The Last Supper is often portrayed as the first Mass but one could argue that the scenario in today’s gospel, said to have taken place a year beforehand, is a sneak preview. When Jesus saw the vast crowd coming toward him, he knew they needed to be fed. Fortunately for them, Andrew found a boy who was willing to sacrifice his five barley loaves and two fish. After the people had reclined, Jesus offered thanks and then distributed the bread and the fish to them. We are told they had their fill and yet there was enough left over to fill twelve baskets. However you may want to interpret the event, this was quite a miracle story.
What we celebrate each time we celebrate the Mass is also a miracle. The very core of our faith is that our gifts of bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. That would not be possible had Jesus not totally given of himself on the cross like the lad who gave all that he had. What we see is bread and what we taste is wine but in fact what we receive is neither bread nor wine. What we have is the real presence of Jesus, which is why you could say the Mass is a modern day miracle that we are privileged to witness every day of the year except on Good Friday.
There is no way I can adequately explain the mystery of what happens here at the altar any more than I could explain how Jesus managed to feed five thousand men with only five barley loaves and two fish. The gospel tells us they ate until they had their fill. Did a physical miracle happen that enabled these loaves to literally multiply? Or did the generosity of that lad prompt the others to share what they had? We don’t know but we do know those present were fed. That is Jesus’ goal whenever we come together to celebrate the Mass, but when statistics tell me that the second largest religion in our country is the fallen away Catholic, I have to wonder how many left saying, “I am not being fed!”
If Jesus is to feed us, we must first be willing to listen to what he has to say just as the crowd did. That is why the first part of our worship focuses on scripture with at least three biblical passages, one from the Gospel and two others, usually a psalm and one from the Hebrew Testament. The lectionary is the Bible arranged not from Genesis to Revelation but from the First Sunday of Advent to the last day of Ordinary Time. Over the course of three years, nearly the entire Bible is proclaimed here at Mass. That is why this part of the Mass is called the Liturgy of the Word.
The liturgy of the Eucharist begins with the offering of our gifts to God, symbolized by bread and wine. That includes not just what we place in the collection basket, but also the gift of ourselves. We are here physically but what is our disposition? Are we excited about this opportunity to be one with Jesus in the breaking of the bread? Are we here simply to witness a ritual or to worship God? Is our attitude one of joy much like the joy we have when we see a close friend? Or are we here to simply nibble a host and get on with our daily routine? If Jesus is to feed us, we must follow the example of the crowd and believe that he can. Theirs wasn’t a wait and see skepticism. Rather, they believed that Jesus would feed them. They willingly reclined and they were fed.
To the skeptic, the words we hear at the consecration make little sense for they speak of a mystery that cannot be rationally explained, which is why a number of Christians see the eucharist only as a symbolic gesture rather than a true change of substance. Our Catechism points out, “this change is brought about in the eucharistic prayer through the efficacy of the word of Christ and by the action of the Holy Spirit. However, the outward characteristics of bread and wine remain unaltered.”
Many Christians, even Catholics who do not understand their faith, have denounced the real presence of Jesus in the eucharist as illogical, superstitious, unbiblical, and even disgusting. After all, why should Jesus’ words to eat his body and drink his blood, which we hear in the prayer of the consecration, be taken literally? If we look at the larger picture, we can see Jesus boldly speaking of himself as being in a unique relationship with God. As the son of God, what is there to keep him from offering us his body and blood in a new and mysterious manner? After all, this is no longer the same physical body that once walked the hills of Galilee. Instead, his resurrected body, now unlike any other in history, has ascended into heaven.
I urge you to read and reflect upon the 6th chapter of John’s gospel to better understand what lies at the core of our Catholic belief on the Eucharist. John provides an in-depth reflection of the meaning of this awesome sacrament, one so precious that even small fragments were gathered up.
If you feel as though you aren’t being fed at the Lord’s Table, are you possibly refusing to hear all that Jesus has to say through scripture and the Church? We must not listen selectively; otherwise his message will make little sense. If you are in some way disappointed with Jesus or with his Church, be honest with yourself about the cause of your dissatisfaction. Before saying, “I wasn’t fed,” consider the nature of your hunger and your willingness to let Jesus feed you. After all, unlike the Atkins diet, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, or the South Beach diet, Jesus is offering us something no fad diet can do; the bread of life that promises us everlasting life.