Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Congratulations with the resurrection of the Lord, as well as the feastday of the Holy Prophet Elias!

Today in the Gospel reading we heard how our Lord Jesus Christ multiplied five loaves of bread and two fish and fed five thousand men and many women and children. All four evangelists include this miracle in their Gospels. They also all agree with each other without any major differences in their accounts. The fact that each of them recorded this event shows that they, and those people for whom they were writing, considered this miracle a rather special one. Possibly for the people of those times this was Christ’s most spectacular miracle, aside from, perhaps, the resurrection of Lazarus. This idea is supported by the Evangelist John the Theologian, who takes note that after this event the Jews were ready to take Christ and make Him their king. What a king He would be! He could easily feed everyone. Hunger would cease to exist. He could procure for a whole army all the necessary rations. This army could finally free the Promised Land from the Roman pagans. A Jewish paradise on earth with come into being! This is the christ that they were waiting for.

We, the new Israel (that is, Christians, members of the Holy Church) must understand this miracle differently, not from a physical, worldly point of view, but from a spiritual one. Today let us turn our attention to those people who came to Christ that day and learn from them.

Christ and the apostles separated themselves from everyone and went into the wilderness to rest from all the people that constantly came to them. These people, when they found out where Jesus was, went out to Him. They left the city without any supplies, they left their jobs, they took their wives and children and went to Christ. They not only went to Christ, but stayed with Him until the evening. They were seeking not only healing of their ailments but also His preaching (although Matthew doesn’t mention preaching, the other evangelists mention that the Lord taught). What an amazing scene it must have been: ten thousand poor and ailing people, who, come evening, are tired and hungry; cranky children; mothers worried about how to comfort them; fathers who are oblivious to everything but Christ. In general, no one can tear themselves away from the words coming from Him. The apostles see everything and understand that it’s time for everyone to return home. And then Christ performs a miracle and feeds everyone with bread and fish. What zeal and love for Christ and His teachings these people had! What a wonderful reward they receive from Christ for their zeal!
Today let’s pray to the Holy Prophet Elias, that most zealous Old Testament servant of God, that we acquire zeal and a burning desire to hear, read and study the Word of God. Let’s also hope that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will feed our thirsty and hungry souls with spiritual food!

priest Alexis