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L
linuxology
Guest
My wife and I attended the St. Louis Cathedral, in New Orleans, LA, on Sunday, August 3rd, 2014. The priest giving the homily downplayed the feeding of the 5,000 as mererly a human sharing event and not a true miracle. The priest stated that that the people shared the food they had hidden in their tunic that was initiated from the giving of the 5 loaves and 2 fish. This is contrary to the Scripture and feel that this is quite dangerous to downplay this miracle. He stated, the giving and sharing of the people were the way the 5,000 were fed. Think about the number of non-catholics, people not firm in their faith, and the tourists coming to see what the Church is about and this watered down message is given. My wife asked me during the mass, about the homily. This is a sugar coated story that appeals to many that are of this world and do not believe in miracles. Thoughts?
G
Gorgias
Guest
I was taught that this notion – that the miracle of the loaves and fishes was really only a miracle in that Jesus convinced Jews to share what they had with others – originated with (19th century?) German (non-Catholic) Christian theologians. It’s not what the Scriptures contend. And, it has to make one wonder… it sure seems anti-Semitic to suggest that it would be a ‘miracle’ to make Jews share their possessions with others… 
I’m guessing that the preacher is 60 or older? That particular take on the miracle is one that Scriptural scholarship has rejected and moved beyond, decades ago.
I’m guessing that the preacher is 60 or older? That particular take on the miracle is one that Scriptural scholarship has rejected and moved beyond, decades ago.
S
SuscipeMeDomine
Guest
Considering human nature, maybe converting hearts is an even bigger miracle than multiplying loaves.
J
JohnR77
Guest
I never thought of that. Good point.… it sure seems anti-Semitic to suggest that it would be a ‘miracle’ to make Jews share their possessions with others…
J
Jeanne_S
Guest
The homily I heard focused on the miracle of the loaves as a foreshadowing of the Eucharist.
The bread of life available to all.Also the priest moved into the Blessed Sacrament present in every tabernacle/chapel in every Catholic Church.
While I was listening to the Gospel,prior to the homily,my thoughts were,God provides for all,to trust in His ability to provide us with everything we need.
The bread of life available to all.Also the priest moved into the Blessed Sacrament present in every tabernacle/chapel in every Catholic Church.
While I was listening to the Gospel,prior to the homily,my thoughts were,God provides for all,to trust in His ability to provide us with everything we need.
I
Iron_Donkey
Guest
And everyone brought enough extra to eat all they wanted and fill however many extra baskets? This would imply that, on average, everyone brought more than they could eat. Given that the apostles were concerned that a lot of people would go hungry, this means that this average was pretty well concentrated - some had a lot of food, most had none. Which seems to imply that lots of people went to hear Jesus speak that day with baskets upon baskets of food concealed upon their persons that they did not intend to sell or share (otherwise there would be no reason to suggest sending the multitude away, and the “miracle” of sharing/selling wouldn’t even be worth mentioning if it was pre-planned by the people who shared), and that somehow no one noticed these baskets stuffed up their shirts.
Thus the feeding of the multitude becomes not so much even the miracle of sharing and caring that it is presented as, but the miracle of a couple of people irrationally shoving insanely huge amounts of bread and fish in their shirts for no reason. I can just imagine a crowd of people listening to Jesus, then one of them shifts a little bit and 8 fish fall out of his shirt sleeve. He looks around furtively, and shoves them back in when no one is looking. And he doesn’t know why he has that many, nor why he is hiding it.
As you might suspect, I am not on board with this interpretation.
Thus the feeding of the multitude becomes not so much even the miracle of sharing and caring that it is presented as, but the miracle of a couple of people irrationally shoving insanely huge amounts of bread and fish in their shirts for no reason. I can just imagine a crowd of people listening to Jesus, then one of them shifts a little bit and 8 fish fall out of his shirt sleeve. He looks around furtively, and shoves them back in when no one is looking. And he doesn’t know why he has that many, nor why he is hiding it.
As you might suspect, I am not on board with this interpretation.
T
TARRAT
Guest
Had a pastor say the same thing and worse. He said Jesus sinned when he was small. I don’t attend that parish anymore. I suggest you do the same.
B
buffalo
Guest
Gee, I though that nonsense has been long gone.
There were two miraculous feedings.
There were two miraculous feedings.
P
Petaro
Guest
This was one of the caring and sharing rubbish of the sixties. If we can water down the miracles of Jesus we open ourselves to cherry-picking the truth of the New Testament. Wrong road. This lack of faith should be avoided as I would avoid the priest.
C
coachkfan1
Guest
What the…? Maybe I’ve just been blessed with good priests, but this is very difficult for me to believe or accept. I DO believe what you said, but dang, that is a shocker that an ordained Catholic priest would preach such a heresy.Had a pastor say the same thing and worse. He said Jesus sinned when he was small. I don’t attend that parish anymore. I suggest you do the same.
R
Reclaim
Guest
You have been blessed. I have a LOT of respect for priests (my brother is one). However, although things are much better than they used to be, I would bet that a lot of us on here could tell horror stories.
T
TimothyH
Guest
The feeding of the multitudes is based on an event recorded in the Jewish commentary on the Hebrew Scriptures known as the Babylonian Talmud. This event was widely known in Jewish/Hebrew culture at the time of Jesus.
Some priests were assigned to change the “showbread” or “bread of the presence” as was the custom. Twelve new loaves were placed on the golden table in the Holy Place in the temple and the priests began to consume the old loaves as was done weekly.
Everyone who ate a morsel of the bread was instantly satisfied, so much so that there was much bread left over which could not be consumed. It was considered miraculous and a sign which pointed to the return of the manna which would accompany the Messiah.
When Jesus fed the multitude, satisfying all with mere morsels and plenty left over, the Jews present would have immediately known what was going on. Jesus was clearly the messiah and the return of the manna was imminent. The real manna is the Eucharist, of course.
All of this is documented in Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist by Dr. Brant Pitre.
-Tim-
Some priests were assigned to change the “showbread” or “bread of the presence” as was the custom. Twelve new loaves were placed on the golden table in the Holy Place in the temple and the priests began to consume the old loaves as was done weekly.
Everyone who ate a morsel of the bread was instantly satisfied, so much so that there was much bread left over which could not be consumed. It was considered miraculous and a sign which pointed to the return of the manna which would accompany the Messiah.
When Jesus fed the multitude, satisfying all with mere morsels and plenty left over, the Jews present would have immediately known what was going on. Jesus was clearly the messiah and the return of the manna was imminent. The real manna is the Eucharist, of course.
All of this is documented in Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist by Dr. Brant Pitre.
-Tim-
F
Faith1960
Guest
I thought you were going to say you are from St. Louis, Mo. I,went to another church, not my own and he did the same thing!
F
Faith1960
Guest
Do you mean that there was,a real event where the Jews were full from the small amount of bread they had, and Jesus fed his followers the same way which they recognized
Jesus as the Messiah?
C
Cricket2
Guest
I have heard this used also. I do think it is more secular in approach, and that it does down play the miracle. I wish I could remember which Bishop I heard address this issue, but he did basically state that this mentioned approach is not an accurate notion concerning this miraculous event.
F
Faith1960
Guest
The priest I was talking about is probably around 60.I was taught that this notion – that the miracle of the loaves and fishes was really only a miracle in that Jesus convinced Jews to share what they had with others – originated with (19th century?) German (non-Catholic) Christian theologians. It’s not what the Scriptures contend. And, it has to make one wonder… it sure seems anti-Semitic to suggest that it would be a ‘miracle’ to make Jews share their possessions with others…
I’m guessing that the preacher is 60 or older? That particular take on the miracle is one that Scriptural scholarship has rejected and moved beyond, decades .
T
TimothyH
Guest
F
Faith1960
Guest
Sounds like a good book. I might order it.
T
TimothyH
Guest
Please let’s stop putting down old priests. Let it just end here please.
-Tim-
-Tim-
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