The Loaves and Fishes
The Gift of Sharing
(took,
blessed, broke, gave)
13Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a
deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on
foot from the towns. 14When he went ashore, he saw a great
crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. 15When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This
is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that
they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them
something to eat.” 17They replied, “We have nothing here
but five loaves and two fish.” 18And he said, “Bring them here to
me.” 19Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking
the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed
and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the
disciples gave them to the crowds. 20And all ate and were filled; and
they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. 21And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women
and children.
Matthew 14:13-21
Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes
TiSSOT, James
1886-1896
Brooklyn Museum
New York City, NY
United States
Tissot
offers an expansive view of the scene, one so broad that it becomes difficult
to distinguish Jesus himself, at the upper right. However, this
compositional strategy emphasizes the magnitude of the miracle as well as the
multitude of Jesus’ followers, who fill the paths of the terraced hills.
In the Catholic
tradition, there is a form of grace, the sanctifying one, that is the stuff of
your soul. It is not defined by moments of mercy or opportunity; it is
not good things happening to you. Rather, it is the good thing that is in
you, regardless of what happens.
~ Imani Perry
When we tackle
obstacles,
we find hidden
reserves of courage and resilience
we did not know we
had.
And it is only when
we are faced
with failure do we
realise that these
resources were always
there within us.
We only need to find
them
and move on with our
lives.
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Church of the Hills Summer Book Club
Gretchen
and Dr. Dan Hock (our hosts), Pastor Richard Aylor
We
are reading:
Dedication of Bench to the Loving
Memory of Annette Bradley
MAY 21, 1947 – JANUARY 8, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
Rev.
Kimra Perkins
Bob
Bradley with Maggie, one of their children, who was here from
Pennsylvania.
Kimra
Perkins, Bob Bradley, Diane Gansauer
Happy Birthday Brunch
Bread
Lounge - Bergen Park
Sondra
Kellogg, Dr. Marsha Manning, Rev. Kimra Perkins, Carolyn Alexander
Happy
Birthday, Carolyn!
Congratulations,
Robin Alexander Sakamoto!
At
long last!!!
We
turn not older with the years,
but
newer every day.
~ Emily Dickinson
<gr>
The
older I grow the more I distrust
the
familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom.
~ H.L. Mencken
July 26, 2026 Tenth Sunday After
Pentecost, Proper 13 (18)
Previous OPQs may be found at:
1I am speaking the truth in Christ — I am not lying; my
conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit — 2I have great sorrow and unceasing
anguish in my heart. 3For I could wish that I myself were
accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred
according to the flesh. 4They are Israelites, and to them
belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the
worship, and the promises; 5to them belong the patriarchs, and
from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God
blessed for ever. Amen.
Romans 9:1-5
Agnus Day, by
James Wetzstein
Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org
Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org
Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org
Loaves and Fish
MLOLONEY, Helen
1971
Church of St. Michael
Creeslough, Iceland
|
LECTIONARY
Genesis 32:22-31 with Psalm 17:1-7, 15 or
Isaiah
55:1-5 with Psalm 145:8-9, 14-21
Romans 9:1-5
Matthew 14:13-21
Summary
Matthew’s account of the Feeding of the 5,000 emphasizes the connection to two Old Testament figures: Moses and Elisha. First, the Jesus and the crowd are in a desolate place, like the Israelites in the desert when they were fed by the manna from heaven. The disciples’ incredulous response to Jesus in verse 16 follows Elisha’s servant puzzled by how they could feed so many men with so few loaves. However, in contrast to these episodes, Jesus has them recline (“sit down” is an unfortunate English rendering) on “grass” indicating that Jesus’ feeding of his people will be a full meal, not just sustenance. After the four eucharistic actions (took, blessed, broke, gave) repeated in the institution of the Lord’s Supper, the crowd eats “as much as they wanted” with much left over.
THE WORD:
The multiplication of the loaves and fish is the only one of Jesus’ miracles recorded in all four Gospels. The early Christian community especially cherished this story because they saw this wonder as anticipating the Eucharist and the final banquet in the kingdom of God. This miracle also has strong roots in the First Testament: For the peoples of both the First and New Testament, the image of a great banquet was an important visualization of the reign of God: the gifts of the land were unmistakable signs of their God’s great Providence; the Messiah’s coming was often portrayed as a great banquet with choice food and wines; the miracle of the loaves and fishes is a clear affirmation in God's providence. Just as the merciful God feeds the wandering Israelites with manna in the desert, Jesus, “his heart moved with pity,” feeds the crowds who have come to hear him.In Matthew’s account, Jesus acts out of his great compassion on the crowds. First, he challenges the disciples to give what they have – five loaves and two fish. Then he performs the four-fold action that prefigures the Eucharist: Jesus takes, blesses, breaks and gives the bread and fish to the assembled multitude, making of them a community of the Lord's banquet.
First Reading Genesis 32:22-31
22The
same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven
children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23He took them and sent them across
the stream, and likewise everything that he had. 24Jacob was left alone; and a man
wrestled with him until daybreak. 25When the man saw that he did not
prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob’s hip was put
out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26Then he said, “Let me go, for the
day is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” 27So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28Then the man said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but
Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed.” 29Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said,
“Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God
face to face, and yet my life is preserved.” 31The sun rose upon him as he passed
Penuel, limping because of his hip.
1 Hear a just
cause, O LORD; attend to my cry;
give ear to my
prayer from lips free of deceit.
2 From you let my
vindication come;
let your eyes see
the right.
3 If you try my
heart, if you visit me by night,
if you test me, you
will find no wickedness in me;
my mouth does not
transgress.
4 As for what
others do, by the word of your lips
I have avoided the
ways of the violent.
5 My steps have
held fast to your paths;
my feet have not
slipped.
6 I call upon you,
for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to
me, hear my words.
7 Wondrously show
your steadfast love,
O savior of those
who seek refuge
from their
adversaries at your right hand.
15 As for me, I shall
behold your face in righteousness;
when I awake I
shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.
1I
am speaking the truth in Christ — I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by
the Holy Spirit — 2I have great sorrow and unceasing
anguish in my heart. 3For I could wish that I myself were
accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred
according to the flesh. 4They are Israelites, and to them
belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the
worship, and the promises; 5to them belong the patriarchs, and
from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God
blessed for ever. Amen.
13Now
when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by
himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the
towns. 14When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion
for them and cured their sick. 15When it was evening, the disciples
came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send
the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for
themselves.” 16Jesus said to them, “They need not
go away; you give them something to eat.” 17They replied, “We have nothing here
but five loaves and two fish.” 18And he said, “Bring them here to
me.” 19Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the
five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the
loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the
crowds. 20And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over
of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. 21And those who ate were about five
thousand men, besides women and children.