Introduction The Gospel tells of the great banquet - narrated in the Gospel according to John - to which we could not participate, but from which we can gather the leftovers, as Christ commands, by examining («perquirite») the table, that is, the Gospel account. Divisio 1. Penance = The crowd follows Jesus for various reasons (five listed), but the heart of this section is the theme of penitence, connected to Jesus crossing the sea (sea of Galilee) and arriving on the mountain. The connection between penitence and the sea is made («mare significat penitentia»), playing on the similarity between "mare" (sea) and "amarus" (bitter). It is emphasized that the path of penitence is bitter in all its five parts: a) Contrition («contritio») = which is bitter for the pain of the past sins («dolor de peccatis preteritis») b) Purpose («propositum») = the purpose of not sinning anymore is bitter because it goes against one's own bad habits. c) Confession («confessio») = which is bitter because it requires the confessor to become aware of one's wickedness d) Works of affliction («afflictio») = fasting, wearing the cilice, self-inflict floggings and deprive oneself of the bed for sleeping, prayer and almsgiving, restoring ill-gotten gains etc. e) Communion = which is sweet but, at the same time, bitter, since it contains the memory of Christ's passion.  Ferrer insists on the bitterness of the journey, saying that bitter is contrition; even more bitter is confession; the most bitter is satisfaction (the three classic parts of penance; «amara est quo ad cor, scilicet quo ad contritionem; amarior quo ad os, scilicet per confessionem; amarissima quo ad corpus, scilicet quo ad satisfactionem fiendam»).  However, the penitential path is the only way that leads to the mountain of Christ, i.e., eternal life: "You have no other way for ascending the mountain" («aliam viam non habetis ad montem ascendendi »). 2. Intellectual Prudence = Seeking advice. Indeed, Jesus, eternal wisdom, sought advice from Philip, even though he was simple and dull («cum tamen iste esset simplex et ebes»), to teach us not to be ashamed to seek advice. Not seeking advice causes serious harm, exemplified in various social categories: lawyers, notaries, preachers, confessors, doctors. Ferrer also presents the example of preachers who, out of shame, do not dare to seek advice and consequently preach ineffectively, for example, by preaching in a very verbose manner, which leads the audience to become discouraged and remain in error («Semel quidam religiosus erat predicaturus de trinitate, et voluit predicare per questiones, et formavit primo argumenta contraria veritati in prima parte sermonis bene triginta rationes. Alii, videntes et audientes quod prima pars fuerat ita magna, recedebant propter fatigationem, et ipsi remanebant in illo errore, et hoc sibi contingebat propter non petere consilium»). 3. Order according to the rules («ordinatio regularis») = each one observes a rule and an order of living («quilibet servet regulam et ordinem vivendi»). Christ organises the crowd - "hic est fructus absconditus infra mappas" - "here is the hidden fruit beneath the napkins." God provides benefits only where there is order. It's a general appeal to a regulated life: territory, city, monastery, home... "benedictus est ergo qui vitam habet ordinatam" (f. z5r). For what concerns the city, Ferrer provides the example of drought: if the city officials desire rain, they should organize the city in such a way that lepers, prostitutes, and Jews are separated from the rest of the citizenry. 4. Trusting in God = to trust in God in all necessities and dangers, because even though friends and family may lack in wealth, God does not lack in the essentials.The trust one must have in God is connected by Ferrer to the multiplication of loaves and fishes performed by Jesus. The miracle is accomplished in three ways: a) in the hands of Christ as He broke it; b) it grew in the laps of the apostles as they served; c) it multiplied among the teeth of those who were eating.  In the Gospel account, there is no mention of the beverage consumed during the meal; therefore, Ferrer imagines that from that bread and fish, a drink came forth that refreshed those who were eating - a more effective solution than the one recounted in the Book of Exodus (Exodus 17), where water gushes from the rock. The complaint from the laity against the priests, who, during the Eucharist, provide the faithful with only the body of Christ (the host) but not the blood (the wine), is adressed by Ferrer, who responds that in the consecrated host the entire body of Christ is present, and therefore, also the blood. The ancient practice of giving wine to the faithful did indeed have several inconveniences, such as the long beards of the rustic individuals, in which some of the wine they drank would remain. A lengthy discourse on drought and the need for rain. Parable (actually an exemplum) of events that happened in Valencia: plants did not grow due to drought, prayers, processions, but no rain – but miraculously, at harvest, grains and wheat abound like never before: «Petatis ergo pluviam ut sibi placet, quia aliter potet providere absque pluvia». Trusting in God like a child in their father. «Sed nos minus confidemus de Deo quam de uno iudeo vel sarraceno» because people trust in written receipts and notarial instrumenta. 5. Liberal mercy (almsgiving and Holy Scriptures) = that one must habe towards the poor, i.e almsgiving. Rule for the wealthy: do not put leftovers in the pantry or give them to animals – they must be given to the poor. Christ orders the gathering of leftovers, but many diners hide part of the food due to the delicious taste of the meal, and they did not want to part with it (in this way, the miracle of the pericope is amplified). Interpretation of the five loaves and two fish, based on Bede: Pentateuch, Prophets, and Psalms. Barley bread, which is hard and bitter on the outside, represents the Holy Scriptures: one must delve inside, to the marrow (topos). The twelve baskets gathered by the apostles (a synthesis of Scripture) are the twelve articles of the Apostles' Creed – they should be recited as a prayer in the morning and evening. 6. Virtue's benevolence (Prayer before and after meals) = Jesus sets the example of praying before and after meals in this episode and at the Last Supper. Prayer is an antidote to the poison of meals, as there is a risk of demons entering (functioning as exorcism/protection). Personal example: «Vidi in partibus Lombardie quod in quodam homine erant bene quingenti dyaboli et quesivi cur intraverunt, et plures respondebant dicentes quod comedendo vel bibendo et non faciendo orationem vel sancte crucis» – in a few words, Ferrer builds his ethos: Italian experience, travels, and his interactions with demons/possessed individuals. Then, an exemplum from Gregory the Great's Dialogues about the devil on lettuce, eaten – against his will – by a monk.