Abundant Gifts
When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. By now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already very late. Dismiss them so that they can go to the surrounding farms and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” He said to them in reply, “Give them some food yourselves.” But they said to him, “Are we to buy two hundred days' wages worth of food and give it to them to eat?” He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out they said, “Five loaves and two fish.” So he gave orders to have them sit down in groups on the green grass. The people took their places in rows by hundreds and by fifties. Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; he also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied. And they picked up twelve wicker baskets full of fragments and what was left of the fish. Those who ate of the loaves were five thousand men.
Mark 6:34-44
See how those who are disciples of Christ grow in love to man, for they pity the multitudes, and come to Christ to intercede for them. But the Lord tried them, to see whether they would know that His power was great enough to feed them. As it is said: "He answered and said to them, 'Give them some food yourselves.'" By these words He calls on His Apostles, to break bread for the people, that they might be able to testify that they had no bread, and thus the greatness of the miracle might become more known.
Jesus also looks up to heaven that He may teach us to seek our food from God, and not from the devil, as they who unjustly feed on other man's labors do. By this also He intimated to the crowd, that He could not be opposed to God, since He called upon God. And He gives the bread to His disciple's to set before the multitude, that by handling the bread they might see that it was an undoubted miracle.
Twelve baskets of fragments remained over and above, that each of the Apostles, carrying a basket on his shoulder, might recognize the unspeakable Worker of the miracle. For it was a proof of overflowing power not only to feed so many men, but also to leave such an excess of fragments. Even though Moses gave manna, yet what was given to each was measured by his necessity, and what was left over and above was overrun with worms. Elijah also fed the woman, but gave her just what was enough for her; but Jesus, being the Lord and God, makes his gifts with superabundant profusion.
參考 References:
Catena Aurea (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Explanations on the New Testament (St. Theophylact of Ochrid)
On the Gospel of Mark (St. Bede the Venerable)
“Doctor’s Diary” Ep044