Metropolitan Borys Gudziak Reflects on Gospel Miracle in Philadelphia

August 04, 2025

On Sunday, August 3, Metropolitan Borys Gudziak, Archbishop of Philadelphia, presided at the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Philadelphia. He greeted parishioners he had not seen for some time due to his participation in the Synod of Bishops in Rome and conveyed greetings and blessings from His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, from the Synod of Bishops, and from Pope Leo XIV.

The Gospel reading of the day recounted the miracle in which Jesus Christ multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed a large crowd. In his homily, Metropolitan Borys drew attention to several key points.

First, he noted that the account of the miracle follows immediately after the news of the death of John the Baptist. “The Lord is close to the people even as He experiences the unjust death of His relative John. Today, we too experience many losses, as the war brings death after death. These reports weigh heavily on us, but Jesus gives us an example — He goes to the people,” the Archbishop said.

Second, he emphasized the involvement of the apostles. They had very little food and naturally could not feed the crowd, yet they heard Jesus say: ‘You give them something to eat.’ “This is a school of trust and service. We are hungry for love, communication, mercy, and warmth — and each of us can share these, remembering that the true gift comes from God, and we are only the channel and the instrument,” Metropolitan Borys underlined.

In conclusion, he reflected on contemporary challenges, including the call to help Ukraine: “Sometimes we feel our hands drop in discouragement. Jesus does not want just a little or a lot from us — He wants all of us. We are not the saviors, but we must stay close to people, and the Lord will do His work.”