The Lord feels compassion for the crowd following him, and wants to share the loaves and fishes.
So his disciples, invited to feed so many people, fed about five thousand people with twelve baskets leftover.
A reminder of the unimaginable abundance of the Eucharist, Bread of Life for all.
Francis, who described himself as "simple and idiotic", had a special heart that enabled him to perceive the depths of the Mystery of Christ's total self-giving.
Celano points out in the Vita Prima:
"Friend of simplicity, with an incomparably sincere and noble heart. And how much this name of "Francis" suits him, to him who had a frank and noble heart more than any other" (FF 529).
His compassion for needy and poor people was visceral:
"He stooped, with marvellous tenderness and compassion, towards anyone afflicted by some physical suffering and when he noticed in someone indigence or need, in the sweet pity of his heart, he considered it as a suffering of Christ himself" (FF 1142).
Indeed, before Jesus, Bread descended from Heaven, he expresses himself in his Admonitions thus:
"Behold, every day he humbles himself [...] every day he himself comes to us in humble appearance; every day he descends from the bosom of the Father onto the altar in the hands of the priest [...] and as to the holy apostles he showed himself in the true flesh [...] and as they with the eyes of the body saw only the flesh of him, but contemplating him with the eyes of the spirit, they believed that he was the same God, so we too, seeing bread and wine with the eyes of the body, must see and firmly believe that this is his most holy body and blood alive and true.
And in this way the Lord is always with his faithful, as he himself says: 'Behold I am with you to the end of the world' " (FF 144-145).
And in his letters:
"O sublime humility! O humble sublimity [...] Behold, brothers, the humility of God, and open your hearts before him; humble yourselves also, that you may be exalted by him. NOTHING, THEREFORE, OF YOU HOLD BACK FOR YOURSELVES, THAT HE WHO OFFERS HIMSELF TOTALLY TO YOU MAY RECEIVE YOU TOTALLY' (FF 221).
But an example of 'Bread given' comes to us no less from Clare of Assisi:
"There was only one bread, in the monastery, and already the hour of supper and hunger were pressing. Calling the dispenser, the saint commanded her to divide the bread and send one part to the brothers, keeping the other inside, for the sisters.
From this second half kept, she ordered her to cut fifty slices, as was the number of the Women, and to present them to them at the table of poverty.
And to the devout daughter, who replied, "It would take the ancient miracles of Christ, to be able to cut so little bread into fifty slices," the Mother replied, saying:
"Do safely what I tell you daughter!".
So hastened the daughter to carry out the Mother's command; and hastened the Mother to address more sighs to her Christ, for her daughters.
And by divine grace that scanty matter grows in the hands of her who breaks it, so that an abundant portion results for each member of the community" (FF 3189).
"Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, not counting women and children" (Mt 14:21).
Monday of the 18th wk. in O.T. (Mt 14:13-21)
