And Jesus called together his disciples, and said: I have compassion on the multitudes, because they continue with me now three days, and have not what to eat, and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.

“Or, they spend the whole time of the Lord’s passion with the Lord; either because when they should come to baptism, they would confess that they believed in His passion and resurrection; or, because through the whole time of the Lord’s passion they are joined to the Lord by fasting in a kind of union of suffering with Him.”

“(Hom. liii.) For the multitude when they came to be healed, had not dared to ask for food, but He that loveth man, and hath care of all creatures, gives it to them unasked; whence He says, I have compassion upon the multitude. That it should not be said that they had brought provision with them on their way, He says, Because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat. For though when they came they had food, it was now consumed, and for this reason He did it not on the first or second day, but on the third, when all was consumed that they might have brought with them; and thus they having been first placed in need, might take the food that was now provided with keener appetite. That they had come from far, and that nothing was now left them, is shewn in what He says, And I will not send, them, away fasting, lest they faint by the way. Yet He does not immediately proceed to work the miracle, that He may rouse the disciples’ attention by this questioning, and that they may shew their faith by saying to Him, Create loaves. And though at the time of the former miracle Christ had done many things to the end that they should remember it, making them distribute the loaves, and divide the baskets among them, yet they were still imperfectly disposed, as appears from what follows; And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much, bread in the wilderness as to fill so great a multitude? This they spoke out of the infirmity of their thoughts, yet thereby making the ensuing miracle to be beyond suspicion; for that none might suspect that the loaves had been got from a neighbouring village, this miracle is wrought in the wilderness far distant from villages. Then to arouse His disciples’ thoughts, He puts a question to them, which may call the foregone miracle to their minds; And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? They said unto him, Seven, and a few little fishes. But they do not add, ‘But what are they among so many?’ as they had said before; for they had advanced somewhat, though they did not yet comprehend the whole. Admire in the Apostles their love of truth, though themselves are the writers, they do not conceal their own great faults; and it is no light self-accusation to have so soon forgotten so great a miracle. Observe also their wisdom in another respect, how they had overcome their appetite, taking so little care of their meals, that though they had been three days in the desert, yet they had with them only seven loaves. Some other things also He does like to what had been done before. He makes them to sit down on the ground, and the bread to grow in the hands of the disciples; as it follows, And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.”

“Christ first took away the infirmities of the sick, and afterwards supplied food to them that had been healed. Also He calls His disciples to tell them what He is about to do; Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude. This He does that He may give an example to masters of sharing their counsels with the young, and their disciples; or, that by this dialogue they might come to understand the greatness of the miracle.”

“(de Cons. Ev. ii. 50.) Surely it will not be out of place to suggest upon this miracle, that if any of the Evangelists who had not given the miracle of the five loaves had related this of the seven loaves, he would have been supposed to have contradicted the rest. But because those who have related the one, have also related the other, no one is puzzled, but it is understood at once that they were two separate miracles. This we have said, that wherever any thing is found done by the Lord, wherein the accounts of any two Evangelists seem irreconcilable, we may understand them as two distinct occurrences, of which one is related by one Evangelist, and one by another.”

“In this Gospel lection we must consider in Christ the work of His humanity, and of His divinity. In that He has compassion on the multitudes, He shews that He has feeling of human frailty; in the multiplication of the loaves, and the feeding the multitudes, is shewn the working of His divinity. So here is overthrown the error of Eutyches1, who said, that in Christ was one nature only.”

“Above, the evangelical teaching having been confirmed through the liberation of the Gentiles from the power of demons by the power of Christ, now he confirms it through liberation from spiritual infirmities, in that he healed many. And he does three things: first the place is set forth; second, the offering; third, the liberation. The second at "and great multitudes came to him," etc.; the third at "and he healed them." First the place is described in general, for "when he had passed," namely from the region of the Gentiles, "he came near the sea," which was in Judea, which is sometimes called Gennesaret, sometimes the Sea of Galilee. By the fact that he returns to the Jews it is signified that the remnant of Israel will be saved; Romans 11:5: "So then, at this present time also, there is a remnant saved according to the election of the grace of God." Then the place is described in particular, saying, "and going up into a mountain, he sat there." By the mountain is signified the height of the Word; Psalm 35:7: "Thy justice is as the mountains of God." But Jesus was not standing but sitting, because unless he had come down we would not have known him, according to that word of Psalm 143:5: "Lord, bow down thy heavens and descend." Likewise by the mountain is signified the height of glory, as is found in Genesis 19:17: "Save thyself in the mountain," etc., to signify that there true rest is, not here; Hebrews 13:14: "For we have not here a lasting city, but we seek one that is to come," that is, we await the one to come. There follows the offering: "and there came to him great multitudes," etc. And first it is set forth as to the multitude of the crowds; second, as to the offering of the sick; third, as to the manner. As to the first: "then there came to him great multitudes"; Psalm 85:9: "All the nations thou hast made shall come and adore before thee, O Lord." And they did not come empty, for they had with them the dumb, the blind, the lame, etc. And in this it is signified that those who are converted to the Lord ought to offer others to the Lord; and this is what it says: "having with them the dumb, the blind, the lame, and the feeble." "Feeble" in Latin signifies a defect of power, but in Greek it is said of one who has a weak hand: for just as one is called lame who is injured in the feet, so one is called feeble who has a withered hand. By these are signified diverse kinds of spiritual diseases. By the dumb are signified those who cannot praise God, of whom Isaiah 56:10 speaks: "dumb dogs not able to bark." The lame are said to be those who never walk firmly toward the good, but quickly turn to evil; 3 Kings 18:21: "How long do you halt between two sides? If the Lord be God, follow him." By the blind are signified unbelievers, who are deprived of the light of faith; Isaiah 59:9: "we have groped for the darkness." By the feeble, who have a withered hand, are signified those who have a feeble heart; Psalm 21:16: "my strength is dried up like a potsherd." "And many others." In this they showed great faith, for they brought not only their own but others. Likewise they show their devotion by the manner: for sometimes they asked that he lay on his hand, as above in chapter 9; sometimes, however, that they might touch the hem, as above in the same, namely chapters 9 and 14. But now it sufficed to lay them at his feet. And by this it is given to us to understand mystically that the sinners whom we convert we ought not to subject to ourselves, according to what is found in 1 Corinthians 4:1: "Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and the dispensers of the mysteries of God." There follows the account of the healing. And first the healing is set forth; second, the wonder; third, the effect. He says therefore, "and he healed them"; Psalm 106:20: "He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions." And elsewhere, Psalm 102:3: "who forgiveth all thy iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases." And there follows the wonder: "so that the multitudes marveled, seeing the dumb," etc. Here the effect is set forth. This had been foretold: Isaiah 35:5: "Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be opened," etc.; and in Psalm 138:3: "wonderful are thy works." But it is asked: why does he make no mention of the feeble? Because there was no opposite act to which it could correspond. But observe that some, having seen the miracles, blasphemed, as is found above in chapter 14, but these praised together; hence they glorified the God of Israel. "And Jesus, having called together his disciples," etc. Here the teaching of Christ is shown to be praiseworthy through the refreshment of the good. And first the motive is set forth; second, the material; third, the distribution; fourth, the refreshment. The second at "and the disciples say to him," etc.; the third at "and he commanded the multitude to sit down"; the fourth at "and they all ate, and were filled." It should be noted that this motive is set forth after what precedes, because the sick cannot be fed, for "their soul abhorred all manner of meat," Psalm 106:18. Therefore it is necessary that before they are fed they be healed: so too in spiritual matters. Augustine: "to a sick palate bread is a punishment, which to a healthy one is pleasant," etc. And therefore the Lord feeds after the healing. And it should be noted that first he calls together the disciples in order to make them attentive, so that they might be mindful of the miracle. Likewise, that he might give us an example that however great a man may be, he ought to conduct himself toward lesser ones; Ecclesiasticus 3:20: "The greater thou art, humble thyself in all things." Hence, having called together his disciples, he said: "I have compassion on the multitude," etc. This was the motive, whereby he showed the humanity fitting to the divinity. Mercy is a passion, for one is merciful who has a wretched heart, who reckons another's misery as his own. But mercy belongs most of all to God; Psalm 102:8: "the Lord is compassionate and merciful, longsuffering and plenteous in mercy." And that which he reckons as his own, he ought to drive away as his own. Hence the Lord, insofar as he drives away misery, is called merciful. But a threefold motive of showing mercy is set forth. First he sets forth their perseverance; second, their want; third, the imminent danger. First perseverance is set forth, when it is said, "for they have now been with me three days." From which you can know that those who persevere with Christ are refreshed with his bread: for "he that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved." By the three days you can understand the confession of the Holy Trinity; hence below, in the last chapter, 19: "Going therefore into the whole world, baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Or the threefold act, namely of heart, mouth, and deed. Likewise the threefold time of the world, namely the time of the law of nature, of the Mosaic law, and of the law of grace and of glory at the end. Psalm 16:15: "I shall be satisfied when thy glory shall appear." Or by the three days, the three days of the death of Christ. Hence those sustain the Lord for three days who have conformed themselves to the death of Christ; Hosea 6:3: "he will give us life after three days, and on the third day he will raise us up." Hence through the death of Christ we await justification. Galatians, last chapter, 17: "always bearing about in our body the mortification of Jesus." The second thing touched on is their want; hence he says, "they have nothing to eat." But why did he wait for three days? Lest it could be alleged against him that they had been refreshed by food which they had brought with them. According to the mystical sense, he has mercy on those who know their own misery; Apocalypse 3:17: "he knoweth not that he is wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked," etc. The third is the danger: "and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way." For those faint in the way who are not refreshed by the word of God; Deuteronomy 8:3: "not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God"; Ecclesiasticus 15:3: "she fed him with the bread of life and understanding." "And the disciples say to him," etc. Here the material is set forth. And first, how he gave; second, how much material was at hand. Hence it says, and they say: "Whence then should we have so many loaves in the desert?" Here the slowness and forgetfulness of the disciples is reproved, because above the Lord had satisfied five thousand from five loaves. Hence they are reproved for slowness and forgetfulness. According to the mystical sense, in this the grace of God and his mercy are signified, who reveals his mysteries to the unworthy, and ministers his sacraments through them; Jeremiah 1:6: "I know not how to speak, Lord, for I am a child." To whom the Lord said: "Say not, I am a child"; Exodus 4:10: "I am of a slower and more impeded tongue," etc. Isaiah 3:7: "for I am a beggar, and there is no bread in my house; make me not ruler of the people." Then it is set forth how much material was at hand; hence Jesus said to them: "How many loaves have you?" And he did not ask as one ignorant, but so that the miracle might be shown. Hence he also caused the few small fishes to be mentioned, above, in the other miracle. And it is said that they had five loaves and two fishes, in which the teaching of the law was signified; and those loaves were of barley; here there are seven, and they are not said to be of barley, in which is signified the new law, informed by the sevenfold grace of God. Likewise in that former case there were only two fishes, but in this one many small fishes. "God hath chosen you the poor in this world, rich in faith." And in Psalm 8:9: "the birds of the air, and the fishes of the sea, that pass through the paths of the sea," that is, of this world. "And he commanded the multitude to sit down upon the ground." Here the disposition is set forth. And first he disposes; second, he takes the material; third, he gives thanks, and breaks, and distributes. He says therefore, "and he commanded." In the other refreshment it is recorded that he made them recline upon the grass. By the grass temporal things are signified; hence Isaiah 40:6: "all flesh is grass, and all the glory thereof as the flower of the field." Hence in the Old Law the foundation was upon temporal things, in the New only upon the stability of glory; Ecclesiastes 1:4: "but the earth standeth for ever." Or by the grass it is signified that we ought to sit above temporal things. Hence possession is not forbidden, but love, or affection for them; 1 John 2:15: "love not the things that are in the world." "And taking the seven loaves": in which it is signified that whatever has been administered to others of spiritual things was first in Christ; hence Acts 1:1: "Jesus began to do and to teach." All spiritual things were in him. Hence John 3:34: "God doth not give the Spirit by measure." "And giving thanks, he broke, and gave to his disciples": hence he gave us an example that we should give thanks; 1 Thessalonians 5:18: "in all things give thanks." Then, because not all things are given to all, as is found in 1 Corinthians, last chapter. Likewise 1 Corinthians 12:4: "there are diversities of graces." Consequently there follows the ordered distribution, for "he gave to the disciples, and the disciples gave to the people." First to the disciples, who were the mediators; Deuteronomy 5:5: "I was the mediator and stood between the Lord and you at that time, to shew you his words," etc. And 1 Corinthians 4:5: "let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and the dispensers of the mysteries of God." Consequently he sets forth, as to the fullness of the refreshment, from the abundance of the fragments and from the number of those who ate. "And they all ate." Someone might say that from a little bread many could receive, so that each got only a little; but it was not so — rather "they were filled"; hence they ate even to satiety; Psalm 77:29: "they ate, and were all filled." Likewise there were many fragments left over, for "they took up seven baskets." But why, when there were fewer loaves, did more fragments remain, since indeed he had satisfied five thousand from five loaves? It can be said that seven baskets are the same as, or more than, twelve baskets. Chrysostom says that he worked different miracles, and in a different manner, so that the disciples might be more mindful. In the first miracle there were as many fragments left as there were apostles. But here according to the number of the loaves, in which it is signified that spiritual men ought to be refreshed by the sevenfold grace of God; 1 Corinthians 2:14: "for the sensual man perceiveth not these things that are of the Spirit of God." There follows the number of those who ate: "and they that did eat were four thousand men." Above there were five thousand, because they were given over to the five senses; or on account of the five books of Moses; but here four, on account of the four cardinal virtues, or on account of the four Evangelists. "Besides children and women." But why are these excepted? Because the imperfect and the weak are excluded from true doctrine; Ephesians 4:13: "until we all meet... unto a perfect man," etc.”

“Then Jesus called his disciples unto him,.... Who were at some little distance from him, to impart his mind unto them, whom he had made, and used, as his familiar friends; and to try their faith, and raise their attention, and prepare them for the following miracle; as well as to teach them by his example, and accustom them to show bowels of mercy and compassion to persons in any kind of want and distress: and said, I have compassion on the multitude; which must be understood of him as man, whose bowels yearned towards them, having been so long without any food for their bodies, or very little; as he had compassion on the sick, and diseased, and healed them, so on the sound and whole, and was willing to feed them. Christ, our high priest, is a merciful one, and is touched with the feeling of the infirmities of men, of every sort, both of soul and body: because they continue now with me three days; which time had been spent in healing their bodily disorders, and in preaching to them for the good of their souls; which shows the diligence and indefatigableness of Christ, as well as the attachment of the people to him; who were so struck with his miracles and ministry, that though they had been so long from their habitations and families, knew not how to leave him; nor did they talk, or show any signs of departing from him, and returning to their houses, and business of life; and have nothing to eat; not that they had been so long without eating anything, though very likely it was but little, and what they brought with them, and was now expended; nor could they provide themselves in a desert place, and many of them were a great way off from home: and I will not send them away fasting; he might have done it, nor did the multitude ask any food of him; but he could not bear the thoughts of dismissing them in such a condition; having had but very little sustenance all this while, and so might be said to be in a manner fasting during this time, at least now: lest they faint by the way; to their own houses, not having strength and spirit enough to travel, and get home: for "divers of them", as Mark says, "came from far".”