This Sunday we begin
a five week focus on the 6th chapter of the Gospel of John. We do this every
three years, just as we repeat all the Sunday readings every three years. That
the Church should spend five weeks on John 6 demonstrates that this is one of the
most important sections of the Gospels[1].
The 6 chapter of
John’s gospel begins with the multiplications of the loaves and fish. Why is
this miracle retold so often in the Gospels? There are two accounts of the
multiplication in Matthew and Mark, one in Luke and one in John. In each
passage phrases are used that are repeated at the Last Supper. "He took,
He blessed, He broke." Each passage refers to God’s continual gift of the
one food we need, the Eucharist.
The Gospel of
John places the multiplication of the loaves and fish at the time of the
Passover. This isn’t just a passing note. The Passover was the sacred meal of
the Jews celebrating their freedom from slavery in Egypt and thanking God for
His continual protection. In today’s Gospel Jesus provided a meal at the
Passover time. He would provide another meal during another Passover. Holy
Thursday took place at the time of the celebration of the Passover. The Last
Supper was really the First Supper of the new People of God. The food would no
longer be the Passover lamb, but the Lamb of God. The people would eat the Body
and Blood of the Lord. It would be a meal of deliverance from slavery, slavery
to the devil, slavery to sin. It would be a meal that would provide freedom. It
would be a meal that would celebrate the New Life of the Lord. So, from the
very start of today’s Gospel, we know that John is speaking about more than
loaves and fish. He is speaking about the meal of the Christian Community, the
Eucharist.
In today’s
Gospel Jesus sees the needs of the people. He restores their strength with his
food. This is not just about loaves and fish. Jesus is performing a prophetic
action. He provides the banquet Psalm 23 spoke of, the Banquet of the Lord.
Those who eat this food will continue to eat it in the House of the Lord
forever. When we receive communion, we share in the meal of the Kingdom of God.
We are united to people throughout the world and throughout time who also share
in this meal.
When we receive
communion, we are present at the Last Supper, the First Supper, and the Banquet
of the Lord. When we receive communion we enter into the intimate union with
God that Jesus came to earth to provide.
How much our God
cares for us! He has found a way to nourish our spiritual lives. His very Body
and Blood keep us strong. He gives us the strength to proclaim his Kingdom.
We need to ask
ourselves at communion time: "What am I doing?" Am I just following
the crowd? Hopefully not. Am I receiving some sort of blessing? Hopefully, we
realize that communion is much more than a blessing. What is it that I am doing
when I receive communion? I am receiving the Food that God provides.
Today we pray
for a deeper appreciation, a deeper reverence for the great gift of Love that
is the Eucharist •
[1] 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time
(B), July 26, 2015. Readings: 2 Kings 4:42-44; Responsorial Psalm 145:10-11,
15-16, 17-18;Ephesians 4:1-6; John
6:1-15.
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