A boy is here, who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these among so many? The gospels of Matthew and Mark specify that Andrew, as the brother of Simon Peter, was called with him from their fishing partnership to follow a new vocation as the first disciples of Jesus. Luke also refers to Andrew but only implicitly at that first summons, and indirectly at his account of the miraculous draught of fish at Gennesaret.[1] By contrast, John gives more detail by informing that Andrew and another unnamed associate had been already disciples of John the Baptist.[2] This gives the clue to Andrew’s recognition of Jesus as the Messiah. You will recall that the Baptist, recognizing his second cousin at Bethany where he was baptizing, pointed out that Jesus was Agnus Dei - the Lamb of God. John then relates that Andrew and his companion, turning to see of whom the Baptist was speaking, went to greet Jesus and accept his invitation to “the place where he lived and, (in the language of the text) “stayed with him for the rest of the day”.[3] It was after this that Andrew before doing anything else[4] went to his brother with the breaking news: “We have discovered the Messiah!” In other words, John notes that Andrew plays a key role by bringing Simon to Jesus, so that at once he would be singled out for his unexpected destiny, “You are Simon, the son of Jonah, you are to be called Cephas”.[5] As one of the twelve himself, John underscores the place of Andrew as the first to be called.
Andrew is met again in the sixth chapter of St John’s gospel where he is also perceptive if not resourceful. Where, in the call of Simon Peter destined to be the rock, the enabler is Andrew, in this narrative, he alerts Jesus to the presence of the young lad with barley loaves and fish. In this case it requires a miracle for these few items of food to be multiplied to assuage the physical hunger of the gathered crowds estimated to be thousands. Yet, this is not an episode to be understood in isolation. It is the prelude to Jesus’ exposition of the meaning and majesty of the Eucharist as “the lifegiving Bread from heaven”; that it is the necessary food both for satisfying the spiritual hunger of a multitude and for the forgiveness of sin.
After the preliminary miracle, offering the staples of bread and fish out of virtually nothing, Jesus scolds the crowds for simply hungering for no more than material sustenance. Such hunger would be a temptation across the ages and no less so in present times. The clamour for possession and possessions is now at record pitch. Is it any wonder, seeing that ordinary people are fed with base and inane if not destructive fare served by a distorting media, while they are starved of leadership, ecclesiastical as well as civil, by those who specialize in self-service instead of attending to fundamental needs: right reason and the rule of law, not to forget our primary need, God, our only Good? Our Lord might well scold those who follow him for personal advantage and not out of genuine devotion. “You seek me not because you perceived the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were satisfied.”[6] Those followers who had been fed the previous day press Jesus to give them a sign that they might recognize, and demand an action by which they might be persuaded to believe in him.[7] To justify their request, they cite the sign performed by their ancestor Moses in providing them with manna in the desert as an indicator of what was being demanded. Jesus then proceeded to outline step by step an exposition of the doctrine of the Eucharist, explaining, first of all, that it was not Moses who provided the “bread from heaven” but “my father”. Whereupon the people demanded of him such bread always. Jesus responded with that majestic assertion: “I am the bread of life: anyone who is coming to me (ἐρχόμενος) will not hunger; and one believing (πιστεύων) in me will never at any time thirst.”[8] Note the present participles in the original text indicating our Lord’s emphasis that coming to him is a continuous movement and believing involves an ever-deepening faith, not something static or established.
Those present in the synagogue at Capharnaum must have been stunned when Jesus announced: “I am living bread having come down from heaven. If anyone shall have eaten this bread, he will live forever: also, the bread I shall give is my flesh for the life of the world.”[9] No wonder most of the disciples left him. They could not accept the mystery that was being taught to them. The sign-action that had been sought was beyond their expectation and too demanding for humble acceptance. This is the fundamental if not inconvenient truth of the Christian faith, that Christ is truly present in the sacrament of the Eucharist: his flesh is real food and his blood is real drink.[10] In the words of those who heard it: “this saying is hard, who is able to listen to it?”[11] This is the stumbling block that continues to fuel the legacy of protestant apostasy and rejection of seven sacraments as the essential theological and liturgical pillars of the teaching of Christ.[12] Even more outrageous is the sacrilege of taking holy communion while rejecting those elements of Catholic doctrine that are in opposition to one’s life or political choices.
Andrew drew Jesus’ attention to the possibility of providing for a multitude with what seemed an implausible possibility. A few would be transformed to nourish many through the power of Christ and the availability of the few. It doesn’t surprise that there in the Mass of ages, Andrew still appears specifically in the Libera nos, Domine, the silent prelude for holy Communion after the Pater Noster: “…through the intercession of the blessed and glorious ever-virgin Mary, mother of God, with your blessed apostles Peter and Paul, and Andrew and all the saints, mercifully grant peace in our day, that aided by the power of your mercy we may be always free from sin and secure from all disturbance ...”[13] It is as if he continues to alert Christ to notice us so that we might be over and again introduced to his mystery and partake of his sacrament in order that we may “live eternally”. We pray that “You, the eternal shepherd, do not forsake your flock but through the blessed apostles keep it safe continuously with your protection”[14]
[1] Lk 5: 7. “…. They signaled to their partners in the other boat that they should come and help them…” [2] Jn 1: 35. Ίδε ό άμνός τού Θεού. [3] Jn 1: 39. Λέγει αύτοίς, Έρχεσθε καί ίδετε. Ηλθαν καί είδαν πού μένει καί παρ΄αύτώ έμειαν τήν ήμέραν έκείνην ώρα ήν ώς δεκάτη. [4] Jn 1: 41 εὑρίσκει οὗτος πρῶτον τὸν ἀδελφὸν… He finds first his brother … [5] Jn 1: 42. Σύ εί Σίμον ό νίός Ίωνά σύ κληθήση Κηφάς (ό έρμηνεύεται Πέτρος) You are Simon born of John, you will be called Kephas, (that means Peter). [6] Jn 6: 26. ζητεῖτέ με οὐχ ὅτι εἴδετε σημεῖα ἀλλ’ ὅτι ἐφάγετε ἐκ τῶν ἄρτων καὶ ἐχορτάσθητε. [7] Jn 6: 30 Τί οὖν ποιεῖς σὺ σημεῖον ἵνα ἴδωμεν καὶ πιστεύσωμέν σοι? τί ἐργάζῃ? [8] Jn 6: 35 Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς ὁ ἐρχόμενος πρὸς ἐμὲ οὐ μὴ πεινάσῃ καὶ ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ οὐ μὴ διψήσει πώποτε. [9] Jn 6: 51-2. ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος ὁ ζῶν ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς, ἐάν τις φάγῃ ἐκ τούτου τοῦ ἄρτου, ζήσει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα; καὶ ὁ ἄρτος, δὲ ὃν ἐγὼ δώσω ἡ σάρξ μού ἐστιν, ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου. [10] Jn 6: 57. Literally, “The one eating of my flesh and drinking of my blood, in me abides, and I in him.” ὁ τρώγων μου τὴν σάρκα καὶ πίνων μου τὸ αἷμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μένει κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτῷ. [11] Jn 6: 60 Σκληρός ἐστιν ὁ λόγος, οὗτος, τίς δύναται αὐτοῦ ἀκούειν? [12] While Luther articulated some genuine grievances, his rabid anti-Semitism, fomenting of war and heresy are no longer publicized. Today his complaints, nepotism, neo-pluralism (not multi-dioceses but corporations), simony and absenteeism have re-emerged as threats to ecclesial integrity. [13] Canon Missae. Needless to observe, this has been excluded in the Novus Ordo. [14] Preface of the Apostles. “Qui gregem tuum, Pastor aeterne, non deseris sed per beatos Apostolos continua protectione custodis”
