First Reading Commentary
In this Reading salvation is offered under the
figures of food and drink. It is offered
without cost to those who have a hunger and thirst for it. This gift can only be given by the Most High.
Salvation comes from no other
source.
If God’s offer is accepted, a new covenant is
promised, a covenant that will be everlasting, a covenant which assures the
benefits of David. Of course, we now
know that God fulfilled this promise by clothing Himself in flesh and coming to
us through the lineage of David in which His Sacrifice endows us with the
opportunity for eternal bliss. As we
await this free and remarkable gift during our current sojourn, our thirst and
hunger is nourished by our Lord’s own Body and Blood.
Second Reading Commentary
How much comfort can one Reading bring! It is soothing and relieving to trust that
even beings as powerful as the angels (good or fallen) and something as
unavoidable as death cannot separate us from Christ’s love. Saint Paul could as easily had written that
nothing can destroy our Lord’s love for us but his choice to use these powerful
examples should move us to reflect more on Christ’s love for us and hence
deepen our love for Him.
Gospel Commentary
There’s nothing to suggest that after hearing
about Saint John the Baptist’s death Jesus went into hiding for fear of His own
life. In fact, Saint John Chrysostom
covers this by suggesting that Saint Matthew would have plainly written that
Jesus “fled” to a deserted place, instead of “withdrew”. Plus this is Jesus - God Almighty we’re
talking about and if He withdrew out of fear through the emotion of His Human
Nature, it seems highly unlikely that, as God, anyone would have been able to
find Him. Considering how the rest of
this story turns out, it’s clear that Jesus had every intention of being found
by the crowds. The apostles quite
obviously didn’t detect Divine Providence at work during this moment as they
wanted to dismiss the crowds.
By having everyone sit on the grass Jesus
clearly wants to give the impression of a formal meal and says the blessing
much like a father or head of a household would have done in those days. The breaking of the loaves is significant as
Jesus would also do this later at the Last Supper. Receiving through the hands of the apostles
is also significant because without a priest there is no Living Bread or Body
of Christ to receive. While this story
is symbolic of the Eucharist, it would seem that Saint Matthew’s larger intent
was to point us to the more historical event of Holy Thursday.
This Gospel informs us that Christ’s Heart was
moved with pity for the crowds. As we’re
in line to receive the Eucharist, it’s not a bad idea to hold onto that image
of our Lord being moved with pity for us.
When we come to Mass we bring with us our stressful lives, waiting in
line and moving forward to receive Him Who nourishes the soul.
Most worthy of further prayerful reflection on
this Gospel account comes from the ancient text. From there, by the language used, it is clear
that when our Lord’s “Heart was moved with pity,” Jesus is experiencing
emotions very similar to that of when His friend Lazarus died. This is beautiful when we move ahead
two-thousand years and understand that we are those people which moves our
Lord’s Heart to pity. We need to be fed,
and Jesus fulfills that need at each and every Mass. We are being fed with the Bread that is supersubstantial.
Interesting that the word “mercy” does not
appear in our liturgical text, though one cannot dispute that what Jesus does
in this Gospel account is an act of mercy.
The Latin word “misericordia”
translates into English as “mercy” - but misericordia
is a compound word: “miseri” means
“misery” or “distressing” - and “cordia”
means “heart”. Thus Jesus has a
distressed Heart – and, of course, a loving Heart. Love is quite familiar with suffering; thus
divine love has an enigmatic relationship with unimaginable suffering. It is that unfathomable, perfect love of
Jesus which embraces His Mystical Body with all its burdens and crosses. All the baggage of this life that weighs heavy
on our spirit, mind and body, Jesus is right there with us.
More fascinating, though, and really quite
mysterious is the Greek word used to describe our Lord’s pity. It translates more accurately as compassion. Compassio
is the Latin word for it but again that is also a compound word – “com” and “passio” which means “jointly suffering”. This Greek word, however, is only used in the
New Testament, and only when Jesus is the subject. What the Gospel writers are trying to
describe in their human, limited conveyance is the relationship of everlasting
newness between God and His human creatures; and that Jesus is the reason there
is no longer any distance in that relationship.
The sufferings that we endure - mysteriously have also become our Lord’s
sufferings. Thus it is not enough to say
that Jesus has pity or compassion for us, but that is as far as a human
language will allow us to journey.
What’s going on here is far beyond those limits.
We all know what it is to love, and the pains we
feel when the person(s) of our love struggles.
Now multiply that love times infinity and if you are able to solve that
equation, you will be the first human being to ever fully grasp how much God
loves us.
