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The multiplication of the breads
The bread that came down from heaven
Absolutely everyone is invited to the meal: the servants must fetch the people as far as the exit of the city roads, they must not miss anyone, and everyone is invited, the wicked and the good. This is the image of the kingdom of heaven: we are all a multitude of brothers and sisters, there is no human being who is not linked to the rest of humanity by a vital bond. It is the same spirit that gives life to all, and this same spirit brings us into communion with one another. It is in the spirit that share the joys and the pains of one another. There is a communion, a profound exchange, between human beings. We are like members of the same body. It’s just that this fraternal bond isn’t always experienced as such: there are divisions, jealousies, wars. Hatred wounds the bond, creating suffering between people; the victim of hatred suffers, but also the one who, by hating, deprives himself of the fraternal bond, deprives himself of the opportunity to live a friendship. Everyone is called, invited, to live this wonderful bond, everyone is invited to discover the joy of being together in unity and peace, in friendship and mutual love. But those who, despite the invitations and the many opportunities that life offers them to live this bond of love towards their neighbor, do not seize this opportunity, exclude themselves from this wedding feast to which they are invited, and deprive themselves of the joy that is within everyone’s reach.
Everyone is invited, but does everyone seize the opportunity? Accepting the invitation to take part in this meal together, this meal of communion, where we are all one, united by the bonds of love and friendship, united by fraternal ties, means being ready for this encounter. Accepting the invitation means opening one’s heart to the other, preparing oneself for the encounter by behaving well towards the other, by works of justice and not of hatred. This is what the wedding garment indicates: personal participation in the meal, preparing for the encounter by showing friendship and kindness. If, despite the invitation, we persevere in hostility, jealousy, rivalry, in any kind of attitude that separates us from the other, we deprive ourselves of this opportunity, and where there is no such joy, there is weeping and grinding of teeth, for there is no other true joy for man than communion with one another, rediscovered friendship, the bonds of love.
That’s why Jesus invites us first of all to be reconciled with one another; it’s the inevitable premise, the minimum condition for regaining communion, unity. Secondly, it is he who will provide the joy of the banquet: he will multiply the breads and the wine, set the table and serve. In other words, his own life, spirit and love enliven man’s heart and give him access to perfect communion, the perfect exchange of love with others, with God and with his neighbor.
So, in the various passages that tell us about the meal, there is talk of purification, sanctification, putting on the wedding garment. To ask forgiveness for one’s faults, for that which has brought division, separation from God and from others, that which has prevented us from experiencing the joy of the encounter, is the premise to enter in full communion with one another.
Here are the different ways to prepare oneself to take part in the meal: first, at the Last Supper, Jesus washes the apostles’ feet. He demands that they let him wash their feet. We must first allow ourselves to be purified by him, through the bath of baptism, through his forgiveness that reconciles us with our brothers and sisters, or simply by welcoming him into our lives, through the works of justice. This is where Christ clothes us in the resplendent garment of the wedding feast: this invites us to let ourselves be served by God, to let ourselves be sanctified by him. By accepting his forgiveness, acknowledging our weaknesses and faults before God and our brothers and sisters, so that we can all be reconciled with God and with each other. Then, filled with his grace, we can taste the joy of spreading his love in turn, through works of justice. Human beings will then be able to taste the full joy of the feast shared in fraternal joy, dressed in the wedding garment: “like a bride adorned for her husband”, as the book of Revelation 21:3 puts it.
Mattheu 22, 1-14
1 Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς πάλιν εἶπεν ἐν παραβολαῖς αὐτοῖς λέγων
1 And replying, Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying:
2 Ὡμοιώθη ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ βασιλεῖ, ὅστις ἐποίησεν γάμους τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ.
2 The kingdom of heaven was compared to a king, who made a wedding feast for his son.
3 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ καλέσαι τοὺς κεκλημένους εἰς τοὺς γάμους, καὶ οὐκ ἤθελον ἐλθεῖν.
3 And he sent his servants to call the invited ones to the wedding, and they didn’t want to come.
4 πάλιν ἀπέστειλεν ἄλλους δούλους λέγων Εἴπατε τοῖς κεκλημένοις Ἰδοὺ τὸ ἄριστόν μου ἡτοίμακα, οἱ ταῦροί μου καὶ τὰ σιτιστὰ τεθυμένα, καὶ πάντα ἕτοιμα· δεῦτε εἰς τοὺς γάμους.
4 Again he sent other servants, saying, “Tell the invited ones, ‘See, I have prepared my meal, my calves and fattened cattle have been slaughtered and everything is ready: come to the wedding feast.'”
5 οἱ δὲ ἀμελήσαντες ἀπῆλθον, ὃς μὲν εἰς τὸν ἴδιον ἀγρόν, ὃς δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν ἐμπορίαν αὐτοῦ·
5 These, having paid no heed, departed, the one to his own field, the other to his trade;
6 οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ κρατήσαντες τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ ὕβρισαν καὶ ἀπέκτειναν.
6 the others who remained having seized his servants, insulted and killed them.
7 ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ὠργίσθη, καὶ πέμψας τὰ στρατεύματα αὐτοῦ ἀπώλεσεν τοὺς φονεῖς ἐκείνους καὶ τὴν πόλιν αὐτῶν ἐνέπρησεν.
7 The king was angry, and having sent his troops, he destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
8 τότε λέγει τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ Ὁ μὲν γάμος ἕτοιμός ἐστιν, οἱ δὲ κεκλημένοι οὐκ ἦσαν ἄξιοι-
8 Then he said to his servants, “The wedding feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy;
9 πορεύεσθε οὖν ἐπὶ τὰς διεξόδους τῶν ὁδῶν, καὶ ὅσους ἐὰν εὕρητε καλέσατε εἰς τοὺς γάμους.
9 Go, therefore, and travel the roads where they go out [of the city] and invite to the wedding feast all those you find.”
10 καὶ ἐξελθόντες οἱ δοῦλοι ἐκεῖνοι εἰς τὰς ὁδοὺς συνήγαγον πάντας οὓς εὗρον, πονηρούς τε καὶ ἀγαθούς- καὶ ἐπλήσθη ὁ νυμφὼν ἀνακειμένων.
10 And, having gone these servants to the roads, gathered together all whom they found, the bad as well as the good: and the bridal hall was filled with people reclining [for the meal].
11 εἰσελθὼν δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς θεάσασθαι τοὺς ἀνακειμένους εἶδεν ἐκεῖ ἄνθρωπον οὐκ ἐνδεδυμένον ἔνδυμα γάμου-
11 But the king, having gone in to look at those who were reclining [for the meal], saw there a man who was not clothed in the wedding garment;
12 καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ Ἑταῖρε, πῶς εἰσῆλθες ὧδε μὴ ἔχων ἔνδυμα γάμου; ὁ δὲ ἐφιμώθη.
12 And he said to him, “Companion, how did you get in here not having the wedding garment?” He was silent.
13 τότε ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπεν τοῖς διακόνοις Δήσαντες αὐτοῦ πόδας καὶ χεῖρας ἐκβάλετε αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον- ἐκεῖ ἔσται κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων.
13 Then the king said to those who served at the table (τοῖς διακόνοις), “After you have bound him, hands and feet, throw him into the darkness, the outermost (τὸ ἐξώτερον) darkness: there there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
14 Πολλοὶ γάρ εἰσιν κλητοὶ, ὀλίγοι δὲ ἐκλεκτοί.
14 For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
Revelation 19:7-8: The linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
7 χαίρωμεν καὶ ἀγαλλιῶμεν, καὶ δώσομεν τὴν δόξαν αὐτῷ, ὅτι ἦλθεν ὁ γάμος τοῦ Ἀρνίου, καὶ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ ἡτοίμασεν ἑαυτήν,
7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him glory, since the marriage of the lamb has come and his woman has made herself ready,
8 καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῇ ἵνα περιβάληται βύσσινον λαμπρὸν καθαρόν- τὸ γὰρ βύσσινον τὰ δικαιώματα τῶν ἁγίων ἐστίν.
8 And it was given to her [the woman, the Lamb’s spouse] to be clothed in pure, luminous byssus [fine linen]: the byssus, indeed, are the righteous deeds of the saints.
Ephesians 6:10-18
To better understand the language of the Bible, the language of God who speaks to us about our spiritual reality, let’s also look at a passage from the apostle Saint Paul, who speaks to us of the need to be properly clothed in order to fight a spiritual battle in this world. A difficult battle, but without violence, simply by being just, true, animated by the desire to bring to mankind the good news of God’s love for mankind, by bringing peace, with faith. It’s only through the Spirit of love that this victory is achieved, the battle may be hard, we may have to suffer persecution, hostilities in this life, but offering the other cheek as Jesus invites us to do, responding with love to offence. By praying for our enemies and wishing them well.
These are the words of the apostle that describe the weapons of love, the garment of the virtues of the love of God: “Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the complete armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the rulers, with the authorities, with the cosmic powers of this present darkness, with the spirits of evil in the heavenly realities. Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace.
In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all (the) flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the holy ones.” (Ephesians 6:10-18).
Matthew 5:38-48
And here are the words of Jesus, inviting us to this spiritual combat with the weapons of love, forgiveness and prayer. The weapons of prayer, even for our enemies, this is the combat of God’s justice, the combat of the just, animated by the spirit of the love of God, who renews his trust, his forgiveness 70 times 7 times:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on (your) right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not those who belong to other people do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:38-48).