Luke 24:35-48
35 And they told what things were done in the way; and how they knew him in the breaking of the bread.
36 Now whilst they were speaking these things, Jesus stood in the midst of them, and saith to them: Peace be to you; it is I, fear not. 37 But they being troubled and frightened, supposed that they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them: Why are you troubled, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and feet, that it is I myself; handle, and see: for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as you see me to have. 40 And when he had said this, he shewed them his hands and feet.
41 But while they yet believed not, and wondered for joy, he said: Have you any thing to eat? 42 And they offered him a piece of a broiled fish, and a honeycomb. 43 And when he had eaten before them, taking the remains, he gave to them. 44 And he said to them: These are the words which I spoke to you, while I was yet with you, that all things must needs be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then he opened their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.
46 And he said to them: Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead, the third day: 47 And that penance and remission of sins should be preached in his name, unto all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things.
Jesus does something in today’s Gospel that many today try to deny. You see, many very foolish people in our time make false claims that Jesus was a vegetarian or even a vegan, even though the Bible clearly states otherwise. Not only did Jesus eat the Passover lamb, but His first act to prove that He is truly alive body and soul, is to eat fish. Moreover, Saint Paul states in 1st Timothy:
Now the Spirit manifestly saith, that in the last times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to spirits of error, and doctrines of devils, Speaking lies in hypocrisy, and having their conscience seared, Forbidding to marry, to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving by the faithful, and by them that have known the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be rejected that is received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
This may seem to be a minor point given the deeply spiritual meaning of today’s Gospel. But, it must be said because most of those who have made such claims to me lately are either students or graduates of Catholic universities! Under the banners of “social justice” and “environmental justice” radicals are indoctrinating Catholic youth with false teaching. They claim that eating meat is somehow inhumane. They not only deny that God gave animals and fish to man for food, but they deify the creation, claiming that man is like a cancer on the planet. They claim that nature is pure and holy. This becomes a kind of political paganism that is in absolute opposition to the Word of God and the teachings of the Catholic Church.
Truly, we are made stewards, and must take care of the earth that God gave us. But, as one of today’s readings reminds us, we are the “crown of creation” and nature is subject to man, not man to nature. From Psalm 8:
5 What is man that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that thou visitest him?
6 Thou hast made him a little less than the angels, thou hast crowned him with glory and honour: 7 And hast set him over the works of thy hands. 8 Thou hast subjected all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen: moreover the beasts also of the fields. 9 The birds of the air, and the fishes of the sea, that pass through the paths of the sea.
As one who grew up on a farm and who is certified in Permaculture and Regenerative Agriculture, Horticulture and is a Master Gardener, I have spent far more time learning about the ways of nature and the production of food than anyone who teaches at a Catholic university…. Our universities are not exactly known for their Ag programs! I can prove their claims to be false. It takes far more acreage and inputs to produce plant food to feed one person than it does animal food to feed 10 people (or more). I am adamant that livestock should be raised humanely and well cared for, and that does not always happen in our modern model of “factory farming.” But, the fact remains that even in this flawed system, one cow can feed more than 100 people and only one life is taken. In harvesting an acre of soybeans, countless millions of insects, rodents, birds, etc. are killed by tilling and agricultural chemicals – poisonous insecticides, herbicides and fungicides kill not only all the visible creatures in the field but also the microscopic life in the soil on which so much depends. You may not care about worms and bugs, but they are essential to all life on earth as part of the natural system God created. Then comes the harvest in which larger animals are killed, such as mice, rabbits, raccoons, opossums, more birds, etc. Then there are the inputs of not only the environmentally toxic agricultural chemicals, but the petro-chemicals used in making fertilizer, the fuel used in large farm machinery, the trucks that transport the soybeans, the factories that process them, the plastics in packaging, the shipping, the storage, etc. etc. God intended for that one cow, for instance, to eat grass in natural pastures and its manure to fertilize the grasses and feed the worms and insects. Man cares for the cow and ensures its health, and from it takes milk and meat. Some of the cow’s manure can also go to fertilize a vegetable garden, enriching the soil so that chemical fertilizers are not needed. Natural systems produce no waste and are regenerative, building in productivity annually and not degrading as does the modern soy bean (corn, etc.) field. That is environmentally sound; the vegetarian/vegan diet is not.
While this may seem a side issue to today’s Gospel, it is very important. This environmental/social justice nonsense that is poisoning the minds of Catholic youth is turning them against the teachings of the Bible and the Church. It is part of a liberal/progressive ideology that is toxic in our systems of Church, education and politics. It includes teaching in favor of birth control and abortion, as it is the natural conclusion if one believes that man is detrimental to nature. It promotes homosexuality, trans-genderism and socialism. It is atheistic at its core and must be stopped! All priest, professors, primary school teachers, etc. who teach what is opposed to orthodox Catholic doctrine must be stripped of all authority and removed from their positions. They and their ideologies are the true cancer in the Body of Christ.
We need more faithful Catholics who have large families and eat fish on Friday and fewer “social and environmental justice warriors” who scream that meat and fish are “murder” and who advocate for population control!
Judson Carroll is the author of several books, including his newest, A Daily Catholic Devotional, Reflections on the Daily Mass Readings July-December, 2025 It is Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F5BHFZ7X
and
Confirmation, an Autobiography of Faith. It is also Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C47Q1JNK
His new podcast is The Uncensored Catholic https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-uncensored-catholic
Thank you for these insights. You well describe the ease it can be to be lured from the Church by what masquerades as humane.