Sunday, July 28, 2024

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

(II Kings 4:42-44; Ephesians 4:1-6; John 6:1-15)

Dear brothers and sisters, today we begin an anomaly in the liturgy. For five Sundays, we interrupt our reading of the Gospel according to Saint Mark to reflect on the "Bread of Life Discourse" in the Gospel according to Saint John. The discourse helps us understand the Eucharist, which Vatican II called "the source and summit of Christian life."

Today's reading can be seen as the material on which Jesus reflects in the discourse. Its intention is to raise the question: "Who is Jesus?" We cannot understand the Eucharist without first having a correct concept of Jesus.

The reading begins with many people following Jesus to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. They have seen him performing miraculous cures and want to see more of them. They do not yet have faith in Jesus; they are simply amazed by his power. They make up an immense crowd of five thousand men, and who knows how many women and children?

Jesus assumes the role of a gracious host when he asks Philip, "How can we buy bread so that these people may eat?" He is concerned that everyone will be well-nourished, but he has more in mind than calories and carbohydrates. He is going to provide spiritual nourishment so that they may have life in abundance. This is the reason for the question. He wants to know if Philip has been able to penetrate his humanity to recognize his divinity.

As if it were a Mass, Jesus takes the bread, gives thanks to God for it, and distributes it among the people. Because he is such a good host, he serves the fish in the same way. Bread and fish comprised the basic foods for lunch among the Palestinians two thousand years ago. They were like rice and beans or tortillas and beans for various peoples today.

After the distribution of food, Jesus asks his disciples to gather the leftovers. Because they gather only the bread, it can be said that it, and not the fish, is the provision emphasized here. The twelve baskets of leftovers indicate not only the enormity of the miracle but something deeper. Each basket represents one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Just as God fed the Israelites with manna in the desert, Jesus feeds the crowd on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The implication is clear. Jesus is like God in his concern and action on behalf of the people. The Book of Exodus explains that by being satisfied with manna, the Israelites would know that the Lord was their God. Thus, the Galileans should recognize Jesus as God by the multiplication of the loaves.

However, the people do not yet reach this conclusion. They call Jesus only "the prophet" of whom Moses speaks in the book of Deuteronomy. They also attempt to proclaim him king. These roles pale when compared to reality. The prophet would be like Moses, not like God. Also, every human king serves for a limited time and with power subject to being surpassed by another’s. Only God reigns forever with absolute power.

But what kind of bread does Jesus have that multiplies to nourish entire nations? And what is the spiritual nourishment that yields life in abundance? Finally, how exactly should we understand life in abundance? To answer these questions, we have to reflect deeply on the Bread of Life Discourse in the coming weeks.