Gospel Reading : Matthew 14:13-21
Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a lonely place apart. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.
As he went ashore he saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a lonely place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”
Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.”
Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass; and taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over.
And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
What do the Fathers say?
St JEROME. He did not retire into the desert through fear of death, but in mercy to His enemies, that they might not add murder to murder; putting off His death until the day of His passion; on which day the lamb is to be slain as the sacrament, and the posts of them that believe to be sprinkled with the blood.
Or, He retired to leave us an example to shun that rashness which leads men to surrender themselves voluntarily, because not all persevere with like constancy under torture although they may have offered themselves up to it.
For this reason He says in another place, When they shall persecute you in one city, flee to another. Therefore the Evangelist does not say ‘fled,’ but ‘withdrew,’ showing that He shunned rather than feared persecution.
Or another reason He might have withdrawn into a desert place on hearing of John’s death, to prove the faith of the believers.
St John CHRYSOSTOM. And when He withdrew, He did not go into the city, but into the desert by boat so that none might follow Him.
Yet multitudes still follow after Him on foot out of the cities, not deterred by what had been done to John.