Post-feast of the Exaltation of the Cross; Holy Great-Martyr Nicetas (374).
Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat.
Ephesians 1:7-17; Mark 8:1-10.
Read Mark 8:1-10
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
Our incarnate Lord who himself knows what it is like to be physically hungry has come to feed us with the bread of life to satisfy our deepest longing—that hunger that does not go away even when our belly is full. This hunger is only satisfied by our reception of the Word of God. Reception of this nourishment not only requires an openness to Christ, a desire to eagerly receive his Word, but also faith in applying it.
St. Jerome when contemplating today’s passage says, “From the lesser number of men [four thousand, Mark 8:1-10], less remains [7 basket full]; from the greater number [five thousand, Mark 6:30-44], more is left over [12 basket full]. Four thousand men-fewer certainly in number, but greater in faith. The one who is greater in faith eats more, and because he does there is less left over! I wish that we, too, might eat more of the hearty bread of holy writ, so that there would be less left over for us to learn.” (St. Jerome, Homily 78.)
We are reminded that when we receive the Word of God, we are receiving it as nourishment for our life. The Lord speaks to us directly through His Holy Scripture. He touches our heart and directs our life. This is a zero calorie food that carries tremendous energy for our life, so let us follow the advice of St. Jerome and ‘eat more.’
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