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GOSPEL COMMENTARY JN 6:1-15

Something greater than miracles

FR. ROBERT J. WAGNER

In this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus uses five loaves and two fish to feed a crowd of five thousand. This miracle of multiplying loaves and fish is well-known to us because it is included in each of the four Gospels; Jesus even performs this miracle twice in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. The miracle itself illustrates how the divine words and works of Jesus are beyond the realm of the natural world. His generosity is seen not only in feeding the large crowd, but in the 12 baskets of fragments that are collected after everyone has had their fill.

The crowd was astounded. “This is truly the Prophet,” they said.

Yet this miracle — or any miracle — is not something meant to stand alone. Instead, it is a sign pointing to a greater reality — that Jesus is truly the Son of God and Savior of the world. He is to be trusted and His words believed, for He is the way, the truth and the life that leads us to eternal joy.

Too often, however, the miracle is preferred to Jesus and the salvation He offers. We see it in the Gospel today, as we hear that those following Jesus were not there for His preaching. Instead, they followed Him because of “the signs He was performing on the sick” (cf. Jn 6:2). They were amazed at His healing power, so they stayed close to Him. Then they were amazed again with the miracle of the loaves and fish, so at the end of this Sunday's Gospel, they want Jesus to be their king (cf. Jn 6:15). They wanted Him for the wrong reason: to provide for them in an earthly sense. They preferred the miracles — not the Savior and His message.

It is hard to blame them. We long for stories of miracles — healings, visions, levitating saints and other supernatural events that show God's power at work. We are astounded when God can heal our illnesses when science and medicine have fallen short. We rejoice that God can bring a wandering Catholic back to church with a personal miracle or providential encounter. Miracles are signs of God’s power and of His love for us. Often, they increase our love of God and our trust in Him.

The problem rests not in our fascination with miracles, but in our desires stopping there. Too often the miracle is all that we seek, and we cannot look past them to see what they point to: the truth that God loves and loves us so much that He sent His Son to teach us, to suffer and die to free us from our sins and to rise again in order to conquer death and bring us eternal life. In the end, this is what we really need.

Sometimes, we find our prayers are asking for something amazing from God, some sign that He is present, something we can point to that will give us the boost we need to believe and trust Him more. But we must recognize that these are just signs. God promises and provides so much more. He promises His unending love for us. He promises His forgiveness for our sins. He promises to give us and our loved ones everything we need to strengthen us that we may come to know and love Him more in this world and the next. Our prayers may be answered by a miracle, or He may answer them in another way. In either case, we must have faith that His will is done and His faithfulness and love endure.

In the Gospel this Sunday, Jesus walked away from the crowd because people desired His miracles and desired He become their king for their earthly benefit. His plan for salvation did not involve the establishment of an earthly kingdom. Instead, He established an eternal kingdom and brought about our redemption through His death and Resurrection. Jesus is Our Savior, and we place our faith in Him.

As we meditate on this passage, let us pray that we grow to love God more and more for who He is and what He promises. May we hear the truth of the words He speaks both in the Scripture and the church. May we meet Him in the sacraments, especially in the miracle of the Eucharist at each Mass. Finally, let us pray for the faith that knows that even when He does not grant us the miracles we seek, He is there, providing all we need to fulfill His promise for our salvation.

Fr. Wagner is Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde’s secretary.

The Work of God

Inspirations of the Holy Spirit

Year B

- 17th Sunday in ordinary time

Feeding of the five thousand

John 6:1-15

1 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is that of Tiberias.
2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw the miracles which he did on them that were diseased.
3 Jesus therefore went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.
4 Now the pasch, the festival day of the Jews, was near at hand.
5 When Jesus therefore had lifted up his eyes, and seen that a very great multitude came to him, he said to Philip: Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
6 And this he said to try him; for he himself knew what he would do.
7 Philip answered him: Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one may take a little.
8 One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him:
9 There is a boy here that has five barley loaves, and two fishes; but what are these among so many?
10 Then Jesus said: Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. The men therefore sat down, in number about five thousand.
11 And Jesus took the loaves: and when he had given thanks, he distributed to them that were set down. In the same manner also of the fishes, as much as they would.
12 And when they were filled, he said to his disciples: Gather up the fragments that remain, lest they be lost.
13 They gathered up therefore, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above to them that had eaten.
14 Now those men, when they had seen what a miracle Jesus had done, said: This is of a truth the prophet, that is to come into the world.
15 Jesus therefore, when he knew that they would come to take him by force, and make him king, fled again into the mountain himself alone.

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus

God is a God full of surprises. That day a great crowd had gathered, many attracted out of curiosity, others with the spiritual need to see the new prophet perform his miracles and reveal his new ideas.
My miracles had made impact in many minds, they had realized that I had a new teaching which was accompanied by supernatural signs, some commented that I could be Elijah, others the Messiah, but people were not sure, however the spirit brought them to that place.

My apostles had no idea of how we were going to feed the multitude that was hungry after following me. I looked up to heaven, took the loaves and the fishes that they gave me, I gave thanks to my Father and asked Him for food for them, then I advised them to lie down and wait for their turn to eat, after that, they all ate and there were even twelve baskets filled with the leftovers.

People after realizing what a great miracle had occurred, wanted to make me their King by force; I had to run away from that place. I came not so much to feed the body, but the soul, this multiplication of the loaves and the fishes is a symbol of the eucharistic multiplication of the bread of life that I have come to offer, the food for the soul that God sends from Heaven in abundance.

Many were expecting a powerful king that would free them from the slavery of the Roman Empire, when they saw my prodigies they imagined many material things except that I was going to free them from the slavery of sin.

All my miracles were temporary signs that would bring a special relief from those moments or situations, but they represented healings of the soul. The change of the water into wine represented the new wine, which is living water of the Spirit, which all those who are spiritually thirsty must drink. The blind that received their sight represented those who are blind in the spirit and need to open their eyes to see my way, the lepers who were healed represented the souls wounded by sin and who need my healing, the mute who were able to speak represented those who don’t speak with God and need the spirit in order to praise God, the paralytic and the lame who were able to walk represent those who can not walk well for lack of faith and who need spiritual health. The deaf who were able to hear represented those who have not been able to understand my word, but who listen finally to my message through the action of my Spirit. Those who were dead and brought to life represented the transformation of the soul who is dead because of sin, but who is brought to life again after a conversion.

Now, the multiplication of the loaves and the fishes represented the multiplication of my Church, the great promised banquet, the new manna which has come down from heaven and is the new food for the people of God. This miracle was a preparation for my people, who are to feel hunger for the Bread of Life, who has come down from Heaven to give strength to the soul, this miracle was a preparation for the greatest miracle which I performed, at the Holy Supper, in which I consecrated the bread as my body, and the wine as my blood.

All miracles prior to the institution of the Holy Eucharist fulfilled their purpose, however my living bread is the continuous miracle that represents my sacrifice in Calvary, it is the food of the soul that feeds my people until the end of times.

Come, come, I invite you, eat of this food that has been sent from heaven, it does not cost you money, it fills the soul, it nourishes the spirit and purifies it of sin by giving it eternal life.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary