The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and
Blood of Christ
Lectionary: 169
Lectionary: 169
In those days, Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine,
and being a priest of God Most High,
he blessed Abram with these words:
"Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
the creator of heaven and earth;
and blessed be God Most High,
who delivered your foes into your hand."
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
and being a priest of God Most High,
he blessed Abram with these words:
"Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
the creator of heaven and earth;
and blessed be God Most High,
who delivered your foes into your hand."
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 110:1, 2, 3, 4
R. (4b) You are
a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand
till I make your enemies your footstool."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion:
"Rule in the midst of your enemies."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
"Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;
before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:
"You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand
till I make your enemies your footstool."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion:
"Rule in the midst of your enemies."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
"Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;
before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:
"You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
Reading 21 COR 11:23-26
Brothers and sisters:
I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,
took bread, and, after he had given thanks,
broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me."
In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,
"This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.
I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,
took bread, and, after he had given thanks,
broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me."
In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,
"This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.
Sequence -
Lauda Sion
Laud, O Zion, your salvation,
Laud with hymns of exultation,
Christ, your king and shepherd true:
Bring him all the praise you know,
He is more than you bestow.
Never can you reach his due.
Special theme for glad thanksgiving
Is the quick’ning and the living
Bread today before you set:
From his hands of old partaken,
As we know, by faith unshaken,
Where the Twelve at supper met.
Full and clear ring out your chanting,
Joy nor sweetest grace be wanting,
From your heart let praises burst:
For today the feast is holden,
When the institution olden
Of that supper was rehearsed.
Here the new law’s new oblation,
By the new king’s revelation,
Ends the form of ancient rite:
Now the new the old effaces,
Truth away the shadow chases,
Light dispels the gloom of night.
What he did at supper seated,
Christ ordained to be repeated,
His memorial ne’er to cease:
And his rule for guidance taking,
Bread and wine we hallow, making
Thus our sacrifice of peace.
This the truth each Christian learns,
Bread into his flesh he turns,
To his precious blood the wine:
Sight has fail’d, nor thought conceives,
But a dauntless faith believes,
Resting on a pow’r divine.
Here beneath these signs are hidden
Priceless things to sense forbidden;
Signs, not things are all we see:
Blood is poured and flesh is broken,
Yet in either wondrous token
Christ entire we know to be.
Whoso of this food partakes,
Does not rend the Lord nor breaks;
Christ is whole to all that taste:
Thousands are, as one, receivers,
One, as thousands of believers,
Eats of him who cannot waste.
Bad and good the feast are sharing,
Of what divers dooms preparing,
Endless death, or endless life.
Life to these, to those damnation,
See how like participation
Is with unlike issues rife.
When the sacrament is broken,
Doubt not, but believe ‘tis spoken,
That each sever’d outward token
doth the very whole contain.
Nought the precious gift divides,
Breaking but the sign betides
Jesus still the same abides,
still unbroken does remain.
The shorter form of the sequence begins here.
Lo! the angel’s food is given
To the pilgrim who has striven;
see the children’s bread from heaven,
which on dogs may not be spent.
Truth the ancient types fulfilling,
Isaac bound, a victim willing,
Paschal lamb, its lifeblood spilling,
manna to the fathers sent.
Very bread, good shepherd, tend us,
Jesu, of your love befriend us,
You refresh us, you defend us,
Your eternal goodness send us
In the land of life to see.
You who all things can and know,
Who on earth such food bestow,
Grant us with your saints, though lowest,
Where the heav’nly feast you show,
Fellow heirs and guests to be. Amen. Alleluia.
Laud with hymns of exultation,
Christ, your king and shepherd true:
Bring him all the praise you know,
He is more than you bestow.
Never can you reach his due.
Special theme for glad thanksgiving
Is the quick’ning and the living
Bread today before you set:
From his hands of old partaken,
As we know, by faith unshaken,
Where the Twelve at supper met.
Full and clear ring out your chanting,
Joy nor sweetest grace be wanting,
From your heart let praises burst:
For today the feast is holden,
When the institution olden
Of that supper was rehearsed.
Here the new law’s new oblation,
By the new king’s revelation,
Ends the form of ancient rite:
Now the new the old effaces,
Truth away the shadow chases,
Light dispels the gloom of night.
What he did at supper seated,
Christ ordained to be repeated,
His memorial ne’er to cease:
And his rule for guidance taking,
Bread and wine we hallow, making
Thus our sacrifice of peace.
This the truth each Christian learns,
Bread into his flesh he turns,
To his precious blood the wine:
Sight has fail’d, nor thought conceives,
But a dauntless faith believes,
Resting on a pow’r divine.
Here beneath these signs are hidden
Priceless things to sense forbidden;
Signs, not things are all we see:
Blood is poured and flesh is broken,
Yet in either wondrous token
Christ entire we know to be.
Whoso of this food partakes,
Does not rend the Lord nor breaks;
Christ is whole to all that taste:
Thousands are, as one, receivers,
One, as thousands of believers,
Eats of him who cannot waste.
Bad and good the feast are sharing,
Of what divers dooms preparing,
Endless death, or endless life.
Life to these, to those damnation,
See how like participation
Is with unlike issues rife.
When the sacrament is broken,
Doubt not, but believe ‘tis spoken,
That each sever’d outward token
doth the very whole contain.
Nought the precious gift divides,
Breaking but the sign betides
Jesus still the same abides,
still unbroken does remain.
The shorter form of the sequence begins here.
Lo! the angel’s food is given
To the pilgrim who has striven;
see the children’s bread from heaven,
which on dogs may not be spent.
Truth the ancient types fulfilling,
Isaac bound, a victim willing,
Paschal lamb, its lifeblood spilling,
manna to the fathers sent.
Very bread, good shepherd, tend us,
Jesu, of your love befriend us,
You refresh us, you defend us,
Your eternal goodness send us
In the land of life to see.
You who all things can and know,
Who on earth such food bestow,
Grant us with your saints, though lowest,
Where the heav’nly feast you show,
Fellow heirs and guests to be. Amen. Alleluia.
AlleluiaJN 6:51
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
I am the living bread come down from heaven, says the Lord;
whoever eats this bread will live forever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the living bread come down from heaven, says the Lord;
whoever eats this bread will live forever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 9:11B-17
Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God,
and he healed those who needed to be cured.
As the day was drawing to a close,
the Twelve approached him and said,
"Dismiss the crowd
so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms
and find lodging and provisions;
for we are in a deserted place here."
He said to them, "Give them some food yourselves."
They replied, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have,
unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people."
Now the men there numbered about five thousand.
Then he said to his disciples,
"Have them sit down in groups of about fifty."
They did so and made them all sit down.
Then taking the five loaves and the two fish,
and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing over them, broke them,
and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.
They all ate and were satisfied.
And when the leftover fragments were picked up,
they filled twelve wicker baskets.
and he healed those who needed to be cured.
As the day was drawing to a close,
the Twelve approached him and said,
"Dismiss the crowd
so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms
and find lodging and provisions;
for we are in a deserted place here."
He said to them, "Give them some food yourselves."
They replied, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have,
unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people."
Now the men there numbered about five thousand.
Then he said to his disciples,
"Have them sit down in groups of about fifty."
They did so and made them all sit down.
Then taking the five loaves and the two fish,
and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing over them, broke them,
and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.
They all ate and were satisfied.
And when the leftover fragments were picked up,
they filled twelve wicker baskets.
Corpus Christi – Cycle C
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
Introduction
The feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ, recalls the institution of the Eucharist on Holy Thursday at the Last Supper. The prime thought during Holy Week is sorrow over the Passion of Jesus so this feast focuses our attention on the joy that comes from that event. This feast honors the Real Presence of Christ and was promoted by the visions of Juliana of Liege (in France), an Augustinian nun who understood from her visions that God wanted a feast to honor the Blessed Sacrament, in response to a controversy that had arisen which had made the presence of Christ in the Eucharist more symbolic than real. First celebrated as a local feast, Pope Urban IV extended it to the Universal Church in 1264. The Mass and office for the feast of Corpus Christi was composed by Saint Thomas Aquinas while he was a member of the Papal court of Urban IV.
1st Reading - Genesis 14:18-20
Today we hear of the appearance of Melchizedek to Abram. The existence of Melchizedek is known only from these three verses in scripture (and referred to in the Letter to the Hebrews), nestled into an account of Abram’s meeting with the King of Sodom after Abram has successfully led a battle in which he has defeated the four kings who had defeated five kings and kidnapped Lot. The king of Sodom was one of the five kings who had been freed by Abram.
18 Melchizedek,
The name Melchizedek means “justice.”
King of Salem,
The name Salem means “peace.” He is King of Justice and King of Peace. In Jewish tradition as reflected in the targums, Melchizedek is Shem, firstborn son of Noah; the only righteous firstborn in Genesis except for Abram. Reconstruction of the genealogies in Genesis shows that Shem outlived Abraham (Abram) by 35 years. Likewise, Salem is later named “Yahweh-yireh” in Genesis 22:14 when Abram takes Isaac there to offer him as sacrifice. Today we know it as “Yireh-Salem” (Jerusalem).
brought out bread and wine,
It is not clear that these are brought out as an offering to God rather than for sustenance but the association with the title “Priest of God Most High” certainly points to that direction. Up until the sin of the golden calf, God did not require animal sacrifices, thus the bread and wine would have been a most suitable offering and serve as a precursor of the Eucharist, a covenant meal.
and being a priest of God Most High,
Melchizedek is not only a king, but a priest as well, a Priest-King. He is the first priest mentioned in the Bible.
he blessed Abram with these words: 19 “Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
The last time a blessing is mentioned in Holy Scripture is when Noah gives his blessing to Shem. Could this be the priestly blessing which the father gives to the righteous son? I believe that it is. It is the same blessing which Abraham passes on to Isaac, Isaac to Jacob ...
the creator of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your foes into your hand.”
Abram’s victory was the result of God’s intervention.
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
A tithe. Abram, the most powerful warrior, who has defeated the four kings who had defeated the five kings, doesn’t accept a tithe, but gives one showing that he recognizes Melchizedek not as an inferior or equal, but as a superior (or as a representative of one). If in fact Melchizedek is Shem, firstborn son of Noah, he is the priest of the family of Noah then this would be homage by Abram to his elder brother and it all makes sense.
2nd Reading - 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Our second reading contains the words of consecration which we hear at every Mass. This was written about eight years before the Gospel of Mark.
23 For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
Saint Paul was a convert; he was not among the twelve at the Last Supper. Saul’s (Paul’s) only encounter directly with Jesus was on the road to Damascus when he was knocked to the ground (Holy Scripture says nothing of a horse) and converted. After that, he spent several days with the disciples and then began preaching (Acts 9:19-20).
that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,
Holy Thursday. Although the institution of the Eucharist is what is being highlighted here, this was also the night Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, prayed over one hour, etc.
took bread,
The Afikomen, the unleavened bread which was reserved during the Passover meal until just before the third cup of wine was drunk.
24 and, after he had given thanks,
Greek: eucharisto.
broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you.
Recall that a year before the Last Supper Jesus had said “I am the living bread that comes down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I give for the life of the world” (John 6:51).
Do this in remembrance of me.”
Not the recalling of fond memories, but a memorial sacrifice which makes the person present at the original event. The Passover was such a memorial sacrifice; every time a Jew, even today, celebrates the Passover, he/she makes himself/herself present at the first Passover in Egypt and are joined with all the participants of that original Passover meal. By making a remembrance, they are participating in a covenant renewal ceremony.
25 In the same way also the cup, after supper,
The 3rd cup of the Passover meal, the cup of thanksgiving.
saying, “This cup is the new covenant
The only time in the New Testament when Jesus uses the term “covenant” is at the institution of the Eucharist. It is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:31.
in my blood.
Covenants are sealed by a family meal in which an animal is sacrificed, the blood is drained from the animal and at the temple the blood is placed on the horns of the altar (in the case of the first Passover it was sprinkled on the door posts and at Mount Sinai it was sprinkled on the people).
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
Do what? Have a party for your 12 closest friends? What had Jesus just done? Changed the wine into His Blood. Jesus is God and when God speaks, it happens (Isaiah 55:10-11). When He said “Let there be light,” darkness disappeared. When He said “This is my Body... This is my Blood,” the bread and wine became His Body and Blood. Not symbols, but literally His Body and His Blood.
“For not as common bread nor common drink do we receive these; but since Jesus Christ our savior was made incarnate by the word of God and had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so too, as we have been taught, the food which has been made into the Eucharist by the Eucharistic prayer set down by Him, and by the change of which our blood and flesh is nourished, is both the flesh and the blood of that incarnated Jesus.” [Saint Justin the Martyr (A.D. 150), First Apology 66]
“Do you wish to know how it is consecrated with heavenly words? Accept that the words are. The priest speaks. He says: Perform for us this oblation written, reasonable, acceptable, which is a figure of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. ... Before it is consecrated, it is bread; but when the words of Christ come in, it is the Body of Christ. Finally, hear Him saying: ‘All of you take and eat of this; for this is My Body (Luke 22:19).’ And before the words of Christ the chalice is full of wine and water; but where the words of Christ have been operative it is made the Blood of Christ which redeems the people.” [Saint Ambrose of Milan (A.D. 390), The Sacraments 4,5, 21-23]
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
This is renewal of the covenant. Not a one-time thing; just as the Passover was celebrated annually, not to commemorate the event but to relive the event and renew the promises.
you proclaim the death of the Lord
If Jesus hadn’t died on the cross, there would be no eternal sacrifice for the new High Priest to offer in Heaven (Hebrews 8:3-4; Revelation 5:6). By proclaiming His death we recognize His sacrifice and re-present (as opposed to represent) it to God.
until he comes.
The parousia at the end of the world.
Gospel - Luke 9:11-17
Our gospel reading today recalls the feeding of the 5,000 - a precursor to the Eucharist. If Jesus can feed 5,000 until they are all full from 5 loaves and 2 fishes, and he can turn bread and wine into His Body and Blood, He certainly can turn as much bread and wine into Himself as would be needed to give the entire world the meal which seals our covenant with God. This is the only miracle story which is common to all four gospels.
The setting is this: Jesus and His disciples are in Galilee and the disciples have just returned from preaching and curing Gods’ people. They are now to receive a new charge – to feed the people of Israel.
11 The crowds, meanwhile, learned of this and followed him. He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and he healed those who needed to be cured. 12 As the day was drawing to a close, the Twelve approached him and said, “Dismiss the crowd so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms and find lodging and provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.”
In all the gospels, but especially in Luke, the miracles of Jesus occur around food: while going to eat, at table, and just after eating.
13 He said to them, “Give them some food yourselves.” They replied, “Five loaves and two fish
Both numbers in Hebrew numerology are incomplete numbers, two representing a few and five, half the basic number; but together they total seven, the number of the covenant and perfection.
are all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people.”
In Mark 6:37 the reply is much sharper: “Are we to buy 200 days’ wages worth of food?”
14 Now the men there numbered about five thousand. Then he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of (about) fifty.”
The number which in Hebrew is nun and also means “fish.” Hebrew does not have special words for numbers but uses existing words to express them (sort of like roman numerals which are really letters).
15 They did so and made them all sit down. 16 Then taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.
Luke very purposefully uses the same language as that which describes the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper (Luke 22:19) and in the Emmaus story (Luke 24:30) “took ... looked up ... blessed ... broke ... gave.”
17 They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up,
The Greek word used here klasmata for “fragments” is the same as is used in the Didache as the technical term for the broken particles of the Eucharist.
they filled twelve wicker baskets.
Symbolic that there is enough to feed all the tribes of Israel. At the feeding of the four thousand, there are seven baskets left; symbolic that there is enough to feed all the Gentile tribes that had occupied Canaan prior to the Israelites arrival at the end of their exodus.
Luke, of all the evangelists, immediately links this feeding account with Jesus’ prediction of His passion and His instructions about bearing one’s cross daily (Luke 9:18-27). To celebrate the Eucharist is to join in His life and share not only His mission of preaching, teaching, and curing, but also His dedication and destiny symbolized by the cross (Luke 9:18-27).
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
Introduction
The feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ, recalls the institution of the Eucharist on Holy Thursday at the Last Supper. The prime thought during Holy Week is sorrow over the Passion of Jesus so this feast focuses our attention on the joy that comes from that event. This feast honors the Real Presence of Christ and was promoted by the visions of Juliana of Liege (in France), an Augustinian nun who understood from her visions that God wanted a feast to honor the Blessed Sacrament, in response to a controversy that had arisen which had made the presence of Christ in the Eucharist more symbolic than real. First celebrated as a local feast, Pope Urban IV extended it to the Universal Church in 1264. The Mass and office for the feast of Corpus Christi was composed by Saint Thomas Aquinas while he was a member of the Papal court of Urban IV.
1st Reading - Genesis 14:18-20
Today we hear of the appearance of Melchizedek to Abram. The existence of Melchizedek is known only from these three verses in scripture (and referred to in the Letter to the Hebrews), nestled into an account of Abram’s meeting with the King of Sodom after Abram has successfully led a battle in which he has defeated the four kings who had defeated five kings and kidnapped Lot. The king of Sodom was one of the five kings who had been freed by Abram.
18 Melchizedek,
The name Melchizedek means “justice.”
King of Salem,
The name Salem means “peace.” He is King of Justice and King of Peace. In Jewish tradition as reflected in the targums, Melchizedek is Shem, firstborn son of Noah; the only righteous firstborn in Genesis except for Abram. Reconstruction of the genealogies in Genesis shows that Shem outlived Abraham (Abram) by 35 years. Likewise, Salem is later named “Yahweh-yireh” in Genesis 22:14 when Abram takes Isaac there to offer him as sacrifice. Today we know it as “Yireh-Salem” (Jerusalem).
brought out bread and wine,
It is not clear that these are brought out as an offering to God rather than for sustenance but the association with the title “Priest of God Most High” certainly points to that direction. Up until the sin of the golden calf, God did not require animal sacrifices, thus the bread and wine would have been a most suitable offering and serve as a precursor of the Eucharist, a covenant meal.
and being a priest of God Most High,
Melchizedek is not only a king, but a priest as well, a Priest-King. He is the first priest mentioned in the Bible.
he blessed Abram with these words: 19 “Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
The last time a blessing is mentioned in Holy Scripture is when Noah gives his blessing to Shem. Could this be the priestly blessing which the father gives to the righteous son? I believe that it is. It is the same blessing which Abraham passes on to Isaac, Isaac to Jacob ...
the creator of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your foes into your hand.”
Abram’s victory was the result of God’s intervention.
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
A tithe. Abram, the most powerful warrior, who has defeated the four kings who had defeated the five kings, doesn’t accept a tithe, but gives one showing that he recognizes Melchizedek not as an inferior or equal, but as a superior (or as a representative of one). If in fact Melchizedek is Shem, firstborn son of Noah, he is the priest of the family of Noah then this would be homage by Abram to his elder brother and it all makes sense.
2nd Reading - 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Our second reading contains the words of consecration which we hear at every Mass. This was written about eight years before the Gospel of Mark.
23 For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
Saint Paul was a convert; he was not among the twelve at the Last Supper. Saul’s (Paul’s) only encounter directly with Jesus was on the road to Damascus when he was knocked to the ground (Holy Scripture says nothing of a horse) and converted. After that, he spent several days with the disciples and then began preaching (Acts 9:19-20).
that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,
Holy Thursday. Although the institution of the Eucharist is what is being highlighted here, this was also the night Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, prayed over one hour, etc.
took bread,
The Afikomen, the unleavened bread which was reserved during the Passover meal until just before the third cup of wine was drunk.
24 and, after he had given thanks,
Greek: eucharisto.
broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you.
Recall that a year before the Last Supper Jesus had said “I am the living bread that comes down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I give for the life of the world” (John 6:51).
Do this in remembrance of me.”
Not the recalling of fond memories, but a memorial sacrifice which makes the person present at the original event. The Passover was such a memorial sacrifice; every time a Jew, even today, celebrates the Passover, he/she makes himself/herself present at the first Passover in Egypt and are joined with all the participants of that original Passover meal. By making a remembrance, they are participating in a covenant renewal ceremony.
25 In the same way also the cup, after supper,
The 3rd cup of the Passover meal, the cup of thanksgiving.
saying, “This cup is the new covenant
The only time in the New Testament when Jesus uses the term “covenant” is at the institution of the Eucharist. It is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:31.
in my blood.
Covenants are sealed by a family meal in which an animal is sacrificed, the blood is drained from the animal and at the temple the blood is placed on the horns of the altar (in the case of the first Passover it was sprinkled on the door posts and at Mount Sinai it was sprinkled on the people).
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
Do what? Have a party for your 12 closest friends? What had Jesus just done? Changed the wine into His Blood. Jesus is God and when God speaks, it happens (Isaiah 55:10-11). When He said “Let there be light,” darkness disappeared. When He said “This is my Body... This is my Blood,” the bread and wine became His Body and Blood. Not symbols, but literally His Body and His Blood.
“For not as common bread nor common drink do we receive these; but since Jesus Christ our savior was made incarnate by the word of God and had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so too, as we have been taught, the food which has been made into the Eucharist by the Eucharistic prayer set down by Him, and by the change of which our blood and flesh is nourished, is both the flesh and the blood of that incarnated Jesus.” [Saint Justin the Martyr (A.D. 150), First Apology 66]
“Do you wish to know how it is consecrated with heavenly words? Accept that the words are. The priest speaks. He says: Perform for us this oblation written, reasonable, acceptable, which is a figure of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. ... Before it is consecrated, it is bread; but when the words of Christ come in, it is the Body of Christ. Finally, hear Him saying: ‘All of you take and eat of this; for this is My Body (Luke 22:19).’ And before the words of Christ the chalice is full of wine and water; but where the words of Christ have been operative it is made the Blood of Christ which redeems the people.” [Saint Ambrose of Milan (A.D. 390), The Sacraments 4,5, 21-23]
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
This is renewal of the covenant. Not a one-time thing; just as the Passover was celebrated annually, not to commemorate the event but to relive the event and renew the promises.
you proclaim the death of the Lord
If Jesus hadn’t died on the cross, there would be no eternal sacrifice for the new High Priest to offer in Heaven (Hebrews 8:3-4; Revelation 5:6). By proclaiming His death we recognize His sacrifice and re-present (as opposed to represent) it to God.
until he comes.
The parousia at the end of the world.
Gospel - Luke 9:11-17
Our gospel reading today recalls the feeding of the 5,000 - a precursor to the Eucharist. If Jesus can feed 5,000 until they are all full from 5 loaves and 2 fishes, and he can turn bread and wine into His Body and Blood, He certainly can turn as much bread and wine into Himself as would be needed to give the entire world the meal which seals our covenant with God. This is the only miracle story which is common to all four gospels.
The setting is this: Jesus and His disciples are in Galilee and the disciples have just returned from preaching and curing Gods’ people. They are now to receive a new charge – to feed the people of Israel.
11 The crowds, meanwhile, learned of this and followed him. He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and he healed those who needed to be cured. 12 As the day was drawing to a close, the Twelve approached him and said, “Dismiss the crowd so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms and find lodging and provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.”
In all the gospels, but especially in Luke, the miracles of Jesus occur around food: while going to eat, at table, and just after eating.
13 He said to them, “Give them some food yourselves.” They replied, “Five loaves and two fish
Both numbers in Hebrew numerology are incomplete numbers, two representing a few and five, half the basic number; but together they total seven, the number of the covenant and perfection.
are all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people.”
In Mark 6:37 the reply is much sharper: “Are we to buy 200 days’ wages worth of food?”
14 Now the men there numbered about five thousand. Then he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of (about) fifty.”
The number which in Hebrew is nun and also means “fish.” Hebrew does not have special words for numbers but uses existing words to express them (sort of like roman numerals which are really letters).
15 They did so and made them all sit down. 16 Then taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.
Luke very purposefully uses the same language as that which describes the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper (Luke 22:19) and in the Emmaus story (Luke 24:30) “took ... looked up ... blessed ... broke ... gave.”
17 They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up,
The Greek word used here klasmata for “fragments” is the same as is used in the Didache as the technical term for the broken particles of the Eucharist.
they filled twelve wicker baskets.
Symbolic that there is enough to feed all the tribes of Israel. At the feeding of the four thousand, there are seven baskets left; symbolic that there is enough to feed all the Gentile tribes that had occupied Canaan prior to the Israelites arrival at the end of their exodus.
Luke, of all the evangelists, immediately links this feeding account with Jesus’ prediction of His passion and His instructions about bearing one’s cross daily (Luke 9:18-27). To celebrate the Eucharist is to join in His life and share not only His mission of preaching, teaching, and curing, but also His dedication and destiny symbolized by the cross (Luke 9:18-27).
Meditation: "All
ate and were satisfied"
Do you hunger for God and for
the abundant life he offers you through Jesus Christ? Jesus' feeding of the
five thousand is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels. What is the
significance of this miracle? The miraculous feeding of such a great multitude
pointed to God's provision of manna (bread) in the wilderness
for the people of Israel under Moses' leadership. When the people complained to
Moses that they would die of hunger in the barren wilderness, God told Moses
that he would "rain bread from heaven" for them to eat (Exodus
16:4,11-12). The miraculous provision of bread foreshadows the true heavenly
bread which Jesus offers his followers who believe in him. Jesus makes a claim
only God can make: He is the "bread of life" (John 6:35) and the
"true bread of heaven" that sustains us now and for all eternity
(John 6:58).
A sign of God's great
generosity and goodness towards us
Jesus' feeding of the five thousand is a sign of God's generous care and provision for his people. When God gives, he gives abundantly. He gives more than we need for ourselves so that we may have something to share with others, especially those in need. God takes the little we have and multiplies it for the good of others. Do you trust in God's provision for you and do you share freely with others, especially those who lack what they need?
Jesus' feeding of the five thousand is a sign of God's generous care and provision for his people. When God gives, he gives abundantly. He gives more than we need for ourselves so that we may have something to share with others, especially those in need. God takes the little we have and multiplies it for the good of others. Do you trust in God's provision for you and do you share freely with others, especially those who lack what they need?
Jesus feeds us with the
true bread of heaven
Jesus' feeding of the five thousand points to the superabundance of the Lord's Supper or Eucharist. In the Old Covenant bread and wine were offered as a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Creator who made the earth fruitful to nourish and strengthen all his creatures. Melchizedek is an important Old Testament figure because he was both a priest and a king who offered a sacrifice of bread and wine to God on behalf of Abraham and his future offspring (Genesis 14:18; Hebrews 7:1-4). His offering prefigured the offering made by Jesus, our great high priest and king who gave a new and distinctive meaning to the blessing of the bread and the cup of wine when he instituted the "Lord's Supper" or "Eucharist" on the eve of his sacrifice on the cross (Hebrews 7:26; 9:11; 10:12).
Jesus' feeding of the five thousand points to the superabundance of the Lord's Supper or Eucharist. In the Old Covenant bread and wine were offered as a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Creator who made the earth fruitful to nourish and strengthen all his creatures. Melchizedek is an important Old Testament figure because he was both a priest and a king who offered a sacrifice of bread and wine to God on behalf of Abraham and his future offspring (Genesis 14:18; Hebrews 7:1-4). His offering prefigured the offering made by Jesus, our great high priest and king who gave a new and distinctive meaning to the blessing of the bread and the cup of wine when he instituted the "Lord's Supper" or "Eucharist" on the eve of his sacrifice on the cross (Hebrews 7:26; 9:11; 10:12).
On the eve of the
exodus of the Jewish people from bondage in Egypt, God commanded his people to
celebrate the Passover meal, with the blessing of unleavened bread and wine,
and the sacrificial offering of an unblemished lamb (Exodus 12:5-8). The blood
of the lamb was sprinkled on the doorposts as a sign of God's protection from
the avenging angel of death who passed over the homes sealed with the blood of
the passover lamb (Exodus 12:7,13). Every year in commemoration of the Exodus
deliverance the Jewish people celebrate a Passover meal with unleavened bread
as a pledge of God's faithfulness to his promises (Exodus 12:14; see Paul's
description of the Christian Passover in 1 Corinthians 5:7-8). The "cup of
blessing" at the end of the Jewish Passover meal points to the messianic
expectation when the future Redeemer, the Messiah King will come to rebuild his
holy city Jerusalem.
Jesus poured out his
blood for us
At Jesus' last supper meal, after he had poured the final blessing cup of wine and had given thanks to his Father in heaven, he gave it to his disciples and said, "Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 26:27-28). Jesus did this as a memorial of his death, which would take place the next day on the cross of Calvary, and his resurrection which occurred on the third day - Easter morning. The shedding of Jesus' blood on the cross fulfilled once and for all the old covenant sacrifice of the paschal lamb at Passover time (Hebrews 10:11-14; 1 Corinthians 5:7: 1 Peter 1:18-19). That is why John the Baptist had prophetically called Jesus the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).
At Jesus' last supper meal, after he had poured the final blessing cup of wine and had given thanks to his Father in heaven, he gave it to his disciples and said, "Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 26:27-28). Jesus did this as a memorial of his death, which would take place the next day on the cross of Calvary, and his resurrection which occurred on the third day - Easter morning. The shedding of Jesus' blood on the cross fulfilled once and for all the old covenant sacrifice of the paschal lamb at Passover time (Hebrews 10:11-14; 1 Corinthians 5:7: 1 Peter 1:18-19). That is why John the Baptist had prophetically called Jesus the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).
Jesus made himself an
offering and sacrifice, a perfect gift that was truly pleasing to the Father in
heaven. He "offered himself without blemish to God" (Hebrews 9:14)
and "gave himself as a sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:2). Jesus
established the Lord's Supper and Eucharist as a memorial of his death and
resurrection and he commanded his disciples to celebrate it until his return
again in glory.
"The food that
makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ"
When we receive from the Lord's table we unite ourselves to Jesus Christ, who makes us sharers in his body and blood. Ignatius of Antioch (35-107 A.D.) calls it the "one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ" (Ad Eph. 20,2). This supernatural food is healing for both body and soul and strength for our journey heavenward.
When we receive from the Lord's table we unite ourselves to Jesus Christ, who makes us sharers in his body and blood. Ignatius of Antioch (35-107 A.D.) calls it the "one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ" (Ad Eph. 20,2). This supernatural food is healing for both body and soul and strength for our journey heavenward.
When you approach the Table
of the Lord, what do you expect to receive? Healing, pardon, comfort, and rest
for your soul? The Lord has much more for us, more than we can ask or imagine.
The principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist is an intimate union with
Christ. As bodily nourishment restores lost strength, so the Eucharist
strengthens us in charity and enables us to break with disordered attachments
to creatures and to be more firmly rooted in the love of Christ. Do you hunger
for the "bread of life"?
"Lord Jesus, you nourish
and sustain us with your very own presence and life. You are the "Bread of
Life" and the "Cup of Salvation". May I always hunger for you
and be satisfied in you alone."
Daily Quote from the early
church fathers: Christ has
yet to feed them with stronger food, by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.
"The order of the
mystery is preserved everywhere. The first healing is bestowed on wounds
through the remission of sins. Then the nourishment of the heavenly table
abounds, although this multitude is not yet refreshed with stronger foods, nor
do hearts hungry for more solid faith feed on the body and blood of Christ (Hebrews
5:12-14). He says, 'I gave you milk to drink, not meat. For you then were not
strong, nor are you yet' (1 Corinthians 3:2). The five loaves are like
milk, but the more solid meat is the body of Christ, and the stronger drink is
the blood of the Lord (Luke 22:19-20). Not immediately at first do we
feast on all foods, nor do we drink all drinks. 'First drink this,' he says.
Thus there is a first, then a second thing that you drink. There is also a
first thing that you eat, then a second, and then a third. At first there are
five loaves, then there are seven (Matthew 15:34). The third loaf is the
true body of Christ. So, then, let us never abandon such a Lord. He agrees to
bestow on us nourishment according to the strength of each, lest either too
strong a food oppress the weak or too meager a nourishment not satisfy the
strong." (excerpt from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE
6.71-72)
SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY
BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST (CORPUS CHRISTI)
SUNDAY, MAY 29, LUKE 9:11-b-17
(Genesis 14:18-20; Psalm 110; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
SUNDAY, MAY 29, LUKE 9:11-b-17
(Genesis 14:18-20; Psalm 110; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
KEY VERSE: "They all ate until they had enough" (v.17).
TO KNOW: When Jesus sent his disciples out to proclaim the reign of God, he told them to "take nothing for the journey" (Lk.9:3). Just as Israel had to learn to depend on God for their daily needs, Jesus' disciples must trust in God's providence. As a parable in action, Jesus multiplied the bread in the wilderness and fed the multitude. Jesus' four Eucharistic acts sum up every aspect of his life. Just as he takes, blesses, breaks, and shares the bread with the people, Jesus takes God's revelation, blesses it by his words and deeds, offers his body and blood on the cross, and shares God's life with the world. Jesus is our daily bread, our nourishment on our journey to God's kingdom. His precious blood sacrificed on our behalf gives us everlasting life.
TO LOVE: In what ways does our parish care for the hungry poor?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, fill me with your life-giving food so that I may feed others.
NOTE: The Church is the body and blood of Jesus Christ on earth. The Late Fr. Anthony DeMello once saw a starving child shivering in the cold. Angrily he looked up and said, "God, how could you allow such suffering? Why don't you do something?" There was a long silence, and then Fr. DeMello heard these words, "I did...I made you!"
Sunday 29 May 2016
Sun 29th. Body and Blood of Christ.
Genesis 14:18-20. You are a priest for ever, in the
line of Melchizedek—Ps 109(110):1-4. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. Luke
9:11-17.
Let your love multiply.
The feeding of the 5,000 is recorded in all four
Gospels. For those of us not accustomed to such miracles, perhaps its message
warrants some unpacking. Consider this: have you ever had a moment where you
felt unable to continue or unable to provide? Where you needed abundance, but
were left with mere scraps? Perhaps you are a mother who has struggled to
breastfeed your baby? Perhaps you are a single parent struggling to provide for
your family? At different times, we find God providing for us out of the most
unexpected of sources. In this Gospel, it is a young boy who provides the
barley loaves and fish to Jesus and his disciples. And God multiplies that
gift.
Today, let us contemplate those moments where things
have been multiplied for us, where the inexplicable grace of God has been
present, even in the emptiest of moments.
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
It’s Up to You
|
Where we spend eternity is 100 percent under our control. God’s
Word makes our options very clear: we can cooperate with the grace that Christ
merited for us on the cross, or we can reject it and keep to our own course.
LECTIO DIVINA: THE BODY AND
BLOOD OF CHRIST (C)
Lectio Divina: Sunday, May 29, 2016
The multiplication of the loaves for the hungry
Jesus teaches sharing
Luke 9:10-17
1. Opening prayer
Lord Jesus, send your Spirit
to help us read the Scriptures with the same mind that you read them to the
disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible,
you helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of
your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope
became for them the source of life and of resurrection.
Create in us silence so that
we may listen to your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in
people, above all in the poor and suffering. May your word guide us so that we
too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may experience the force of your
resurrection and witness to others that you are alive in our midst as source of
fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of you, Jesus, son of Mary, who
revealed to us the Father and sent us your Spirit. Amen.
2. Reading
a) A key to the reading:
the literary context:
Our text comes from the
middle of Luke’s Gospel: Jesus expands and intensifies his mission in the
villages of Galilee and he sends the twelve disciples to help him (Lk 9:1-6).
This news reaches the ears of Herod, the same who had John the Baptist killed
(Lk 9:7-9). When the disciples come back from their mission, Jesus invites them
to go to a solitary place (Lk 9:10). Then follows our text concerning the
multiplication of the loaves (Lk 9:11-17).
Immediately after this, Jesus
asks: “Who do people say that I am?” (Lk 9:18-21). Then, for the first time, he
goes on to speak of his passion and death and the consequences of all this for
the disciples (Lk 9:22-28). Then we have the Transfiguration where Jesus speaks
with Moses and Elijah concerning his passion and death in Jerusalem (Lk
9:28-43). There follows another proclamation of his passion, to the consternation
and incomprehension of his disciples (Lk 9:44-50). Finally, Jesus decides to go
to Jerusalem to meet his death (Lk 9:52).
b) A division of the text as an aid to its reading:
Luke 9:10: They go to a place
apart.
Luke 9:11: The crowd learns
that Jesus is there and he welcomes them.
Luke 9:12: The disciples
worry about the people going hungry.
Luke 9:13: Jesus makes a
suggestion and the reply of the disciples.
Luke 9:14-15: Jesus’
initiative to resolve the problem of the people’s hunger
Luke 9:16: Eucharistic
connotations and sense
Luke 9:17: The great sign:
all will eat
c) The text:
Luke 9:10-17 10 On their
return the apostles told him what they had done. And he took them and withdrew
apart to a city called Bethsaida. 11 When the crowds learned it, they followed
him; and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God, and cured
those who had need of healing. 12 Now the day began to wear away; and the
twelve came and said to him, "Send the crowd away, to go into the villages
and country round about, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a
lonely place." 13 But he said to them, "You give them something to
eat." They said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish --
unless we are to go and buy food for all these people." 14 For there were
about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, "Make them sit down
in companies, about fifty each." 15 And they did so, and made them all sit
down. 16 And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven,
and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the
crowd. 17 And all ate and were satisfied. And they took up what was left over,
twelve baskets of broken pieces.
3. A moment of prayerful silence
so that the Word of God may
penetrate and enlighten our life.
4. Some questions
to help us in our personal
reflection.
a) What did you like best and
what struck you most in the text?
b) In what situation does the
crowd find itself according to the text?
c) What is the reaction or
feeling of the disciples before the situation of the crowd?
d) What is the reaction or
feeling of Jesus before the situation of the crowd?
e) Which facts from the Old
Testament story does this text recall?
f) Do you know of any
initiatives of persons who, today, give the hungry crowd food to eat?
g) How do we help the crowd?
Do we distribute fish or do we teach them to fish?
5. A key to the reading
for those who wish to go
deeper into the theme.
a) The historical context of our text:
The historical context of
Luke’s Gospel always has two aspects: the aspect of the times of Jesus, that
is, the 30’s in Palestine, and the context of the Christian communities of the
80’s for whom he is writing his Gospel.
At the time of Jesus in
Palestine, the people lived in expectation of a Messiah who would be a new
Moses and who would repeat the great signs worked by Moses in Exodus: leading
the people through the desert and feeding them with manna. The multiplication
of the loaves in the desert was for the crowd a sign that the messianic time
had come (cf. Jn 6:14-15).
In Luke’s time, in the Greek
communities, it was important to confirm the Christians in the conviction of
their faith and to give them direction in the midst of difficulties. The way
Luke describes the multiplication of the loaves, recalls the celebration of the
Eucharist as celebrated in the communities in the 80’s, and helps them to
deepen their understanding of the Eucharist in their daily lives. Besides, in
his description of the multiplication of the loaves, as we shall see, Luke
recalls important figures in the history of the people of God: Moses, Elijah
and Elisha, thus showing that Jesus is truly the Messiah who is to come to
fulfil the promises of the past.
b) A commentary on the text:
Luke 9:10: Jesus and the
disciples go apart in a lonely place
The disciples return from the
mission to which they were sent (Lk 9:1-6). Jesus invites them to go to a
lonely place near Bethsaida, north of Lake Galilee. Mark’s Gospel adds that he
invites them to rest a little (Mk 6:31). When Luke describes the mission of the
72 disciples, he is also describing Jesus’ revision of his missionary activity,
an activity carried out by the disciples (Lk 10: 17-20).
Luke 9:11: The crowd seeks
Jesus and Jesus welcomes them
The crowd knows where Jesus
went and they follow him. Mark is more explicit. He says that Jesus and the
disciples went by boat whereas the crowd followed on foot by another road to a
specific place. The crowd arrives before Jesus (Mk 6:32-33). When Jesus arrives
at the place of rest, He sees the crowd and welcomes them. He speaks to them of
the Kingdom and heals the sick. Mark adds that the crowd was like sheep without
a shepherd. Before such a situation, Jesus reacts as a “good shepherd”, leading
the crowd by his words and feeding them with loaves and fishes (Mk 6,34ff).
Luke 9:12: The worry of the
disciples and the hunger of the crowd
The day is fading, it is
almost sunset. The disciples are worried and ask Jesus to send the crowd away.
They say that it is impossible to find food sufficient for so many people in
the desert. For them, the only solution is to let the people go to nearby
villages to buy bread. They cannot imagine any other solution.
Reading between the lines of
this description of the situation of the crowd, we find something very
important. People forget to eat in order to stay with Jesus. This means that
Jesus must have known how to attract people, even to the point that they forget
everything to follow him in the desert.
Luke 9:13: Jesus’ suggestion
and the reply of the disciples
Jesus says: “You give them
something to eat”. The disciples are frightened, because they only have five
loaves and two fish. But it is they who must solve the problem and the only
thing that comes to their mind is to send the crowd away to buy bread. They can
only think of the traditional solution, namely that someone has to obtain bread
for the people. Someone has to get money, buy bread and distribute it among the
crowd, but in the desert such a solution is impossible. They cannot see any
other possibility. In other words, if Jesus insists on not sending the crowd
away, then there is no solution to the hunger of the crowd. It does not occur
to them that the solution could come from Jesus and from the crowd itself.
Luke 9:14-15: Jesus’
initiative to solve the problem of the hunger
There were five thousand
persons. A lot of people. Jesus asks the disciples to make them sit in groups
of fifty. It is at this point that Luke begins to use the Bible to throw light
on the facts of Jesus’ life. He recalls Moses. It was Moses who first gave the
hungry crowd something to eat in the desert after leaving Egypt (cf. Num chs. 1
to 4). Luke also recalls the prophet Elisha. It was he, in fact, who in the Old
Testament, had made that a few loaves were more than sufficient to feed a
multitude (2 Kings 4:42-44). The text suggests, then, that Jesus is the new
Moses, the new prophet who must come into the world (cf. Jn 6:14-15). The
multitude of the communities knew the Old Testament, and half an allusion would
have been sufficient for them. Thus they discover gradually the mystery that is
unfolding in the person of Jesus.
Luke 9:16: Recalling the
Eucharist and its meaning
When the people sit on the
ground, Jesus multiplies the loaves and asks the disciples to distribute them.
It is important to note the way Luke describes this action. He says: “Jesus
took the five loaves and two fish, raised his eyes to heaven, and said the
blessing over them; then he broke them and handed them to his disciples to
distribute among the crowd”. This manner of speaking to the communities of the
80’s (and of all times) recalls the Eucharist. For these very words will be
used (and are still used) in the celebration of the Supper of the Lord (22:19).
Luke suggests that the Eucharist must lead to the multiplication of the loaves,
that is, to sharing. It must help Christians to take care of the concrete needs
of the neighbour. It is the bread of life that gives courage and leads the
Christian to face the problems of the crowd in a new way, not from outside, but
from among the crowd.
Luke 9:17: The great sign:
all will eat
All will eat, all will be
satisfied and there will be basketsful left over! An unexpected solution,
performed by Jesus and born from within the crowd itself, beginning from the
little that they had brought, five loaves and two fish. And there were twelve
baskets full of scraps after the five thousand had eaten of the five loaves and
two fish!
c) A deepening: The
greater miracle:
Some will ask: “There was no
miracle then? It was just a sharing?” Here are three reflections by way of an
answer:
A first reflection: Which
would be the greater miracle today: for instance, that on a certain day of the
year, say Christmas, everyone has enough to eat and receives a Christmas
hamper; or perhaps that people begin to share their bread so that no one goes
hungry and there would be leftovers for other crowds. Which would be the
greater miracle? What do you think?
A second reflection: The word
Miracle (miraculum) comes from the verb to admire. A miracle is an
extraordinary action, outside the normal, that causes admiration and leads to
think of God. The great miracle, the greatest miracle of all, is (1) Jesus
himself, God made man! Thus God becomes extraordinarily human as only God can
be human! Another great miracle is (2) the change that Jesus succeeds in
working among the crowd that is used to solutions from outside. Jesus succeeds
in making the crowd face its problem from within and to take into account the
means at their disposal. A great miracle, an extraordinary thing is (3) that
through this gesture of Jesus’, all eat and there are leftovers! When we share,
there is always more... and leftovers! So there are three great miracles: Jesus
himself, the conversion of people and the sharing of goods leading to an
abundance! Three miracles born of a new experience of God as Father revealed to
us in Jesus. This experience of God changed all mental categories and the way
of life, it opened an entirely new horizon and created a new way of living
together with others. This is the greatest miracle: another world made
possible!
A third reflection: It is
difficult to know how things happened. No one is saying that Jesus did not work
a miracle. He worked many miracles! But we must not forget that the greatest
miracle is the resurrection of Jesus. Through their faith in Jesus, people
begin to live in a new way, sharing bread with the brothers and sisters who
have nothing and are hungry: “None of their members was ever in want, as all
those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring the money from them
to present it to the apostles” (Acts 4:34-35). When a miracle is described in
the Bible, the greater attention is drawn not towards the miraculous aspect,
but rather towards the meaning the miracle has for life and for the faith of
the community of those who believe in Jesus, the revelation of the Father. In
the so-called “first world” of the so-called “Christian” countries, animals
have more to eat than human beings of the “third world”. Many people are
hungry! This means that the Eucharist has not taken deep root yet nor does it
reach out as it could and should.
6. The prayer of a Psalm: 81(80)
The God who frees and feeds
his people
Sing aloud to God our
strength;
shout for joy to the God of
Jacob!
Raise a song, sound the
timbrel,
the sweet lyre with the harp.
Blow the trumpet at the new
moon,
at the full moon, on our
feast day.
For it is a statute for
Israel,
an ordinance of the God of
Jacob.
He made it a decree in
Joseph,
when he went out over the
land of Egypt.
I hear a voice I had not
known:
"I relieved your
shoulder of the burden;
your hands were freed from
the basket.
In distress you called, and I
delivered you;
I answered you in the secret
place of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of
Meribah.
Hear, O my people, while I
admonish you!
O Israel, if you would but
listen to me!
There shall be no strange god
among you;
you shall not bow down to a
foreign god.
I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of the
land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide, and I
will fill it.
"But my people did not
listen to my voice;
Israel would have none of me.
So I gave them over to their
stubborn hearts,
to follow their own counsels.
O that my people would listen
to me,
that Israel would walk in my
ways!
I would soon subdue their
enemies,
and turn my hand against
their foes.
Those who hate the Lord would
cringe toward him,
and their fate would last for
ever.
I would feed you with the
finest of the wheat,
and with honey from the rock
I would satisfy you."
7. Final Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank for the
word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May your
Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice that which
your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, your mother, not only listen
to but also practise the Word. You who live and reign with the Father in the
unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
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