The Multiplication of the Loaves
Give us this day our daily bread.
The Lord’s Prayer
Opening Prayer
Leader:
Let us begin in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Reader:
From the 1st letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians:
When I came to you, brethren, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in much fear and trembling; and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
The word of the Lord.
All:
Thanks be to God.
Leader:
God of life, the beauty and uniqueness of creation reveals your enduring love for us. Give us eyes to recognize your presence and grace in all.
All join in Response:
Blessed be God forever.
Leader:
God of peace, you passionately desire harmony among humanity. Fill us with your compassion, that we may be instruments of peace in this world. R.
God of wonder, the mystery of your creation is beyond our understanding. Give us the wisdom to accept humbly the many gifts you have created for us. R.
God of all ages, you have promised to be with us always. In the despairing moments of this world, remind us of that promise and the hope that it stirs up in us. R.
Holy Trinity, Eternal Source of all Being, Word of Life and Holy Spirit, please continue to call us into relationship with you. May we never cease to wonder at the marvel of this calling, as we praise your glory forever. R.
Leader:
Loving God,
All:
We are yours for time and eternity. As we come together, teach us to cast ourselves entirely into the arms of your loving presence. Amen.
Introduction
Ask someone to read the following account of the multiplication of the loaves:
Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Matthew 14:13-21
The miracle of the multiplication of the loaves is one that seems to capture our imagination. It is so popular that we even joke that ‘we have performed the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves’ when we have made resources stretch beyond what we think is possible.
The problem with such familiarity is that we stop paying attention to the details of the story. We dismiss it with a, “I know all about that.” There is a danger of taking the story for granted.
All four evangelists tell of the feeding of the five thousand (not counting women and children!). Mathew and Mark have two accounts of the feeding of a multitude. Obviously this story is important and deserves another look.
Feeding of the five thousand:
Mark 6:30-44
Matthew 14:13-21
Luke 9:10-17
John 6:1-14
Feeding of the four thousand:
Mark 8:1-10
Matthew 15:32-39
Questions
Jesus used miracles to help make God’s kingdom real.
Do you believe in miracles? Have you ever witnessed anything you think was a miracle?
What is your favourite miracle from the Gospels? Why?
Ask the group to break down the elements of the story:
They were in a deserted place
Jesus was moved by compassion for the crowd and taught and healed them
Recognized that they were hungry
Pooled all the food they had
Jesus looked up to heaven and blessed and broke the bread and fish
All were filled
They collected twelve baskets of leftovers
If Jesus used miracles to help reveal God’s kingdom and make it real, what does this story tell us about God and the kingdom?
What does this reveal about what God wishes for us?
How does God feed us?
What do we need to do to be fed?
In the discussion point out God’s abundance. God doesn’t just meet our needs but goes over the top. God does not want us to be without and wants us to have life to the fullest. Jesus not only wants us to be whole, but also gives us himself in the Eucharist. It is interesting that they had withdrawn to a deserted place and were away from the villages. Do we not also withdraw to be with Jesus when we go to church to partake of the Eucharist?
I myself am the living bread come down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread he shall live forever; the bread I will give is my flesh for the life of the world…. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and … abides in me, and I in him.
John 6:51, 54, 56
CCC1335 The miracles of the multiplication of the loaves, when the Lord says the blessing, breaks and distributes the loaves through his disciples to feed the multitude, prefigure the superabundance of this unique bread of his Eucharist.
Jesus always seemed to be sharing a meal with people and one of the prevailing images of the kingdom of God is that of the banquet table. The setting of this miracle can be described as a really big table!
What do meals mean to you, to your family and friends?
What is the significance of coming together at the Eucharistic table with your parish community?
Understanding
This exercise is adapted from one found in the Liturgy and the Sacraments volume of Total Catechesis, The Total Faith™ Initiative published by St. Mary’s Press.
Ask someone to read Matthew 14:13-21 again. Choose one of the other accounts in Mark or Luke if you like.
Arrange the group so that they form 12 or 6 or 4 or 3 or 2 smaller groups. Provide the following instructions:
Imagine that your group is attending the gathering we just heard about in the reading. Your group has been given one (or more) of the baskets of the leftover pieces of bread, to do as you wish.
Your task is to decide what to do with the basket(s) of leftover bread.
You will need to give reasons for your decision.
Once the participants have finished their task, invite each group to share its decision and the reasons behind it. Consider the following questions to promote further discussion:
What options did you consider?
What might Jesus say about the options you discussed?
What were the three most important factors for making this decision?
Wrap up this exercise by noting that one of the effects of the Eucharist is that it strengthens our commitment to poor people. As Jesus feeds us with his body and blood, we feel more strongly called to feed the needs of others, especially those who are poor.
Reflection
Prayer through Art
(You will need to provide the group with paper, pens, markers, possibly paint, etc. for this prayer.)
Like music and dance, visual art has been used as a form of prayer and reflection since the beginning of time. God is an artist and passed on the ability to create to all of us.
With the materials provided, express what is on your heart when you think of God’s superabundance. You may choose to draw rolling hills, jagged lines or simply blocks of colour – there are no limits in this prayerful reflection.
Open your heart and allow however the Spirit moves you to come out on paper. Try this activity whenever you are stressed or in need of visual stimulation.
Closing Prayer
Since this unit points to the gift of the Eucharist, it would be ideal if you ended with mass or adoration. If this is not possible:
O most loving Jesus, to what an excess your love has gone!
Of your own flesh and most precious blood you have prepared for me a divine banquet,
In which you give me your whole self.
What could have moved you to this transport of love?
Nothing else, surely, than your most loving heart.
O adorable heart of my Jesus, furnace of divine love,
Receive into your sacred wound my soul,
That I may learn in that school of charity how to love my God,
Who has given me such wonderful proofs of his love.
Amen.
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