Christian Reflection and Prayer

"They all ate as much as they wanted, and when the
scraps remaining were collected they filled twelve
baskets" (Luke 9:17).

Through the ages, the baking and breaking of bread
has been one of the most important activities known
to humankind. Nobody knows when bread was first
eaten, but archaeologists have discovered that the
Lake Dwellers of Switzerland had learned to make
bread as early as 10,000 years ago. They ground
wheat, barley or millet, mixed the flour with water,
rolled the dough into thin sheets and baked them on
hot stones. The ancient Egyptians are believed to be
the originators of modern bread loaves dating back
to 1500 B.C. And the Romans had a well-developed
bread business by 100 B.C. with more than 250
bakeries in the capital. Today, bread is of course a
 key component of the world's dining table providing
a low-cost, abundant food source, though of limited
nutritional value.

Recently, the makers of Wonder Bread -- that iconic
staple of American kitchens for nearly 100 years --
sold the much beloved loaf to a competing brand.
The fluffy white slices of goodness, which promised
to "build strong bodies twelve ways," provided
generations the perfect platform upon which to build
towering tributes to it's namesake (the 18th century
Earl of Sandwich) -- but offered little in terms of real,
nutritional value.

In today's Gospel Lesson, Jesus has been preaching
and healing all day and the hour is late. The Apostles
say to Him to "send the people away, so they can go
to the villages and farms around about to find lodging
and food; for we are in a lonely place here." But
Jesus has a better idea, which He puts in the form of
a special order to the Apostles. He says, "Give them
something to eat yourselves." The Apostles point out
that they "have only five loaves and two fish" -- hardly
enough to satisfy the hunger of over five thousand
people. Nevertheless, they soon discover that, as
usual, Jesus has another miracle left. Looking up to
heaven, Jesus takes the five loaves and the two fish
and He breaks them and gives the pieces to the
Apostles to distribute to the people. And every one
of those thousands gets enough to eat. "All ate, and
were satisfied," the Gospel tells us. (Lk. 9:12-14,17)

In today's lesson, and throughout the The Gospels,
we learn time and again, that God loves us so much
that He nourishes us -- not twelve ways -- but in every
way. In terms of genuine spiritual nutrition, through
His Loving Presence, He nourishes us at the deepest
center of our being.

(from the staff and editors of Sunday Sermons Online)