Above: Christ feeds the five thousand. Detail from a medieval stained glass window in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. Photo by Father Lawrence Lew, O.P.
It is helpful to consider the events of today’s Gospel reading (
Mark 8:14-21) as the final event in a sequence of three: the second miracle of the loaves and fish, an encounter of Jesus with the Pharisees, and the departure of Jesus with His disciples. The discussion which is recounted in the reading is that which Jesus had with His disciples in the boat as they departed.
Jesus warns them against the “yeast” of the Pharisees and the “yeast” of Herod—the Pharisees had just asked Jesus for a sign from heaven, not as a sincere seeking of truth, but in order to test Him. Jesus warns against this kind of duplicitous spirit, and against Herod’s weakness and greed for power. The disciples think that the “yeast” Jesus is talking about refers to bread—bread they had, in fact, neglected to bring with them, having only one loaf in the boat.
Jesus asks them, “Do you still not understand?” These men had just seen Jesus feed thousands of people with a few loaves of bread; it was the second time He had done this, as if to stress the importance. They still did not understand the merciful providence of Jesus. They did not trust Him to provide for their needs.
There is a story about Saint Dominic in the early years of the Order. It was time for breakfast in the priory and the friar who was in charge of the kitchen reported to Dominic that the cupboards were empty. There was nothing to prepare for the community’s meal.
Dominic, unlike the disciples in the boat with Jesus, both understood and relied upon God’s care. He simply had the brothers gather in the refectory as usual and they said the grace before meals. They sat down before the empty plates and two angels entered the room. The angels distributed bread and fresh figs to the members of the community, beginning with the youngest member and ending with Saint Dominic. Then the angels left.
It is still, almost 800 years later, the custom in the Order to serve the youngest member of the community first and the superior last. This simple action gives testimony both to God’s generous providence and the deep and powerful faith of Saint Dominic.
Saint Dominic, father and Leader of your holy Order, pray for us.
