In today’s Gospel we hear the story of the multiplication of the loaves. Jesus, showing great compassion, feeds the large crowd following him. John describes Jesus’ action this way: “Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks (eucharistesas), and distributed them to those who were reclining.” The word Eucharist is derived from the Greek verb used here for “giving thanks.” So, the Eucharist or Mass is both feeding the hungry, that is hearing the cry of the poor, and celebrating Jesus’ real presence. They both must be joined together. Elsewhere John tells us that we cannot claim to love the God we do not see if we do not love our neighbor that we do see.
Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also. (1 John 4:20-21)
We begin the Eucharist or Mass not with the opening hymn but as people gather and bring food for the hungry. We follow in the footsteps of Jesus, showing the same compassion that he showed to the large crowd following him.
John speaks of this miracle as a sign which leads the people to proclaim Jesus as a prophet and king: “When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, ’This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world’. Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.” Jesus is more than a prophet or king. In the long discourse that will follow this sign of the multiplication of the loaves Jesus will go on to teach that he is the Bread of Life. As bread and water are essential to life even more so is Jesus essential to our life.