Our current lectionary cycle is B, in which Mark’s Gospel is frequently read on Sunday. But Mark’s is a short Gospel. So for five weeks in year B, we switch to the Gospel of John, Chapter 6, to hear the “bread of life” passages with their Eucharistic themes. Today in our Hebrew Scripture, we hear how Elisha, a prophet, distributed barley loaves and ears of corn to the 100 people gathered before him, “and when they had eaten, there was some left over.” That “miracle” is paired with the Gospel where Jesus distributes fish and barley loaves to his crowd of 5,000. Our understanding of “miracles” is problematic. Some centuries ago, miracles became defined as suspensions of laws of nature. But when modern scientific ideas began to be accepted in the 19th century, that understanding of miracles was rejected by philosophers and others as contrary to science. The result was that religious people, if they wanted to take science seriously but also believe, had to just “take it [miracles] on faith.” People in biblical times did not have this conflict. They saw miracles more simply perhaps. Rather than as exceptions to natural laws, they saw miracles as manifestations of God just acting like God does. For God acts compassionately to the hungry, acts to rescue those in danger, acts to correct those who need that, and so on. And God uses ordinary things when God acts: fire, clouds, floods, oil, food, storms, people. In the Elisha story, a wealthy man brought him a food gift he gives to the crowd; in the Gospel, the people eat a boy’s lunch that Jesus tells the apostles to distribute. In other words, the miraculous in Scripture is not some suspension of a scientific law but God being seen at work in the ordinary, everyday matters of life. For biblical people, “miracles” deepened their faith and led them to praise (or glorify) God. We also should live in wonder of “miracles.” For there are little or large “miracles” or actions flowing from God’s presence and grace that happen in every day of our lives. These are the miracles that matter, that keep us faith-filled and hope-filled and joy-filled. Have a miraculous day!
— Blog entry by Sister Mary Garascia
