On the Back Porch
Reading, pondering and studying God’s Word is sometimes best done “on the back porch.” Each week we will try to offer something for you and your “back porch time.”
17th Sunday, Year B
What We Celebrate
This week and for the following three weeks the gospels are taken from “The Bread of Life Discourse” of John 6. The people are responding to the news of a prophet, a miracle worker, a great teachers, and possibly the Messiah. They have gathered in great numbers and day was getting late. What are they to do. Philip tells Jesus: “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” Indeed, for with God all things are possible. And this is just the start of the Bread of Life Discourse.
There is a lot going on in this gospel. Take a moment “on the back porch” and find out more about this amazing Gospel.
Full Text of the Sunday Readings
Detailed Commentary
James J. Tissot, ‘Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes’ (1886-94), Brooklyn Museum, NYC | PD-US
Jesus Feeds the 5000
Bishop Barron: “Friends, we come now to the marvelous Feast of Corpus Christi, of the Body and Blood of Christ. What has been on my mind a lot recently is the famous story of the feeding of the five thousand—the only miracle, with the exception of the Resurrection, recounted in all four Gospels. Jesus multiplying the loaves and fishes to the feeding of this great crowd must have made a massive impression on the first Christians. With this feast in mind, let’s look at the earliest version of this story in the Gospel of Mark, because every part of it is worthy of meditation.“