And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
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Bede
AD 735
By the manifold grace of the Spirit he disclosed how matters that seemed insignificant and unworthy of attention might be fruitful, and he handed these things over to be administered to all nations by the apostles and their successors. Hence it is appropriate that the other Evangelists relate how our Lord administered the loaves and fishes to his disciples, and the disciples then administered them to the crowd. Although the mystery of human salvation received its start by being declared by our Lord, it was confirmed in us by those who heard it [from him]. He broke up the five loaves and two fishes, and distributed them to his disciples, as he opened their minds to understand everything that had been written about him in the law of Moses and in the prophets and the psalms.
Nor must we overlook the fact that as he was on the point of refreshing the multitude, he gave thanks. He gave thanks in order to teach us always to give thanks for the favors we have received from heaven, and in order to impress upon us how much he himself rejoices at our spiritual refreshment.
Take note therefore of how his [creative] activity is mixed in with everything. When our Lord took a little bread, he multiplied it in the twinkling of an eye. That which [people] effect and transform in ten months with toil, his ten fingers effected in an instant. For he placed his hands beneath the bread as though it were earth, and spoke over it as though thunder. The murmur of his lips sprinkled over it like rain, and the breath of his mouth [was there] in place of the sun. [Thus] did he complete in the flash of one tiny moment something which requires a whole lengthy hour. One tiny amount of bread was forgotten, and from the midst of its smallness, abundance came to birth so that it might be like the first blessing, “Give birth and be fruitful and multiply.” The loaves of bread, like barren women and women deprived [of children], became fruitful at his blessing, and many were the morsels born from them. Commentary on Tatian’s Diatessaron.
