Disproportion in multiplication

Each of our three readings for this Feast of the Body and Blood of Jesus, also called Corpus Christi, features food, namely bread. Bread is for most of the world the basic staple for food and nourishment, and it is what Jesus took at the last Supper to create His Body.

As Catholics we see the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Jesus, as our most important sacrament and to receive its nourishment we go to Mass. The one other common element of all three readings is the gift of a blessing on the bread, and what that has done to the bread.

Melchizedek offered bread and wine, then blessed Abram with a prayer. St. Paul narrates the Last Supper, and the blessing Jesus gave to bread and wine, then offered it to the disciples as His Body. Jesus looked up to heaven in the Gospel, and offered a blessing over the 5 loaves and 2 fishes, and had the disciples distribute that which He multiplied to the multitude — and l2 baskets were left over!

If we dare to talk about a disproportion in a blessing and more than enough bread multiplied -Here It Is! Five thousand people, plus five loaves, two fish and twelve baskets left over after a blessing!

It is not the food, but the blessing given to the food in faith that truly matters. The deepest meaning of these readings is to realize what God can do with whatever we give Him — and He blesses it. If we but ask for the blessing, God can provide spiritual sustenance beyond our imagination of 5 loaves feeding thousands. It is not our gift to God, but our trust in God’s ability to both bless, accept and multiply that gift.

Two great teachings that we may not think about come from these readings. The first is to believe that God can take what ever we offer Him and multiply it beyond our imagination or hope.

We need to first offer it, just as the disciples had only the 5 loaves and 2 fish to offer. They first had to offer them! Second, someone had to distribute the multiplied gifts and believe that there would be enough for all. The disciples had to risk offering the blessed gift, and so do we as individuals and church today.

We may never overlook our responsibility to act on the corporal and spiritual works of mercy and never feel inadequate to do so. The disciples and we can overlook our role of distributing in fear that there is not enough or an inadequate amount and that would be a mistake. We are called, as the first disciples were called, to carry out Jesus’ ministry of what He blesses and offer it to others – even at the risk of fear, not enough or lack of faith. The Call of Faith that Jesus gives us is to believe there is enough. This should leave us personally satisfied and with an excess to share with others in Faith, Hope and Love.

A teenager asked the priest what did he mean when, at the Consecration of Mass, the priest holds up the Eucharist and says, “Do this in memory of me.”

“What does that mean Father?” The priest replied, “This means that this is the Body and Blood of Jesus and we are going and feeding the world with love and peace in memory of Jesus!”

The disproportionate multiplication of good will amaze you — but first you need to believe and offer yourself in faith, and then go and act!