Fourth Sunday of Lent—22 March A.D. 2020

* Please come to Mass on Saturday, March 28, to help drape the Statues for Passion Sunday

* If you are in doubt about closures due to the Coronavirus call the recording: 954-428-2428

This morning' s Gospel is taken from the beginning of Saint John's sixth chapter. This chapter contains the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, the miracle of Jesus walking on the water of the Sea of Galilee, and the promise of the Body and Blood of Jesus being given to us in the Blessed Sacrament. I strongly advise everyone to go home today and read this sixth chapter of John's Gospel in it's entirety. It should dispel any doubts anyone might have about the Real Presence of our Lord in the Blessed Eucharist. It makes it clear that our Lord fully intended to work this miracle of miracles, and said so to His detractors in the crowd. Not only do we have this promise in Saint John's Gospel, but the other three Gospels an Saint Paul's Epistle to the Corinthians tell us that He actually did give us His Body and Blood during the Last Supper.[1]

It seems to me that the multiplication of loaves was a purposeful demonstration of our Lord's ability to make good on His promise to give us His Body and Blood. One of the difficulties of accepting the Real Presence is the fact that Jesus is present in so many places—all the tabernacles in the world. Being in two places at once is a great miracle—being in many places at once is far greater! It is very similar to the miracle of the loaves—five barley loaves were made present to a very large number of people—maybe even thousands.

Technically, it seems that our Lord created new matter out of nothing—something of which only God is capable—so this miracle of the loaves gives strong evidence of our Lord's divinity—which, in turn, gives credibility to the promise of His Eucharistic Body and Blood. It is reasonable to assume that only God can keep such a promise—but it should be clear that He is, in fact, capable of doing so. He is the God Who created seemingly infinite space and time out of nothing, filled it with stars and planets, and populated some of those planets with living creatures, some of them having the ability to read these words and to formulate arguments for or against them. He is the God Who begot the Divinity of our Savior in eternity, and in created time endowed that Savior with created humanity: Body and Blood, formed by a human soul. Surely, a God capable of working such a mighty miracle is capable of working it in many places—capable of working it in the far simpler forms of bread and wine.

Again, I urge you to go home and read this sixth chapter of Saint John's Gospel at your own convenience. And always remember it whenever someone questions the Real Presence of Jesus Christ—His Body, Blood, Humanity, and His Divinity—in the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

EPISTLE (Gal. IV. 22-31.) Brethren, it is written that Abraham had two sons; the one by a bond-woman and the other by a free-woman. But he who was of the bond-woman was born according to the flesh; but he of the free-woman was by promise: which things are said by an allegory. For these are the two testaments. The one from Mount Sina, engendering unto bondage, which is Agar: for Sina is a mountain in Arabia, which hath affinity to that Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But that Jerusalem which is above is free, which is our mother. For it is written: Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not: break forth and cry, thou that travailest not; for many are the children of the desolate, more than of her that hath a husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born according to the flesh persecuted him that was after the spirit, so also it is now. But what saith the scripture? Cast out the bond-woman and her son: for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman. So, then, brethren, we are not the children of the bond-woman, but of the free: by the freedom wherewith Christ hath made us free.

GOSPEL (John VI. 1-15.) At that time, Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is that of Tiberias; and a great multitude followed him, because they saw the miracles which he did on them that were diseased. Jesus therefore went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. Now the pasch, the festival day of the Jews, was near at hand. When Jesus therefore had lifted up his eyes, and seen that a very great multitude cometh to him, he said to Philip: Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat? And this he said to try him; for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered: “Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one may take a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, saith to him: “There is a boy here that hath five barley loaves and two fishes: but what are these among so many?” 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. And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to them that were set down: in like manner also of the fishes, as much as they would. And when they were filled, he said to his disciples: “Gather up the fragments that remain, lest they be lost.” 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. 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.” 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.

NOTE:

[1] Matthew xxvi: 26 http://www.drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drl&bk=47&ch=26&l=26#x

Mark xiv: 22 http://www.drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drl&bk=48&ch=14&l=22#x

Luke 22: 19 http://www.drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drl&bk=49&ch=22&l=19#x

1 Corinthians 11:24 http://www.drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drl&bk=53&ch=11&l=24#x