Daily Gospel Reflection
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January 7, 2025
When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.
By now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already very late.
Dismiss them so that they can go
to the surrounding farms and villages
and buy themselves something to eat.”
He said to them in reply,
“Give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Are we to buy two hundred days’ wages worth of food
and give it to them to eat?”
He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”
And when they had found out they said,
“Five loaves and two fish.”
So he gave orders to have them sit down in groups on the green grass.
The people took their places in rows by hundreds and by fifties.
Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples
to set before the people;
he also divided the two fish among them all.
They all ate and were satisfied.
And they picked up twelve wicker baskets full of fragments
and what was left of the fish.
Those who ate of the loaves were five thousand men.
The famous children’s author Hans Christian Andersen said, “The whole world is a series of miracles, but we’re so used to them we call them ordinary things.” Today, I realized that while I always knew the fish symbol was associated with Christianity, I didn’t know why. You may already know this, but as it turns out, for the early Christians, their word for fish is an acronym for the phrase “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.”
Early Christians could not practice their faith in the open, so they would mark places with the fish symbol so Christians would know it was safe. According to Google, “Christians would scratch the symbol into the ground or paint it on the outside of their homes to let other Christians know they were welcome.”
The catacombs thought to be the resting places of Saints Peter and Paul in Rome are full of fish symbols carved into the walls. It is believed that the early Christians often hid there from persecution to share their faith—a miracle.
Today, we hear that Jesus took five loaves of bread and two fishes and fed five thousand men. Scientifically, that is impossible. Some may chalk it up to a parable or something equivalent to Aesop’s Fables. Yet, that is not what our faith asks of us. Our faith asks us to believe the miraculous.
At each Mass, we are asked not just to imagine the symbolism of the host but to believe that the very nature of that host has changed. When we do what God asks of us in faith, it sets the stage for the miraculous. When we give Jesus the little “fishes and bread” we have, may we trust that he will multiply in ways that engender a sense of awe and gratitude.
Prayer
Lord, you fed the hungry crowd with ample servings of bread and fish. But you gave them other nourishment as well—the beautiful words you spoke and the miracles you worked. We stand in need of such nourishment—food for the body and food for the soul. Be with us in our needs today. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Raymond of Penafort is patron saint of lawyers. He led and expanded the Dominican order just after the death of its founder, but made his mark on the world through his relentless teaching and preaching.
Raymond was born 1175 in Spain of royal lineage, and was a brilliant student—he began teaching philosophy at 20 years of age. He taught pro bono, and earned a good reputation as a teacher. At age 30 he went on to earn his doctorate in civil and canon law. He was ordained a deacon and assisted the bishop of Barcelona, and was a great model to clergy with his zeal, prayerfulness, and concern for the poor.
He was nearly 50 years old when he gave up a position of great status to join the Dominican order in Barcelona—St. Dominic himself had just died eight months prior. Most of the other novices were much younger than he, but Raymond led them in obedience and humility.
The Dominicans used his learning well—he was tasked with writing a guide to help moral theologians and priests hearing confessions, the first of its kind. Raymond’s real passion was caring for people’s souls, however. He preached, taught, and heard confessions constantly, and showed people how to conquer sin in themselves. In a time of political turmoil, he effected a grassroots change in Spain with his pastoral care and catechesis.
In 1230, the pope called Raymond to Rome to help with various administrative duties. He also asked Raymond to serve as his confessor. One of Raymond’s tasks was to gather all of the scattered writings and decrees of the Church. His compilation was so well organized that it was frequently cited, even until 1917, when canon law was revised.
The pope named Raymond archbishop of a capital in Spain, but he was consumed with anxiety and fell ill, and so was excused. Raymond traveled back home to recover his health. As he got stronger, he resumed preaching and hearing confessions.
In 1238, he was elected superior of the Dominican order, and went about organizing and codifying the regulations of the community, which served the Dominicans for generations after. Under his direction, Dominican life honed its focus on solitude, studies, and pastoral ministry. In all of this, he remained humble and prayerful—he would even make his rounds visiting Dominican communities throughout Spain traveling by foot.
After two years, he resigned from this post and began to engage and counter Islamic forces in Spain. He encouraged St. Thomas Aquinas to produce arguments for the faith for unbelievers, and encouraged the study of Arabic and Hebrew in Dominican schools.
When he fell ill in his 100th year, two kings visited him to receive a final blessing, and several royal families attended the funeral. His tomb became known for miracles, and his relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
The engraving of books and a gavel and cross above stand as symbols of St. Raymond of Penafort on the exterior of the Eck Hall of Law. He is patron saint of lawyers and those who work with medical records.
St. Raymond of Penafort, you changed the world with your learning and the Church with your holiness, pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Raymond of Penafort is in the public domain. Last accessed November 14, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.
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