Friday of the Second Week of Easter

“Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, "Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?" He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, "Two hundred days' wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little." One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?" Jesus said, "Have the people recline." Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, "Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted." So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, "This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world." Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.” -John 6:1-15

In this passage, Jesus foreshadows the Holy Mass and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Just as the boy offered his gifts, we bring ours to the altar. We gather around as the priest, in persona Christi, gives thanks, repeats Christ’s words, and then distributes God's superabundance to the many. What is left over is collected up to live within the tabernacle.

My friends, the Eucharist is indeed the true presence of our Lord, Jesus, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. He is True nourishment and feeds our body and soul. He waits patiently within the tabernacle for you to come to Him, ready to feed you at any hour of any day.

This Scripture passage begins with a small child who offered seven gifts so that the many could be fed. It makes me think of another Scripture story in which a small Child came to offer all He had for the salvation of the world. And after He ascended, He gave us seven gifts of the Holy Spirit to sustain us.
He is risen! He is risen indeed. Hallelujah!

Saint Teresa of the Andes, pray for us.

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Jesus, I trust in you!