August 4
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Mt. 14/13-21

Background

There are two versions of this story in Matthew’s Gospel, a phenomenon which scripture scholars call "doubling." The author of the gospel doubtless had a number of different sources in front of him as he worked, most notably St. Mark’s Gospel and a collection of the "sayings" of Jesus (like "Many are called, but few are chosen"). He also had available other traditions. Rather than leave something out, he chose to include two slightly different versions of the same stories. We must remember that these written sources with which the author worked had been preceded by oral traditions, though it now seems likely that the traditions were reduced to writing early in the development of Christianity. The story of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes is eucharistic in its intent. Some clergy agonize over whether the miracle was an actual physical multiplication or merely a result of everyone bringing forth their small supplies of food. But this misses the point of the story – that God feeds us with both ordinary food and with the eucharist which unites us with Herself in a banquet of love.

Story

Once a mother took a course in cooking pastries. She learned how to make the most delightful sweet rolls and cakes and pies and torts and fancy French goodies which would make your mouths water when you saw them. One Sunday she made raisin danish from breakfast, linzer tortes for lunch and a wonderful white chocolate mouse for supper. But her husband and kids were boors when it came to food. All they wanted was chocolate coated Dunkin Donuts. So the mother, who loved her husband and children, bought chocolate coated Dunkin Donuts the next Sunday. She also made her wonderful pastries and brought them over to the rectory for the priests!

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