Friday of 2nd week of Easter 8th April 2016
"After this, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee-or of Tiberias- and a large crowd followed him, impressed by the signs he had done in curing the sick.
Jesus climbed the hillside and sat down there with his disciples. The time of the Jewish Passover was near."
Jesus, taken up with pity and compassion, is the Shepherd of his people : ’Reaching the lake side, he saw a large crowd and he had pity on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them at great length.’
He has pity on his flock , leads them to green pastures, has them sit down and he goes and fetches the lost sheep.
The sermon on the Bread of Life takes its roots in this miracle of the multiplication of the loaves : out of five loaves and two fish, Jesus feeds a big crowd. This sign Jesus accomplishes shows us he has power over nature. The path of divine life is opened up, it is the Life of the Father that is given and we can come to a better understanding of Jesus’ Word.
We enter into His Mystery in order to take body in Him, as the beloved child of the Father.
Jesus, who joined his Father in the Kingdom, is even closer to us, more intimate to us than we are to ourselves. We need to exist in Him, through Him and with Him. This transformation is done through the power of God’s Love operating today in the multiplication of the loaves.
"Looking up, Jesus saw the crowds approaching and said to Philip, ’Where can we buy some bread for these people to eat?’
He said this only to put Philip tot he test ; he himself knew exactly what he was going to do.
Philip answered ’Two hundred denarii would not buy enough to give them a little piece each.’
One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said ’Here is a small boy with five barley loaves and two fish-but what is that among so many?"
The crowd could survive a night of fasting, but hunger is the sign of a necessity come from above. Hunger, like thirst, points us to natural necessities : eating, drinking, without which we would die, but they also point towards vital necessities of a spiritual order, revealing the meaning of our human existence before God.
In the speech of the Bread of Life, following that of the multiplication of the loaves, Jesus will say
’I am the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.“After the multiplication of the loaves Jesus will reproach the crowd for not having understood the meaning of the miracle :’Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me not because you have seen signs, but because you ate bread and had your fill.”
Jesus is the one who fills the hungry with good things, but the multiplication of the loaves is a sign of a higher reality : Jesus comes to bring another nourishment. He is the One who comes and fills the existential hunger of human beings ; the one who quenches his thirst to move and to be loved. The perspective of fraternal communion is announced, the light of the gift and sharing is given.
"Jesus said to them :’Make the people sit down.’ There was plenty of grass there, and as many as five thousand men sat down.
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them tot hose who were sitting there ; he then did the same with the fish distributing as much as they wanted.
When they had eaten enough, he said tot he disciples ’ Pick up the pieces that are left over, so that nothing is wasted.’ So they picked them up and filled twelve large baskets with scraps left over from the meal of barley loaves. Seeing the sign that Jesus had done, the people said ’This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.’
Jesus, as he realised they were about to come and take him by force and make him king, fled back tot he hills alone."
The miracles proclaim the Kingdom of God that is to come, they accompany the Word, enlighten it and confirm it. In this sign we receive the friendship Jesus has for us, a promise. We discover a path to go on together during which friendship will blossom; will deepen, he shows a direction, a meaning to our life.
The Life Jesus gives us is Eternal Life, the healing He obtains for us is eternal Salvation, and the Bread with which He nourishes us is Himself.
From the gift of the five loaves and two fish of the young lad, we perceive the nourishment that is going to feed the crowd so as to transform it into thanksgiving. Out of this food given for earthly life, Jesus brings us to His Divine Life, He dwells with us for always. He gathers us all together so as to form a new People, one that is animated by the Holy Spirit.
We ask for the grace to be risen with Jesus.