fragmentorum, ex quinque pani- | with the fragments of the five

bus hordeaceis, quæ superfuerunt his qui manducaverant.

14. Illi ergò homines, cùm vidissent quod JESUS fecerat signum, dicebant: "Quia hic est verè propheta qui venturus est in mundum."

15. JESUS ergò, cùm cognovisset quia venturi essent ut raperent eum et facerent eum regem, fugit iterum in montem ipse solus.

barley loaves, which remained over and above to them that had eaten.

14. Then those men, when they had seen what a miracle Jesus had done, said: "This is the prophet indeed, that is to come into the world.

15. When Jesus, therefore, perceived that they would come to take him by force, and make him king, he fled again into the mountain himself alone.

Hitherto we have followed the footsteps of Our Lord and watched His receptions, from the attempt to murder Him in Nazareth, to the attempt to make Him King on the borders of the Lake of Gennesereth.

The raising of the dead, the curing of the sick, the banishing of hundreds out of the Temple with a piece of whipcord, the grand mien and sublime words with which He confronted the Sanhedrim. Yet none of these wonders made the people gather to Him en masse and ask Him to be their King. A great prophet they knew Him to be, but little more.

The Jewish notion of the Messiah (which prevailed even among the Apostles until the Day of Pentecost, the Ascension at least) was that he would be a temporal sovereign who would shake off the yoke of the Romans, restore the Kingdom to Israel, and bring plenty and prosperity in their midst. The days of Solomon were to come again and this Kingdom was to extend.

The miraculous feeding was the first substantial proof-befitting their minds-which they had of His power, and the miracle convinced them of His goodness.

1Given thanks.-Looked up to heaven and blessed them.

2Distributed.—Our Lord gave the pieces to the Apostles, and these carried them round in baskets and gave them to the people. A question is sometimes raised whether the loaves were multiplied in Our Lord's hands, or those of the Apostles. It would seem as if each piece grew according as it was given from one to another.

They were filled. He took good care to wait until everyone had eaten enough.

Be lost.-Nothing that God gives us for our sustenance should be allowed to waste. How many poor people could be well fed from what is wasted in the kitchens of the rich!

Barley loaves.-Only this Evangelist tells us what material the loaves were made of.

Those men.-The five thousand believed at once that a great man was in the midst of them.

"This is the Shiloh.-He that is to come. The great one about whom all our teachers teach, and whom all our people expect.

Take Him by force and make him King.-This was in their minds and He knew it. He anticipates the matter, by sending the Apostles across to Capharnaum in a boat, dismissing the people, and going up to the mountain Himself.

19. Cùm remigâssent ergò quasi stadia vigintiquinque aut triginta, vident JESUM ambulantem suprà mare, et proximum navi fieri; et timuerunt.

20. Ille autem dicit eis: "Ego sum: nolite timere."

21. Voluerunt ergò accipere eum in navim, et statim navis fuit ad terram in quam ibant.

19. So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus 'walking on the sea, and drawing near to the ship and they were afraid.

20. But he said to them: "It is I be not afraid.

21. They were 'willing, therefore, to take him into the ship: and presently the ship was at the land, to which they were going.

The disciples did as Jesus bid them. He told them to go to Bethsaida, but the storm arose from the north and drove them out into the lake. They were obliged then to do without the sails (if they had any), and row to a port further on.

Just then, when about three miles from the shore-and it was now three o'clock in the morning-they see a figure walking upon the crest of a wave, which seems as if it would bury them in the waters. The spectre is approaching and they become alarmed. At length they hear the words, IT IS I: be not afraid, in the gentle, calm, well-known voice of their Master.

S. John omits the episode of Peter's walking at His bidding. This grand miracle was concluded by another.

When evening was come.-The simple repast upon the miraculous food did not last long, for twilights are of short duration in Palestine.

Went over. They intended to have gone to Bethsaida, but the storm drove them out of their course.

A great wind. They were accustomed to storms on the lake, having been fishermen themselves, so that when they say a great wind it must have been something like a hurricane.

Walking. He was calmly making his steps in his flowing robe upon the crest of the wave, just as He would upon the pavement of the Temple on a calm balmy day.

"Afraid. The other Evangelist tells us it was because they took Him for a spectre.

"It is I be not afraid.-Words often uttered to the troubled soul in the midst of tempests and temptations, since they were first spoken.

'Willing.-S. Mark tells us they did take Him in, and as soon as they did they found themselves at the end of their journey.

The land. They must have made about ten miles in one instant. This small wonder is dwarfed by the other.

The wonder-stricken multitude had not yet matured their thoughts of making Jesus their king. Many of them took shelter as best they might during the stormy night, and many more went

on towards their homes or lodgings in Capharnaum. They saw the disciples embark in the beginning of the night and saw Our Lord going up to the mountain. The one solitary ship was gone, and they thought that Jesus was still to be found on their side of the lake.

Ships came from Tiberias, where stray members of the crowd spread the report of the miraculous multiplication of bread. Their occupants wanted to see Our Lord. All conferred upon the matter and some traveller told them that He was already in Capharnaum.

Forthwith they all set out for the last-named place; as many as could by water, and the rest by the shore. Hence their question when they found Him in Capharnaum: "Rabbi, when camest thou hither?"

The next day. This was on the morrow after the multiplication. They must have been nearly famished under the shelter of the rocks on that stormy night.

2One.-There was not another boat on that shore, but the one the Apostles took.

How well everything was arranged for the walking on the water! There was but the one boat. Our Lord met them in a place where Peter was nearly being drowned. They take Him into the boat-then come to shore miraculously.

3Disciples only. They were witnesses that He had no possible mode of conveying except through them and round the lake on foot or over the

waves.

4Tiberias. This town was to the south of the place of the miracle on the eastern side of the lake. Our Lord and His Apostles were now on the west side in Capharnaum.

"Giving thanks.-The same as by His blessing.

"Took shipping.-As many of them as could; because it would take more ships than Tiberias could afford to carry ten or twelve thousand people.

7Seeking for Jesus.-The crowd was undoubtedly increased by stray pilgrims on the way round, amongst whom His name was mentioned with wonder.

Rabbi.-They could not find out how He came. When they did, how much must they be astonished.