Miracle of Feeding

The past two Sundays, we have been reading and listening to the gospel of St. John. Particularly the sixth chapter, wherein is found the “Bread of Life” discourse. My guess is the Church arranged the Eucharistic themes to be read for a while at a time to refocus her members on the center-point of the Christian life. Today’s gospel, St. Matthew’s account of the feeding of the five thousand by our Lord, has several other powerful messages. They are related to the central theme of Christ the Bread of Life, and more. To reflect on some of the insights from today’s gospel, let us consider answering the following questions.

First, why did the Lord ask the disciples to provide food for the crowd when He knew they had no way of doing so? Secondly, why did Christ continue to attend to the needs of the crowds when he had intended to have quiet and special time (of prayer), which is now being interrupted?

Miracles Defy Logic

As with all miracles, recipients do not expect them. They do not know how their hope will be fulfilled. A miracle is not like a puzzle that one comes to grasp how the pieces fit when the puzzle is brought together. Miracles rarely make sense. They defy human logic. Even today, many biblical experts are still dismissive of miracles. And that is because there is no physical generalizable form to miracles.

How could they (twelve disciples) have been able to feed thousands of people? The answer is “no way”. Notice that when they informed Jesus of the meager five loaves and two fish, the Lord said, “Bring them here to me.” The Lord makes our resources resourceful when we share them with Him. When God gives us a special mission, we need his grace to accomplish them. Otherwise, we cannot. A divine special assignment is above the messenger so that he/she will operate from the “Real Presence” of Christ—in whom “we live and move and hold our being” (Cf Acts 17:28).

Mission Over Self

The need for the mission (of soul-saving) is more important than self-preservation (Cf. Matt 16:25). The means of saving is by losing. That is miraculous! John the Baptist, Jesus’ forerunner, has just been murdered for doing similar things Jesus was doing. To have continued His work without fear or discouragement, the Lord was clearly saying: the work of God must continue despite all challenges (cf. John 5:17).

So when Jesus said to His followers, “you yourself give them something to eat,” He was, and still is, asking us to give the people a miracle. Interestingly, He did not say give me bread or fish or fruit. He said, give them something to eat. He was well aware they had nothing. The Lord was asking them to look to Him for what they ought to give to the people. The Lord was also saying that we already possess miracles; we already have access to any miracles we might need because we have access to Him in the Holy Eucharist. Do we truly find solace, sustenance, and salvation in the “Real Presence” of Christ, the Bread of Life? May He renew this Grace in all of us today and always.

[Readings: Nm 11:4b-15; Ps 81:12-13, 14-15, 16-17; Mt 14:13-21]