Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:01 That great father and doctrine, the church St Jerome teaches that ignorance of the scriptures is ignorance of Christ and it sense as we all know from our catechism, the purpose of our lives is to know and to love and to serve God in this life, to be happy with him forever. In the next, just think of how much we ought to love the holy scripture, how much we have to strive and understand the word of God, especially the Holy Gospel will be to our great shame on judgment. David, so many Protestants had a higher reverence for our holy scriptures and so many of us now today's Gospel, we heard the story of the multiplications of the loaves and fishes and every time the topic comes up, it reminds me of a sermon I heard back home in Montana that Sunday the gospel was involved in multiplication of the loaves and the fifth and the priest who certainly needs your prayers.
Speaker 0 01:07 He's still going strong over there. The praise got up in the pulpit and proceeded to tell us what he thought had really happened. And so the priest explained to us that in point of fact, the miracle and the Gospel wasn't that our Lord actually multiplied the loaves and the fish. No, that wasn't the miracle at all. The miracle was that our lord got everybody to you share the loaves and the fish they had brought but had stashed away. That was the real miracle. And I can remember thinking, are you kidding me? The real miracle here is that you're stupid enough to get up there and say something like that in front of us. And what exactly do you think is going to happen on the altar in about five minutes?
Speaker 0 02:03 Generally speaking, when you hear snuff thing that crazy, you can assume that the guy's either a modernist or he's been smoking some pretty bad weed or else he's a well established scriptural scholar. But I repeat myself to be fair of late, we are getting a fairly good crop of good Catholic scripture scholars. Uh, it's very hopeful. We need to thank God for that cause as a we get more and more of those scholars trained up and all that and they're placed in seminaries, nobody's going to have to sit through this kind of nonsense anymore, you know, foaming under the pulpits. Anyway, the funny thing is, or maybe I should say the sad thing is that I'm probably not the only one here today that has heard this idiotic explanation of this very miracle. I know this morning, uh, there were a bunch of people that came up and say, yeah, I'm getting hands here.
Speaker 0 03:02 See there's plenty of people that have heard this thing. I went to seminar with guys from all over North America and when the cop would come up, almost all of them had heard the same non explanation of the miracle multiplication holds efficiency and this so called miracle of sharing is not the only nutty thing that these clowns have to say about the multiplication loaves and fishes. See they've read the Gospel and they've noticed for example, that in St Matthew's Gospel on Saint Mark's Gospel, there are two accounts of our Lord multiplying the loaves and fishes. We see in the first instance, he feeds 5,000 men coming women with the children. In the second instance, he feels 4,000 men not coming to win women and children. So the obvious conclusion. In other words, the one that you and I would make when we read that is that the reason that we read about these two miracles is because our lord multiply the loaves and fishes twice.
Speaker 0 04:00 He Fed one time, 5,000 another time, 4,000 right? Of course, but these clowns come to a different conclusion. See, in their minds, the reason there are two, a constantly miracles is not because our lord performed this miracle was at best. They think that the men who assembled the gospels and they assure us very confidently that one thing we know is that even if their names weren't Matthew, mark, Luke, and John, the men that assembled the gospels decades and decades and decades after the events actually took place, had just gathered up various stories which had been handed down by word of mouth, what they call the oral tradition. And they assembled them into what we now know is the gospels. And so one story is at 5,000 men and another story said 4,000 men. And these clans insist it isn't because the event took place. In fact, that's does, has nothing to do with it.
Speaker 0 04:53 If the event even took place at all, which they didn't, they discuss it only took place once. But over time, because the oral tradition, people got the numbers confused. And so two versions cropped up. But just to be on the safe side, the men producing the gospel stuck both versions in into the scriptures. I know it's crazy, but I don't make this stuff up. They do. So let's set all that stuff aside and put these two miracles and diverse, effective. Ask herself why are there two miracles with multiple patients and loaves and fishes? So we're going to take a closer look, the sexiest St Mark's Gospel in which they're found. We'll draw an insight. One of my professors, anyway, this section begins of St Mark's Gospel begins in chapter six verse 31 and stretches to chapter eight verse 29 so marks six 31 to eight 29 everyone ought to go home tonight and read it.
Speaker 0 05:51 You'll take 15 minutes to read this. This is not a long section out of scripture and that will stick your mind. March, 1631 to eight 29 if you have doubts about your memory and there's a little mnemonic you could think of something like breakfast at Saint Mark's is from six 30 to eight 30 that you in the country, you'll remember when you go home. If we had the time tonight, it'd be great to go through the various Old Testament foreshadowings and other events that we see here, especially the things that Moses and Elijah did. But we'll just consider tonight the pattern of the events we see in this part, Saint Mark's Gospel. When you read it, you're going to see there's a lot more detail than what we're going to cover, okay? Today we're just simply going to consider the pattern of these events starting in market. Six 31 our lord multiplies the loaves and fishes and he feeds the 5,000 then our large crosses to see any lands.
Speaker 0 06:44 He's actually walking on the water during this crossing. After crosses sea and landing, he gets into a dispute with the Ferris students. Then he has a conversation about bread. In this case, he's speaking to a CEO, Phoenician woman, a gentile woman. After the bread conversation, he heals a man and this case was a man born deaf and dumb. This healing is followed by a confession of faith. The disciples say to the Lord that he had done all things will get bold, make the deaf to hear, and the dumbness speed face. So that's round one. It starts with multiplying loaves and fifth then crossing the sea and landing. Then having a dispute with the farracies conversation about bread. Miraculous healing, and then a confession of faith. Okay. We are now to the beginning of Chapter Eight which is today's Gospel reading. So there's a great multitude of people who have been following our Lord for three days having nothing to eat, which we just heard in the gospel.
Speaker 0 07:47 So he tells his disciples he can't send these people away without feeding them unless they fade on the way. So the disciples, as we've heard Asco, Lord, how can anyone possibly feed all these people with bread in the wilderness? Now, once we see the context of this, we can realize this is kind of an incredible question to ask. Only a short time before and the very presence of these same men, he had fit 5,000 in the wilderness. So this time our lord multiplies the Lowes and fish and feed some 4,000 then he crosses the sea and lands after crosses the landing. He gets in a dispute with the Ferris. Then he has a conversation about bread, was apostle six time after the bread conversation, he performs yet another miraculous here, healing. He healed some blind man. Now, this is really a fascinating miracle, and once we understand it, we can, we'll get very deep insight in the pattern we've seen in the gospel.
Speaker 0 08:51 So let's read this miracle, right? And the Gospel passage itself, Mark Eight 22 to 25 and they came to the cider and some people brought to them a blind man and begged him to touch him. And you took the blind man by the hand and let him out of the town and spitting upon his eyes and laying his hands upon it. He asked him, do you see anything? And he looked up and said, I see men, but they look like trees walking after that again, he laid his hands upon his eyes. He began to see, and it was their store. So these saw things clearly.
Speaker 0 09:40 Okay, so first our Lord puts fit on the blind man's eyes and then he lays his hands on him. What's the result? When our Lord asked the man if he can see anything he says did he sees men like trees walking, then our lord lays his hands on the man's eyes again. Then after that you can see perfectly. Now let's just stop and think about that for a minute. Most of us have probably read his gospel before, but how many of us have stopped and noticed it? Take two attempts for Lord to give the blind man his vision. Have you ever thought about how really strange that is? Why couldn't this guy see right the first time? Is it possible that our lord was having a hard time giving sight to a blind man?
Speaker 1 10:39 No.
Speaker 0 10:41 Is it possible that our Lord's Spirit had lost its curative Po?
Speaker 1 10:47 No.
Speaker 0 10:48 Is it possible that our lord wasn't praying hard enough?
Speaker 1 10:53 No.
Speaker 0 10:54 This is the almighty God doing a miracle. The God who made everything out of nothing and he just took to try to perform a miracle. Can you hold that thought? We're going to return to that. This healing is followed by confession of faith in our Lord. Yes. Whom do men say that I am? And as a positive response, seeing that some man say that he's John About yes. Some others, Elias or others. One of the prophets, our lord ask them, well, whom do you say that I am? And say, Peter Asks Answers and says dollar to Christ. And as we see in St Matthew's Gospel, he says, Dart the Christ, the son of the living God.
Speaker 0 11:54 Okay, so what do we see? We've seen a pattern started with multiplying of loaves and fish and crossing the sea and Landon in conflict with the Ferris conversation about bread, miraculous healing, confession of faith. And it starts over again with multiplying the loaves and fish, Chrysler Sea and land in conflict with the Pharisees conversation about bread, miraculous healing. <inaudible> was a confession of faith and now we can see clearly why there are two miracles of the love multiplication of loaves and fish. We can, how's that father? All our Lord signs our men to point to one inescapable conclusion that he is the Christ <inaudible> the son of the living God. He did these works precisely to show a man who he is. He's performing all of these signs and wonders precisely so his followers will know who he is and yeah, after the first round, which includes multiply loaves and fish, if he 5,000 men walking on water and helium man born deaf and dumb, the best he can get from his followers is he has done all things well. Well let's not get totally carried away and have a stamp heat or anything like that. After seeing that this is not exactly a breathtaking confession of faith on the part of his disciples. Is it?
Speaker 0 13:38 So what's the point of this? Yeah. Why does everything start all over again? Because of the spiritual blindness of his disciples, because of their spiritual blindness our Lord has to do or a view in order to get the message across to these couples. What message? The message that he is the Christ, the son of the living God. That explains why did the miracle of giving of sight to the blind man in two stages and asked the man, can you see, do you think God is really wondering whether a man can see? Of course not. God doesn't wonder anything. He knows everything.
Speaker 0 14:32 He did that miracle on two stages on purpose to get his message across. After the first thing on of hands, the blind met in kindness. See, then after asking the man, can you see our lord goes ahead and lays his hands on the man of second time and heals the man's blindness. Our Lord is using a blind man to symbolize his own disciples. After the first series of events, the multiplication loaves and so forth. They're kind of getting, they can kind of see that he's a pretty good guy. Did he? Does all things well? So the first stage of healing of the blind man symbolizes the first run from the feeding of the 5,000 to the first confession of faith says to see Jesus Christ is basically a pretty good guy who does all things well. Is this bizarre and blind as to see men as if they're walking trees.
Speaker 0 15:28 Now the second stage of this miracle, miraculous healing symbolizes the second round of events from the feeding of the 4,000 to that mirror. And just as a blind man can finally see clearly after our Lord has twice laid hands upon him. So also the apostles can finally see clearly after our Lord has literally gone over the same ground twice and done this great big long review session with him. And since he's healed their blindness, since they can finally clearly see who he is, Saint Peter finally responds with an attic adequate and accurate confession of faith, thou art the Christ, the son of the living God.
Speaker 0 16:14 And so now we can see clearly why they went to indeed to miracles or the multiplication loaves and fishes, why the healing of the blind man took place in two stages. We can also see clearly how truly blind are the scriptural scholars who dismiss these miracles. We can also see clearly how Christ or Lord speaks to man, to the events which surround them. And yet despite of that, even those who have walked with it may not have originally had enough faith to see his actions, clearly the circumstances around him. So this is a good occasion for each one of us to ask himself,
Speaker 1 17:00 how long have I been walking with the Lord?
Speaker 0 17:05 How clearly do I see? Do I see him basically as just a good guy? What kind of professional faith does he get from me?
Speaker 1 17:22 Am I applying?
Speaker 0 17:25 Who am I more like the disciples after the first round? Where's it my faith in him? More like saint the heaters? Is it time for me to start seeing the world clearly? If I ever find out I've been mistaken, am I prepared to change my ways of thinking and acting without counting the cost it Holly mass today I can and should ask her to remove any spiritual blindness which may be present in my life. I can and should ask our Lord to increase my faith and I can and should. Thank you for this priceless gift of the true faith, the faith without which it is impossible to please I can and should renew my resolve to pray the holy rosary every day knowing that our lady will protect, preserve, and nurture my friend I can and should resolve to do a little spiritual reading every day. Be It from the Gospel, watch them alive the same. And if I employ these means I can and should be confident that the Lord lift any blinders that may be on Maya and granted me the grace to see the loving hand of God and all the events of Milo.
