Month: July 2018

“… the multiplication of the loaves … Jesus later comments on … pointing to himself as the ‘Bread’ which gives Life. Jesus’ actions are on a par with … the Last Supper. He ‘took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated,’ … the topic of ‘bread,’ … shared out, and on thanksgiving (v. 11, in Greek eucharistesas), recall the Eucharist, Christ’s sacrifice for the world’s Salvation. * * * The Eucharist is the human being’s ongoing, important encounter with God in which the Lord makes Himself our Food and gives Himself to transform us into Him. … [F]ive loaves and two fish …. The miracle was not worked from nothing, but from a first modest sharing of what a simple lad had brought …. Jesus does not ask us for what we do not have. … God is capable of multiplying our small acts of love and making us share in his gift. The crowd was impressed by the miracle …. However the people stopped at the material element …. [L]et us ask the Lord to enable us to rediscover the importance of feeding ourselves not only on bread but also on Truth, on Love, on Christ, on Christ’s Body, taking part faithfully and with profound awareness in the Eucharist so as to be ever more closely united with Him. … ‘It is not the Eucharistic food that is changed into us, but rather we who are mysteriously transformed by it. Christ nourishes us by uniting us to Himself ….’ (Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis, n. 70). Let us [also] pray … that … bread necessary for a dignified life may never be lacking … that inequalities … be demolished … with sharing and with love. …”

Click here for: “[The Multiplication of Loaves and Feeding of the 5,000 in the Gospel of John] – Pope Benedict XVI Angelus, July 29, 2012” – VaticanVa