Foretaste Of Abundance

𝐌𝐀𝐘 𝟐, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐓. 𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐔𝐒, 𝐁𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡

𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐀𝐜 𝟓:𝟑𝟒-𝟒𝟐

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟐𝟕:𝟏, 𝟒, 𝟏𝟑-𝟏𝟒 “𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤, 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝.”

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐉𝐍 𝟔:𝟏-𝟏𝟓

𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆: “𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒃𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕.” (𝒗.12) 

          This Gospel passage today has been referred to as one of the most memorable of the many miracles that Jesus had performed but there was certainly more to the feeding of the 5,000 than meets the eye. In fact, there are several realities in this event that will give us a clearer picture of who Jesus was and what defines him and what we are to him.

         For us to grasp the significance of this event we must first try to understand what a miracle is. A miracle is an extraordinary event that is beyond the power or scope of any created being and thus, a miracle is something that could only come or created by God Himself as no natural forces could account for it.

         Such was this event at Bethsaida Julias where Jesus and his disciples went apparently to rest and probably to gather his disciples and teach them that they may have a deeper understanding of who he was. Jesus probably also needed time and space for prayer and this place was ideal for R & P (rest and prayer) as it was located some four miles across Capernaum on the other side of the Sea of Galilee.

         And for us to be able to picture how this miracle progressed at that particular time and place we need to switch on our time capsule and try to transport ourselves to where Jesus and his disciples were gathered as they went up the hill as the large crowd who have been following them from Capernaum began to assemble at the grassy plain at the foot of the hill.

         As the Passover Feast was near it was also possible that the crowd were on their way to their annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the sight of such a large crowd moved Jesus to compassion knowing that the people were hungry and tired and thus must be fed.

         This event also reveals the character of Jesus who identifies himself with the poor and this was evident in the type of bread that Andrew found from a boy among the crowd: "𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒃𝒐𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒆𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒔𝒉; 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚?" (𝒗.9)        

         In those days, bread that was made from barley flour was the cheapest of all types of bread and was held in contempt. In the Jewish Mishnah (a Jewish book of regulations based on the Torah) it was specified that barley flour was to be used as an offering by a woman who committed adultery because barley was considered as the food of the beasts and the woman’s sin of adultery was the sin of a beast. Hence, the Jews regarded bread made from barley flour as the bread of the very poor.

         What makes this event a great a miracle was the two fish that the boy had because the two pickled fish could not have been bigger than sardines. It could not have been otherwise because there was no way fish could be kept fresh and in eatable condition at that time, which was why sardine types of fish were usually pickled and this was what many of the people travelling long distances normally bring.

         And here Jesus for the first time revealed what could be considered as a prefigurement of the Last Supper as he took the five barley loaves and the two fish, blessed them and gave them to his disciples who also gave them to the people and all who were there ate and were filled. It also shows us that he came so that we may have life, life in its fullness (𝐉𝐧 𝟏𝟎:𝟏𝟎).

         While we may look at the fullness of life in terms of material blessings, the coming of Jesus is tied in to the gifts of the Holy Spirit such that when these gifts are used wisely will lead us to live our lives to its fullest potential.

         It is also in this Gospel passage that we can see the plan of God for us when Jesus said: "𝑮𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒖𝒑 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒍𝒆𝒇𝒕 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒃𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕." (𝒗.12) Just as in the parable of the lost sheep (𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭 𝟏𝟖:𝟏𝟎-𝟏𝟑; 𝐋𝐤 𝟏𝟓:𝟒-𝟕) we can look at ourselves as one of the fragments of bread that Jesus told his disciples to gather which could mean that Jesus came to gather those of us who are lost.

         But more than anything else, this miracle prefigures the super abundance of the unique bread of the Holy Eucharist that we partake each time we celebrate Mass. And when we receive His Body at the Lord’s table, we unite ourselves to Jesus Christ, who makes us sharers in his body and blood.

         𝐒𝐭. 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."  This supernatural food brings healing for both body and soul and strength for our journey heavenward.

         When we come to the Table of the Lord, we must reflect on what we expect to receive. Do we come and receive Him that we may be healed, forgiven or comforted? But these are not the only things that Jesus Christ has prepared for us because what he is prepared to give us is more than we can ever ask or imagine – eternal life.

         We must also remember that the principal end to our receiving His Body and Blood at the celebration of the Holy Eucharist is the intimate union with Christ. His Body and Blood that we receive restores our strength that we may keep the fire of our faith going to walk where he walked, to do what he did and, to love as he loved.

         But we can only do these things if we are to going to bring to Jesus Christ what he needs. The boy had nothing much to offer but Jesus found what he needed in the five barley loaves and two pieces of fish for the miracle that would still be talked about 2,500 years later.

         What we bring to Jesus may not be much. We may look at our finite selves with contempt as how Jesus treated the barley bread, but Jesus can still use us and turn our lives into a miraculous conversion experience that others may be drawn to him. When we surrender ourselves to him, we do not know what he will do with us and through us.

         We may have second thoughts of going to Jesus because we don’t have much to bring as others have but that is not enough reason for us not to go and bring what we have even our sinful selves because Jesus can use even the little that we have and multiply it for the good of others. (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 – 𝘔𝘢𝘺 2, 2025)