Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle B

Reflecting on John 6: 1-15

According to a (very flawed) survey from several years ago, many Catholics see the Eucharist as a “symbolic reminder.”

Does that seem plausible to you? I’ve never believed it. I think those who responded didn’t understand the meaning of “transubstantiation.” A Catholic who doesn’t believe in REAL PRESENCE is the equivalent of a science student who thinks the earth is flat. The most critical building block for Catholic faith is missing, and a house without a strong foundation cannot stand.

The next step in dismantling the faith would be to believe that the gospels are “symbolic reminders” too. Every miracle is symbolic; every story involving Jesus is an invention of the evangelists. Let’s test that theory with today’s gospel, the first of our four-week interruption of Mark’s gospel with the Eucharistic stories in John 6.

Did the multiplication of the loaves and fish really happen, or is it symbolic? All four gospels assure us that it REALLY HAPPENED, and, as usual, John’s gospel gives us some new information. For example, why does Jesus ask Philip where to go to buy food for the massive group of followers? Because Philip is from Bethsaida (the likely locale for this miracle), and the word Bethsaida means “fishing village.” Philip was precisely the person to ask.

Why barley loaves? Because the feast of Passover, which only John tells us was “at hand,” coincides with the barley harvest. And why did Jesus choose this particular day in the Jewish calendar to feed the multitudes? Because it echoes the story of God feeding the hungry, wandering Israelites in the Exodus from Egypt, which is, of course, the Passover story. (Ex. 16).

So beautiful. So REALLY TRUE.

How does learning the background of the gospel stories stir and build your faith?

Kathy McGovern ©2024

Ordinary Time - Cycle B