Dear Parishioners

On this seventeenth Sunday in ordinary time year B, the gospel of John chapter 6 from verses 1-15, tells us about the feeding of more than 5,000 people in the multiplication of five barley loaves and two fish. When Jesus asked Philip, “where can we buy some bread for these people to eat? (John 6:5), John tells us that he asked Philip just to know his reaction because he himself knew exactly what he was going to do.

It was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother who spotted a boy in the crowd and quickly pointed him out to the Lord, “there is a small boy here with five barley loaves and two fish; but what is that between so many? (John 6:9). Nothing is too small for God to use to build our faith in him. When the boy was approached, he generously offered his gift to Jesus and in actual fact, it was through his willingness to give and share that Jesus performed this great miracle today for his people.

The feeding of the multitude is taken as further sign that Jesus is the messiah because in this miracle, he performs his messianic function by multiplying food and providing same for his people those who seek him, in the end, they were all satisfied and picked up twelve hampers of scraps let over (John 6:13). 

John’s gospel discusses extensively Jesus’ teaching on the Eucharist. He uses the miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fish to teach us about the Eucharist. According to John, this incident took place close to the celebration of the Jewish feast of Passover which foreshadows the celebration of the Eucharistic meal. For him each time we celebrate the Eucharist, we are anticipating the eternal banquet of heaven.

Today’s gospel invites us to become instruments in the hands of God by sharing our blessings with our brothers and sisters in need. It also presents us as agents of miracles showing that God can do marvelous deeds through his chosen ones for his people.

Fr Vincent Nnatuanya, CSSp