Authentic Christ-Centered Worship, Study, and Sometimes Just Plain Silliness!

The Early Church Fathers on the Gospel for Laetare

St. Hilary

"The wonder of the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5000 surpasses human understanding. What is most amazing, however, is what this miracle teaches us about the compassion and grace of God in Christ. Just as the loaves and fish never seem to end, so Our Lord's mercy more than covers our need, more than comforts us in distress. God's forgiveness more than exceeds whatever sin we may have done. God's compassion is greater than our greatest tribulation. Our heart's desire, the needs of our body and soul, our Jesus meets-and then some.

The Venerable Bede

In today's Gospel, before Our Lord feeds the 5000, He tests Philip. He did this, not to learn something He did not know, but so that Philip might recognize the slowness of his faith. His Lord knew of this, but Philip did not. But after he is tested, Philip recognizes both the truth and the miracle, and so his faith is strengthened. For the same reason, Our Lord often tests our faith. His desire is not to embarrass us, but to urge us to remember that we can rely on Him in every need.

St. Cyprian

We who live in Christ and receive His Eucharist-the food of salvation-ask for this bread to be given to us every day. For Christ says, "Anyone who eats My bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give is My flesh for the life of the world." So we receive life when we approach His body and share in the communion. For this reason we should be apprehensive and pray that no one has to abstain from this communion, lest they be separated from the body of Christ and be far from salvation. Christ has warned of this: "If you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood you will have no life in you." We pray for our daily bread, Christ, to be given to us. With his help, we who live and abide in him will never be separated from his body and his grace.
A congregation of the Wyoming District of The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod serving the students of the University of Wyoming & The Wyoming Technical Institute