Memorial of Saint John Vianney, Priest, August 4, 2025

Gospel

Matthew 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.

Reflection

The line that stood out to me is, “When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.” In this one sentence, we are able to see a glimpse of the deep humanity of Jesus. He had just lost John the Baptist, His cousin and His friend. It is a moment of great personal grief, and understandably like many of us might do, Jesus steps away to be alone to mourn. He needed space to process, to pray, to feel the weight of that loss.

What I find remarkable, though, is what happens next. Despite His sorrow and desire for solitude, the crowd follows Him. And instead of turning them away, Jesus is moved with pity. He doesn’t shut down or retreat further, He reacts with compassion even in His own pain. He heals their sick, listens to their needs, and even performs a miracle to feed them all.

This moment reveals not only Jesus’ deep compassion, but also how love can grow even if we feel empty. It reminds me that God can work through us even in our hardest seasons. When we feel like we don’t have much to give, Jesus takes what little we have, like our loaves and fish, and makes it more than enough.