Evening Prayer 4th Sunday of Easter 5-15-11

Reading:

Luke 9:1-17

"Feeding the 5,000"

Jesus Christ has just sent out the 12 apostles with the power and authority to heal and to cast out demons, and to tell people that the kingdom of God is at hand.  They go out with this authority given to them by Jesus Christ and they do miraculous things.  The Scriptures state that they preached and healed everywhere.  So where ever they went, the power of God was working among them and reaching out to the people that they came in contact with.  This must have been a wonderful site and time for the Apostles.

They come back to Jesus and begin to tell Him all of the things that they have done.  Now the crowds start to press in on them and they get nervous because people are starting to get hungry.  So they go to Jesus and tell Him to send them all away.  He would not do such a thing.  These people were hungry for the Word of God, Jesus would not tell them to go away.  So He tells the Apostle's to feed the people. Immediately doubt and uncertainty fill the minds of the men who just were doing miracles as they say,"we only have two small fish and 5 loaves of bread."  They know that they can not feed them all with this, or so they think.

Jesus takes the bread, blesses it and breaks it.  When it is all over everyone has eaten and there is still more left over.  In this miracle the Church Fathers have seen an image of the Eucharist.  The Body and Blood Jesus.  For the last 2,000 years the Church has been celebrating the Eucharist.  The Pastors take bread, give thanks and break and distribute.  In doing so they are giving to the people the Body of Our Lord Jesus Christ.  His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity are given to us.  He can not be depleted.  This is the never ending Feast and there is always more to come.  Each time we gather at the Altar we hear the words "given and shed for you".  The Body of Christ is never diminished but is constantly present for us when He gives Himself to us so that we can have His life in us as we eat His flesh and drink His blood.

May we constantly trust in our Saviors Word that "This is my Body and This is My Blood".  May they be words that show us the never ending love our Savior has for us as we feast at His Table.