The Feeding of the Five Thousand
(Matthew 14:13–21; Mark 6:30–44; Luke 9:10–17)

1After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. 2And a great multitude followed him, because they had seen the signs which he did in the case of the sick. 3And Jesus went up into the mountain, and sat there with his disciples. 4And the passover, the feast of the Jews, was near. 5Then Jesus, lifting up his eyes, and seeing that a great multitude was coming to him, said to Philip: Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat? 6But this he said to try him; for he himself knew what he was about to do. 7Philip answered him: Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not enough for them, that each may take a little. 8One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him: 9There is a lad here that has five barley loaves, and two little fishes; but what are these among so many? 10But Jesus said: Make die men recline. Now, there was much grass in the place. So the men reclined, in number about five thousand. 11And Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks, distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those who had reclined; and in like manner of the fishes, as much as they wished. 12And when they were satisfied, he said to his disciples: Gather up the broken pieces which remain, that nothing be lost. 13Then they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the broken pieces of the five barley loaves, which remained after they had eaten. 14Then the men, after having seen the sign which Jesus did, said: This is, in truth, the prophet that was to come into the world.

15Therefore, Jesus perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force, to make him king, withdrew into the mountain himself alone.

Jesus Walks on Water
(Matthew 14:22–33; Mark 6:45–52)

16And when evening had come, his disciples went down to the sea, 17and, having entered the ship, went across the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them. 18And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that was blowing. 19Then, having rowed about twenty-five or thirty furlongs, they saw Jesus walking on the sea, and coming near the ship; and they were afraid. 20But he said to them: It is I; be not afraid. 21Then they willingly received him into the ship; and immediately the ship was at the land to which they were going.

Jesus the Bread of Life

22The next day, the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea, seeing that no other boat had been there but the one which his disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone; 23(but there came other boats from Tiberias near the place where they had eaten bread, after the Lord had given thanks;) 24when, therefore, the multitude saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they also entered the ships, and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 25And finding him on the opposite side of the sea, they said to him: Rabbi, when didst thou come hither?

26Jesus answered them, and said: Verily, verily I say to you, You seek me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves, and were satisfied. 27Labor not for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to life eternal, which the Son of man will give you; for him has God the Father at tested. 28Then they said to him: What shall we do, that we may work the works of God? 29Jesus answered and said to them: This is the work of God, that you believe on him whom he has sent. 30Therefore, they said to him: "What sign do you show, then, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform? 31Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32Then Jesus said to them: Verily, verily I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven; but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven, and gives life for the world. 34Then they said to him: Lord, evermore give us this bread.

35Jesus said to them: I am the bread of life; he that comes to me shall never hunger; he that believes on me shall never thirst. 36But I said to you, that you have seen me, and yet you do not believe. 37All that the Father gives me, will come to me; and him that comes to me, I will by no means cast out. 38For I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39And this is the will of him who sent me, that of all that he gives me, I shall lose nothing, but shall raise it up at the last day. 40For this is the will of him that sent me, that every one who sees the Son, and believes on him, may have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

41Then the Jews murmured at him, because he said, I am like bread that came down from heaven. 42And they said: Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How, then, does he say, I came down from heaven? 43Jesus answered and said to them: Murmur not among your selves;

44no man can come to me, unless the Father, who sent me, draw him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45It is written in the prophets, And they shall all be taught of God. Every one that hears from the Father, and learns, comes to me. 46Not that any one has seen the Father, but he who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47Verily, verily I say to you, He that believes on me has eternal life. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and died. 50This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that any one may eat of it, and not die. 51I am the bread that lives, which came down from heaven. If any one eat of this bread, he shall live forever. And the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

52The Jews, therefore, contended among themselves, saying: How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53Then Jesus said to them: Verily, verily I say to you, Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood, has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day; 55for my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood, dwells in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father, so he that eats me, even he shall live by me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven; not as your fathers ate the manna, and died; he that eats this bread shall live forever.

Many Disciples Turn Back
(Matthew 8:18–22; Luke 9:57–62; Luke 14:25–33)

59These things he spoke in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.

60Therefore, many of his disciples, when they heard him, said: This is a hard saying; who can hear it? 61But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them: Does this offend you? 62Then, what if you should see the Son of man go up where he was before? 63It is the spirit that makes alive; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I speak to you are spirit and life. 64But there are some among you who believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who he was that would betray him. 65And he said: For this reason I said to you: No one can come to me unless it be given him from my Father.

66After this, many of his disciples went back, and walked with him no more.

Peter’s Confession of Faith
(Matthew 16:13–20; Mark 8:27–30; Luke 9:18–20)

67Then Jesus said to the twelve: Will you also go away? 68Simon Peter answered him: Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life; 69and we believe, and know that thou art the Christ, the Son of God. 70Jesus answered them: Have I not chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? 71He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon; for he was about to deliver him up, being one of the twelve.