In today’s Gospel, we hear the continuation of Jesus’s engagement with the crowd of Jews as we make our way through the Bread of Life discourse this week. They had just had their stomachs filled, and miraculously at that, but now they were clamoring for even more.
The great doctor of the Church, Saint John Chrysostom, comments on the disbelief and arrogance of the crowd, saying, “Nothing can be more unreasonable than their asking for another miracle, as if none had been given already. And they do not even leave the choice of the miracle to our Lord; but would oblige Him to give them just that sign, which was given to their fathers: Our fathers ate manna in the desert.’ Whereas many miracles were performed in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the desert, they remembered this one the best of any. Such is the force of appetite.”
Faults of the Crowd
In other words, Saint John Chrysostom finds three faults in what the crowds do. One related to the past. One to the present. And one to the future. First, they have forgotten the miracles they have received in the past: everything that God did in order to get His people out of Egypt, all the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, has been forgotten, in favor of what is, arguably, a lesser miracle, the manna. Second, they ignore the miracle they have just received, namely, the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. Lastly, they demand exactly what sort of miracle Christ should perform in the future in order to convince them.
What we see here, then, is the ingratitude of the crowds. Aquinas says, just as there are three degrees of gratitude, there are also three degrees of ingratitude. All of which are present here. He writes: “[Ingratitude] has various degrees corresponding in their order to the things required for gratitude. The first of these is to recognize the favor received. The second to express one’s appreciation and thanks. And, the third to repay the favor at a suitable place and time according to one’s means. And since what is last in the order of generation is first in the order of destruction, it follows that the first degree of ingratitude is when a man fails to repay a favor, [In this case, the crowd fail to repay the favor with faith, which is what the miracle called for]. The second when he declines to notice or indicate that he has received a favor [this is the case of their response to the miracle of the multiplication]. While the third and supreme degree is when a man fails to recognize the reception of a favor. Whether by forgetting it or in any other way [this is the case of the miracles in Egypt and the desert, and, to an extent, the multiplication].”
Many Miracles
In our lives, we have received many miracles. The miracles of our birth, our upbringing and formation, our vocations, the sacraments, and grace after grace. How do we respond to all this? If the last step in gratitude is to repay the giver, are we sincerely trying to live in accord with the graces that we have received? Do we live in a way that is in accord with our vocations? Do we give thanks to God for everything that we have received? Or do we complain about the things that come our way? As Aquinas says, is the last stage of ingratitude: to esteem kindness as though it were unkind?
Today, let us ask for the grace, through the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, to be truly grateful for God’s gifts to us. Especially the gift of the Eucharist, and to make a return to Him for what we have received.
Today we welcome Father to the Reflection Writer group for GVM. Thank you, Father, for your first reflection for our audience. We hope it inspires us, and those around us!
