Word to the Wise
Friday, April 12, 2024 - 2nd Week of Easter - Fri
[Acts 5:34-42 and John 6:1-15]When Jesus saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, "Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?" He said this to test him because he himself knew what he was going to do. [John]
The gospel scripture for the next few daily Masses will be coming from the sixth chapter of the Gospel According to John. In a very dramatic gospel, this chapter is one of the most dramatic in terms of what we Catholics believe about the Eucharist. That will develop after the incident of the multiplication of the loaves and fish, which sets the stage for what follows.
This incident is reported in all four gospels, which is an indication of its importance in telling the story of Jesus. But there are differences in the one in the gospel according to John. The initiative here is taken by Jesus and not by the disciples coming to him with a logistical feeding problem ("[H]e himself knew what he was going to do."] Secondly, it is Jesus who distributes the bread and fish and not the disciples! Third, the people misunderstand what Jesus is doing, which sets the stage for the discourse that follows - the "Bread of Life" discourse. The teaching in that discourse is at the center of Catholic worship - the Eucharist! The "sign" that Jesus works is not the point of the story. Jesus is the point. Stay tuned! AMEN