The Jewish feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised His eyes and 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. Philip answered Him, "Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little [bit]." One of His disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to Him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?" Jesus said, "Have the people recline." Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, He said to His disciples, "Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted." So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. When the people saw the sign He had done, they said, "This is truly the Prophet, the One who is to come into the world." Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry Him off to make Him king, He withdrew again to the mountain alone.

From Jesus’ nocturnal conversation with Nicodemus, we shift to the story of Jesus multiplying bread – and Jesus eventually referring to Himself as the real Bread of life. Through these Gospel readings, we are made to realize how the sacrament of the Eucharist is our connection to the presence of the risen Jesus. If Jesus were alive, He should be present and available for us here and now.

The Eucharist leads us to transcendence. Philip surveys the crowd and concludes with the impossibility of feeding them even with just a little. Andrew sees the same thing: What good are five loaves and two fish for so many? Jesus defies this materialistic way of analyzing reality.

The Eucharist teaches us to see grace in the ordinary. The miracle starts with details that are ordinary: A boy, barley bread which is the bread of the poor, and fish. Grace starts out from these. Jesus works extraordinary things out of an ordinary life’s happening: A boy has joined the crowd with a little provision, probably prepared by his mother.

The Eucharist challenges us to fellowship. The boy is generous enough to share his provision. Jesus multiplies and passes on the bread and fish. The disciples certainly help. Afterwards they collect the fragments.

SOURCE: "365 Days with the Lord," ST PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: publishing@stpauls.ph; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.