They picked up the fragments left over—seven baskets full

They picked up the fragments left over—seven baskets full. 

Here’s a question to ponder.   If Jesus is the all-knowing perfect Son of God, why didn’t he give the apostles exactly the right amount of food for this crowd?   Why did they end up with extra bread?   Maybe he thought that the disciples might get hungry again.   Or maybe he anticipated more people showing up later.   More likely, Jesus used the leftovers to teach his disciples something.

The number of baskets remaining—seven—can give us a clue.   In Jewish tradition, seven was an expression of perfection, the kind of perfection found only in God.   It took God six days to create the world, and then he rested on the seventh.   It was a day of satisfaction and plenty.   It was a time to enjoy his creation.   In the same way, the bread that Jesus provided satisfied the crowd in a way that no earthly food could (Matthew 15:37).

The number seven also shows us God’s limitless generosity.   Isaiah lists seven gifts of the Spirit (11:2-3).   The Book of Proverbs describes divine wisdom as having seven pillars (9:1).   Jesus told Peter to forgive “seventy-seven times,” that is, always (Matthew 18:22).   He knew that Peter could be so forgiving because God’s mercy is boundless.

Notice also that the apostles started with seven baskets, and they finished with seven baskets.   It was Jesus’ way of saying that whenever we rely on God’s resources in our giving to someone, we will never run out.   These fragments weren’t really leftovers.   They were part of his endless supply of blessings!

All of these elements apply in a special way to the Eucharist, the Bread of Life that Jesus gives us every day at Mass.   This bread, which is his Body, is unlike any other food we could ever eat.   It is perfect, lacking in nothing.   It is full of God’s eternal, unlimited blessings.   When we receive this bread in faith and surrender our hearts to Jesus, he fills us with everything we need.   He satisfies our hearts’ deepest desires.   And he gives us plenty of “leftover” grace to share with everyone we will encounter.   What a generous, loving God he is!

Word Among Us