Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes AGAIN

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NateLue

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I know the new innovation regarding the miracles that is in all four of the Gospels. I have read and even heard some priests that there was no miracles, no magic performed by Jesus but that actually he made them share what food they had hidden under their tunics, which I find ridiculous. I have seen many rebuttals to that “sharing” interpretation.

However, I have one question that still puzzles me. Only in John do we find something a little bit different in that there was this young boy who had some fish and loaves. Now, Jesus knew that the people had no food to eat and after they had been with him for three days, they of course had run out of food that they carried in their tunics.

My question is this, is what explanation is given as to why only this boy had some food? Has there been an explanation or even speculation as to who this boy was?

The boy brought forth his food an shared. Is this maybe where these people say that Jesus taught the people to share their food?

Any explanation will be greatly appreciated
Nate
 
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Maybe he was a late comer. Maybe the writers of John wanted to show how to be childlike.
 
NateLue said:
I have read and even heard some priests that there was no miracles, no magic performed by Jesus but that actually he made them share what food they had hidden under their tunics, which I find ridiculous. I have seen many rebuttals to that “sharing” interpretation.
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You have actually heard Catholic Priests say this? Can you link any of the readings here?
 
One of our priests has said it’s possible that some of the approved apparitions didn’t really happen but it doesn’t matter as they have increased people’s faith. There is one theory about Knock in Ireland being a projected image for example
 
I don’t very often do multiplication but when I do I use Times New Roman.
 
We should all give thanks that this story preserved the dual plural forms ‘fish’ and ‘fishes’ in English for us to choose between each time we discuss piscine affairs. We also have ‘loafs’ and ‘loaves’.
 
halogirl said:
One of our priests has said it’s possible that some of the approved apparitions didn’t really happen but it doesn’t matter as they have increased people’s faith. There is one theory about Knock in Ireland being a projected image for example
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Apparitions are different from Scripture. Please be aware of the difference, it’s important.

Scripture is part of the deposit of faith that Catholics are bound to believe. That means if you start questioning things that Jesus did in the Bible, you are seriously running a risk of conflicting with Catholic doctrine.
It is Catholic belief that Jesus worked miracles in the New Testament, including multiplying loaves and fishes. Explaining away Jesus’ miracles is heretical, or verging on heretical, and such interpretations of Jesus’ actions usually come from Protestants who are interpreting the Bible themselves.

With respect to apparitions, they are not part of the deposit of faith, which consists only of Scripture and sacred tradition.
Therefore, even when the Vatican approves an apparition like Knock, no Catholic is bound to believe in it. I personally think that if the Pope believes in an approved apparition and Joe Catholic in the pew (or, for that matter, your skeptical priest, for whom I will pray because he should not be telling his parishioners that apparitions approved by the Vatican might have been completely phony) does not, then the Pope is probably correct and Joe Catholic isn’t, but the Church does not require Joe Catholic to believe in it. Joe Catholic could believe that Knock was a projected image or a case of everybody having a mass hallucination or hysteria or whatever, he’s allowed to believe that.
 
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I’ve heard the one about the miracle about Jesus causing people to share the food they already has but again that was my Protestant days. Thank you for praying for my priest - he is a good one despite speaking his mind a bit too freely at times! Xx
 
GiftgofMercy
No link involved.
One of the priest (they are an order so we have several) about three months agowas giving the homily on a very different gospel which unfortunately I can’t remember which it was, and he brought it up. He said something like, and I’m paraphrasing “…it wasn’t like the multiplication of the loaves, which was not a miracle at all. Jesus didn’t do magic to feed the crowds. What it was is that Jesus showed the crowds how to share what food they had because they always carried food underneath their tunics.” then went on with his homily. I happened to see the DRE after Mass and I wanted to make sure I heard correctly and she said the same thing. She did not agree with the priest either.

I one time corrected another priest about what he said concerning God which I know was wrong because he contradicted the Baltimore Catechism, and he would not change so I wrote a letter to his superior and the Bishop and got a reply from both of them that he was going to be corrected. I learned from another priest who had debated that particular priest about his ideas about God and he told me that the priest had been talked to. Actually what the priest said that time about God was really heresy.

This thing about sharing, personally I think may border on heresy but then that’s just his interpretation.
 
po18guy,
If the Haydock Commentary, the Navarre Bible Commentary which I happen to have sections of, St, Augustine, St. Jerome, Pope Benedict, Pope Francis, and, the Catholic Bibles that I have, all call it a miracle then it is a miracle.

Does this priest, and others I have heard of, know something that the Early Church Fathers, and recent popes are ignorant of, I sure would like to have him correct the CC and tell the Church, “You silly ignorant men. It was a teaching on sharing”. I would like for him and point where in scripture there is even a hint of “sharing”.

Thanks for that link. I have bookmarked it.
 
halogirl said:
I’ve heard the one about the miracle about Jesus causing people to share the food they already has but again that was my Protestant days.
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I’ve heard that as well, but I’ve also heard Fr. Mitch Pacwa’s rebuttal, saying that this would not have been a miracle, because it is a natural thing in the Middle Eastern culture to share what one has with others. Having lived for a time in Turkey, Syria, and Egypt, I agree.

D
 
Father Heilman has noted that this interpretation about how there wasn’t any multiplication and people just shared food they had is evidence of how some progressives in the Church want to deny the existence of the supernatural aspects of the faith, which would include things like denying that the Devil is real also. Unfortunately I can remember in the 1970s there were a lot of people, including priests and nuns, who thought that way. Guess the school of thought has not yet died out.
 
Part of the guilt of our age is that there has been pressure, both seen and unseen, not only to reinvent the mass, but also to reinvent Christ into a less supernatural, more “believable” hero. This, of course, makes a fool of Christ since, if true, He would only have had to announce to the crowds that it was time to share the food they had brought.

The 20th century, of all recent times, was an assault on Christ’s Divinity. This is but one aspect of that assault. Such priests are in need of prayer, as their faith was either never properly formed or has suffered the corrosion of the evil one.
 
IMO that sounds very unlikely. The Knock apparition was 1879 and outdoors. At that time, the opaque projector had just been invented and could only project large images indoors using an oxyhydrogen lamp.
 
I think the boy was a neighborhood friend of Andrew. Andrew invited him to come hear Jesus.
So the boy about 12, because he is still called a boy, ask his mom if he could go. His mom approved and said she would fix him a lunch. When his mom gave him his lunch she said She packed enough for Andrew also! So the boy joins the crowd and when he sees Andrew, he said that his mom back a lunch for both of them. The rest is recorded. Andrew was the apostle who brought people to Jesus. Peter, the boy and some Greeks! Praise God for the generous mom! What do you think the boy thought when Jesus ask for his lunch?
I have tears in my eyes think of this beautiful miracle!
 
po18guy said:
not only to reinvent the mass, but also to reinvent Christ into a less supernatural, more “believable” hero.
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Right. It’s weird to say he rose from the dead and he is God, but claim he somehow couldn’t or didn’t multiply food. I always figure someone who says Jesus didn’t multiply food will eventually claim he wasn’t really dead when he was put in the tomb.
 
There are hundreds of apparitions out there. The Vatican has approved a tiny number, about 10 or 12 including Knock. I think if you’re going to believe in apparitions at all, you can safely say the Vatican approved ones are real. The Vatican will not sign off on it unless they are both certain it’s real and there is no other reason to avoid approving it (like the character of the seer).
 
Jesus raised the dead and gave sight to the blind.

John 6:11

New International Version
Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

New Living Translation
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted.

English Standard Version
Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted.

12

New International Version
When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.”

New Living Translation
After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.”

English Standard Version
And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.”

13

New International Version
So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

New Living Translation
So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves.

English Standard Version
So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.

14

New International Version
After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

New Living Translation
When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!”

English Standard Version
When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”
 
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