by Fr. Tommy Lane
We have been reading the Gospel of Mark during Ordinary Time this year. We interrupt reading Mark today, and today and for the next four Sundays we will read chapter 6 of John, the chapter on the Eucharist. The multiplication miracle in the Gospel today beginning John 6 is Jesus setting the stage for his teaching on the Eucharist that follows.
We know that 2+2=4, 5+2=7 but in the multiplication miracle worked by Jesus, 5 loaves + 2 fish = enough for 5,000 men, thousands more women and children, and twelve baskets left over. The other three Gospels tell us there were twelve baskets of food left over, but John emphasizes the miracle: Jesus’ disciples “filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves.” (John 6:13) John is doing all he can to contrast the enormous number of leftovers from the five loaves. Also, unlike the other Gospels, John says the people had their fill (John 6:12). The people had plenty of food and no one was hungry afterwards. And there is one more thing: only John tells us that even if the disciples had two hundred days’ wages (John 6:7), which we can safely assume they did not, it would not be enough to buy all the food needed for such a big crowd. Clearly the situation was hopeless, and the hopelessness of the situation also emphasizes the enormity of the miracle worked by Jesus to fix the problem. Ironically, no one asked Jesus to fix the problem. They presented human solutions: two hundred days’ wages, or five loaves and two fish. Jesus had the answer, but they did not ask him.
John also tells us something else we do not find in the other Gospels: the Jewish feast of Passover was at hand. Why did John add that piece of information? During the Last Supper, Jesus changed the Passover and transformed it into our celebration of the Eucharist. So, when John says the Jewish feast of Passover was near, John is looking beyond this miracle to the far greater miracle of the Eucharist during the Last Supper at Passover. Jesus fed hungry people with this miracle, but in the Eucharist Jesus offers his body under the appearance of bread to feed us spiritually.
During the Last Supper, Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the disciples. John tells us that during the multiplication miracle in today’s Gospel, Jesus took the bread, gave thanks, and gave it. The other Gospels tell us Jesus blessed the bread, but John tells us that Jesus gave thanks. Does that make a difference? Yes, because John wrote in Greek and in Greek the word for “thanks” is “eucharist.” Literally, John wrote that Jesus took the loaves, eucharisted, and gave them. This miracle is pointing forward to the greatest yet to come: the Eucharist and we are privileged to be present here today.
In the Gospel, Jesus multiplied bread, but at the consecration of Mass, the substance of the bread changes into the substance of the body of Jesus while maintaining the appearance of bread, and the substance of the wine changes into the substance of the blood of Jesus while maintaining the appearance of wine (DS 1642, Catechism #1376, 1413). We call this transubstantiation, trans-substance, the substance changes. Every time you receive Holy Communion, when the priest or Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion says, “The Body of Christ,” you respond, “Amen.” Your “Amen” is saying you believe that what looks like bread has changed its substance into the Body of Jesus.
There is an ominous note introduced at the end of today’s Gospel: the people want to carry Jesus off and make him king. They did not understand Jesus’ kingdom, reminding us of what Jesus said to Pilate, that his kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36). Judas also did not understand Jesus’ kingdom and betrayed Jesus to try to force the type of kingdom Judas himself wanted only to realize too late his terrible mistake. Attempts to force Jesus’ kingdom to conform to our ideas of an earthly kingdom continue to today:
The Church faces the same temptation today: the temptation to be a Church other than the one willed by the Father by accepting people’s criteria of what a proper church should be. How often is the Church advised to modernize its teaching about [moral issues] and many other issues? Many in the world offer acceptance to the Church if the Church does as they say. Yet the Church must always be the Church willed by the Father and, when necessary, suffer ridicule and even rejection as its Lord did. Only then can the Church be the faithful witness that ultimately leads people to salvation in Christ. (Francis Martin and William M. Wright IV, The Gospel of John, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture p117)
After the people tried to make Jesus king, Jesus walked on water to show that he is not about earthly kingdoms (John 6:16-21) but we skip that to continue next Sunday with Jesus’ teaching on himself as the bread of life. The ominous note introduced at the end of today’s Gospel reached its climax in Jesus’ crucifixion where Jesus gave his body for us, and we share in the spiritual benefit every time we give thanks to God celebrating the Eucharist, our spiritual food.
© Fr. Tommy Lane 2024
This homily was delivered in a parish in Ireland.
More Homilies for the Seventeenth Sunday of Year B
From multiplication to transubstantiation 2021
God offers us more than we can imagine 2006
Jesus expands our small vision to his limitless vision
Bear with one another through love: love your children
Related Homilies: Give to Jesus and he gives to us
Homilies on the Eucharist Stories about the Eucharist