“여기는 외딴곳이라 먹을 곳이 없습니다. 이제는 사람들을 보내야겠습니다.” 제자들은 걱정입니다. 너무 많은 사람들이 배고파하고 있었기 때문입니다. 제자들도 시장기를 느끼고 있던 참이었습니다. 그런데 스승님께서는 뜻밖의 말씀을 하십니다. “그들을 보낼 필요가 없다. 너희가 그들에게 먹을 것을 주어라.”
제자들은 화들짝 놀랍니다. ‘저희가 무엇을 어떻게 줄 수 있단 말씀입니까?’ 자신들에게는 그럴 능력이 없다고 생각한 것입니다. 기적의 스승님을 곁에 두고도 그런 생각에 빠진 것입니다. 제자들도 ‘있어야’ 준다고 판단했습니다. 그들은 겨우 물고기 두 마리와 빵 다섯 개를 구해 왔습니다.
예수님께서는 제자들의 생각을 바꾸어 주십니다. 하찮은 것도 당신께는 기적의 음식이 될 수 있음을 보여 주신 것입니다. 생각이 바뀌면 마음도 바뀝니다. 예수님께서는 그렇게 제자들 앞에서 기적을 베푸셨습니다. 사람들보다 제자들이 더 놀랐을 것입니다.
그러므로 우리는 가난하다고 말해서는 안 됩니다. 우리에게는 아무리 ‘적어도’ 빵 다섯 개와 물고기 두 마리 정도의 ‘무엇’은 있습니다. 그것을 주님께 드리면 됩니다. 주님께서 주신 것으로 여기며 ‘감사히 받아들이면’ 됩니다. 결과는 서서히 나타날 것입니다. 오천 명이 먹고도 남았다는 복음 말씀을 기억해야 합니다. ===========================================================================================================
사람들은 기적의 음식인 ‘만나’가 지겹다며 불평합니다. 광야에서의 삶 자체가 기적이건만, 모르고 있습니다. 오히려 이집트의 생활을 그리워하며 한숨짓습니다. 주님께서 진노하시자, 모세의 하소연이 시작됩니다(제1독서). 군중은 예수님을 따릅니다. 그분께서는 병자들을 낫게 하시며, 하늘 나라의 신비를 드러내셨습니다. 먹을 것이 부족해지자, 제자들은 걱정에 휩싸입니다. 하지만 주님께서는 태연하십니다. 기적의 음식을 생각하고 계셨던 것입니다. 마침내 물고기 두 마리와 빵 다섯 개로 군중이 배불리 먹는 기적이 일어납니다(복음). ===========================================================================================================
Nm 11:4b-15
The children of Israel lamented, “Would that we had meat for food! We remember the fish we used to eat without cost in Egypt, and the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. But now we are famished; we see nothing before us but this manna.”
Manna was like coriander seed and had the color of resin. When they had gone about and gathered it up, the people would grind it between millstones or pound it in a mortar, then cook it in a pot and make it into loaves, which tasted like cakes made with oil. At night, when the dew fell upon the camp, the manna also fell.
When Moses heard the people, family after family, crying at the entrance of their tents, so that the LORD became very angry, he was grieved. “Why do you treat your servant so badly?” Moses asked the Lord. “Why are you so displeased with me that you burden me with all this people? Was it I who conceived all this people? Or was it I who gave them birth, that you tell me to carry them at my bosom, like a foster father carrying an infant, to the land you have promised under oath to their fathers? Where can I get meat to give to all this people? For they are crying to me, 'Give us meat for our food.’ I cannot carry all this people by myself, for they are too heavy for me. If this is the way you will deal with me, then please do me the favor of killing me at once, so that I need no longer face this distress.”
Ps 81:12-13, 14-15, 16-17
R. (2a) Sing with joy to God our help. “My people heard not my voice, and Israel obeyed me not; So I gave them up to the hardness of their hearts; they walked according to their own counsels.” R. Sing with joy to God our help. “If only my people would hear me, and Israel walk in my ways, Quickly would I humble their enemies; against their foes I would turn my hand.” R. Sing with joy to God our help. “Those who hated the LORD would seek to flatter me, but their fate would endure forever, While Israel I would feed with the best of wheat, and with honey from the rock I would fill them.” R. Sing with joy to God our help.
Mt 14:13-21
When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” He said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.” But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.” Then he said, “Bring them here to me,” and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over– twelve wicker baskets full. Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.
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