Flemish School, 17th c.
Translation of the Holy Gospel According to John (6:1-15)
At that time, Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee which is that of Tiberias; and a great multitude followed Him, because they saw the miracles which He did on them that were diseased. Jesus therefore went up into a mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. Now the pasch, the festival day of the Jews, was near at hand. When Jesus therefore had lifted up His eyes, and seen that a very great multitude cometh to Him, He said to Philip, Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat? And this He said to try him; for He Himself knew what He would do. Philip answered Him, Two hundred penny-worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one may take a little. One of His disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, saith to Him, There is a boy here that hath five barley loaves and two fishes; but what are these among so many? Then Jesus said: Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. The men therefore sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when He had given thanks, He distributed to them that were set down. In like manner also of the fishes, as much as they would. And when they were filled, He said to His disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, lest they be lost. They gathered up therefore, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above to them that had eaten. Now those men, when they had seen what a miracle Jesus had done, said, This is of a truth the prophet that is to come into the world. Jesus therefore, when He knew that they would come to take Him by force and make Him king, fled again into the mountain Himself alone.
From Romanos the Melodist’s “Kontakion on the Multiplication of Loaves” (O.13)
Icon, Modern
Strophe 10:
“Now, Indeed, O Lord, we see how all men love Thee;
They love Thy words in preference to all other pleasure;
But if evening comes, indeed they must turn back.
For there is no means of obtaining bread here in the desert,
And they would likely fall, since they could not endure lack of food.
Dismiss them, for we are indeed worried;
Let them go away, that they may enjoy nourishment before evening.
Thou hast taught Thy disciples and apostles
Compassion for all, for Thou art
The heavenly bread of immortality.”
Strophe 11:
Listen carefully now to what the Lord said to the disciples:
“Since you are worried, give nourishment and bread to the hungry.
They have no need for buying supplies from others.
Nourish them all and hurry!”
At once they answered Him and said,
“The crowd assembled here in immense,
And if we wish to buy bread, O merciful One,
Two hundred denaria will not be enough
For them, but Thou alone art by nature
The heavenly bread of immortality.
Strophe 12:
“As far as we can learn, and we shall not conceal the truth from you,
Master, we can find only five barley loaves;
No one of us brought anything into the desert,
But a child is here who has them.
O Lover of man, no other resource is possible for us.
For an enormous and boundless number of people, O Man of pity,
How can these five loaves be sufficient?
In addition, he has two fishes.
But hasten, and nourish them, since
Thou art the heavenly bread of immortality.”
Strophe 13:
When Christ heard these words of His disciples,
He answered them in this way: “You are mistaken if you do not know
That I am the Creator of the universe; I provide for the world;
I now know clearly what these people need;
I see the desert and that the sun is setting;
Indeed I arranged the setting of the sun;
I understand the distress of the crowd which is here;
I know what I have in mind to do for them.
I myself shall cure their hunger, for I am
The heavenly bread of immortality.
Strophe 14:
Sometimes you suppose that I think as a man;
You do not recognize that I know all things before they happen,
Because of my power to foresee hidden things, I knew before you that you had no bread;
However, I am in agreement with your desire when you say:
“Give nourishment to all who are gathered here.
You think as human beings when your worries are absurd.
Why are you worried, my disciples?
Do you not know that I provide bounteously for all? I am
The heavenly bread of immortality.
Strophe 15:
“Do you not remember how my virgin mother begged me
At the time of the wedding in Cana, saying, “My son,
Those who are being entertained here at the wedding do not have wine”?
Or do you not remember how, obedient to her, for she is my mother,
As God, I changed the nature of the water
And without the vine, I gave them wine
Just so, I have the power now to nourish
With a mere nod the entire multitude,
For I am the vine, and for those who hunger, I am
The heavenly bread of immortality.
Strope 16:
“Even though you consider carefully, can you as mere men secure nourniment,
Or can you, though you are worried, feed the people!
Or, then, if you cannot feed them, have you the power to keep silent?
I, alone, as Creator take thought for all.
I exit at good, God before the centuries.
And I provide every kind of food for all people;
And you do not consider the One who provides abundantly,
As I am set before all, offering
The heavenly bread of immortality.
Strope 17:
I know in advance what you are thinking and what you are saying to each other,
As you see the people, the means of provision, and the hour.
You are reasoning, “Who will feed the entire crowd in the desert?”
Well, know clearly, friends, who I am.
I fed Israel in the desert, I gave them bread from Heaven,
In a region without water, I made water to flow from a rock,
And in addition, I furnished the quail In abundance, since I am
The heavenly bread of immortality.
Strope 18:
At once my word and my nod are able to save the universe.
In order that you may know my power right now.
Have all the men, and the women, and the little children
Be seated in good order.
And I, as God, will make the desert fruit-bearing.
While I harvest the fruit at my nod,
You will become the workers and the servants
And I shall feed the whole multitude,
Since I, alone, am set before all,
The heavenly bread of immortality.”
Strophe 23:
O Christ, Savior without stain, all of us owe Thee a hymn,
And we have faith that Thou, as God before all time,
Wast born of the virgin and that Thou dost remain what Thou art.
Only Thou dost know the miracle of Thy birth
For we do not know how the loaves produced loaves;
How can we understand in our human hearts, O Savior,
Thy birth from one who knew no husband?
So, all of us sing hymns praising Thee,
Because Thou art God of all, as Thou art
The heavenly bread of immortality.
