4 The Bread that Our Lord gives is His flesh, and it sustains us to the end. Thus, St. Thomas is indicating the necessity of the Eucharist for final perseverance. This is foreshadowed by the multiplication of the loaves, which will happen at the end of today’s Gospel.
“The second thing touched upon is their poverty; hence he says, and have nothing to eat. But why did he wait for three days? Lest they be able to slander him because they were refreshed by food which they had carried with them. According to a mystery, he has compassion on those who know their own misery; and know not, that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked (Rev 3:17).”5
We must know our own poverty. This ties to the virtue of humility. We must know where we stand in the face of God Himself. Once we know our poverty, Our Lord will provide for our needs, but this can only happen once we acknowledge our absolute reliance on Him.6
“Third is the danger: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. For those faint on the road who are not refreshed with the word of God; not in bread alone does man live, but in every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Deut 8:3). With the bread of life and understanding, she will feed him (Sir 15:3).”7
Finally, the third motive is being sustained by what proceeds from the mouth of God. By God’s grace, we are able to walk and not grow weary,8 and we will walk through life’s sufferings sustained by God. In every danger, we must call upon the Lord to provide for us the necessary nourishment for the road ahead. It is here that we learn abandonment to God and His providence.
Thus, it is these three motives that give rise to the miracle of the loaves. Our Lord is compassionate. He is not silent in the face of our sufferings. He comes down and is near to us whether we feel Him or not. Many times, the lack of sensible consolation is an invitation to greater faith and abandonment. Our Lord suffers with us. In this time of Advent, let us take upon ourselves a more penitential spirit, knowing that Our Lord will be compassionate and sustain us through it until the joy of Christmas.
For more from Dr. McGovern, visit his Substack at A Thomist, Dedicated to the Theological tradition of St. Thomas Aquinas. Exploring Thomas’ Spiritual Theology and topics in Christology and Mariology.
St. Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on the Gospel of St. Matthew, C. 15, L. 3, 1340.
Cf. Psalm 103:8.
Ibid.
Cf. John 6:51.
Commentary on Matthew, 1342.
Cf. John 15:5.
Commentary on Matthew, 1343.
Cf. Isaiah 40:31.