Bishop Hovakim Manukyan Reflects on Christ’s Call to Become Part of God’s Solution

In his Sunday sermon at St Yeghiche Armenian Church on July 5th, Bishop Hovakim Manukyan reflected on the Gospel of the Feeding of the Five Thousand (Matthew 14:13–21), inviting the faithful to move beyond recognising the world’s problems and instead become instruments of God’s compassion.

Focusing on Christ’s command, “You give them something to eat,” Bishop Hovakim explained that the miracle is not only about the multiplication of bread but also about the transformation of the disciples’ way of thinking. While they saw only scarcity and limitation, Christ saw an opportunity for faith, service, and love in action.

Drawing on the words of Fyodor Dostoevsky - “Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love in dreams” - the sermon challenged Christians to express their faith through concrete acts of mercy rather than good intentions alone. The Bishop also reflected on biblical examples, including Moses’ staff, David’s sling, Elijah and the widow of Zarephath, and the boy’s five loaves and two fish, showing that throughout Scripture God works through what appears small when it is entrusted to Him.

Concluding with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, Bishop Hovakim noted that the feeding of the multitude foreshadows Christ’s gift of Himself in Holy Communion. Those who are nourished by the Bread of Life are, in turn, called to become bread for others—bringing hope to the discouraged, comfort to the suffering, and the love of Christ to the world.

The sermon concluded with an invitation for every believer to ask: “Lord, what are the five loaves and two fish that I can place into Your hands?”