Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 113

 

Reading I

Ex 16:2-4, 12-15

The whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.

The Israelites said to them,

“Would that we had died at the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt,

as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread!

But you had to lead us into this desert

to make the whole community die of famine!”

 

Then the LORD said to Moses,

“I will now rain down bread from heaven for you.

Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion;

thus will I test them,

to see whether they follow my instructions or not.

 

“I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites.

Tell them: In the evening twilight you shall eat flesh,

and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread,

so that you may know that I, the LORD, am your God.”

 

In the evening quail came up and covered the camp.

In the morning a dew lay all about the camp,

and when the dew evaporated, there on the surface of the desert

were fine flakes like hoarfrost on the ground.

On seeing it, the Israelites asked one another, “What is this?”

for they did not know what it was.

But Moses told them,

“This is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.”

 

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 78:3-4, 23-24, 25, 54

R. (24b)  The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

What we have heard and know,

    and what our fathers have declared to us,

we will declare to the generation to come

    the glorious deeds of the LORD and his strength

    and the wonders that he wrought.

R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

He commanded the skies above

    and opened the doors of heaven;

he rained manna upon them for food

    and gave them heavenly bread.

R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

Man ate the bread of angels,

    food he sent them in abundance.

And he brought them to his holy land,

    to the mountains his right hand had won.

R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

 

Reading II

Eph 4:17, 20-24

Brothers and sisters:

I declare and testify in the Lord

that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do,

in the futility of their minds;

that is not how you learned Christ,

assuming that you have heard of him and were taught in him,

as truth is in Jesus,

that you should put away the old self of your former way of life,

corrupted through deceitful desires,

and be renewed in the spirit of your minds,

and put on the new self,

created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth.

 

Alleluia

Mt 4:4b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

One does not live on bread alone,

but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

 

Gospel

Jn 6:24-35

When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there,

they themselves got into boats

and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

And when they found him across the sea they said to him,

“Rabbi, when did you get here?”

Jesus answered them and said,

“Amen, amen, I say to you,

you are looking for me not because you saw signs

but because you ate the loaves and were filled.

Do not work for food that perishes

but for the food that endures for eternal life,

which the Son of Man will give you.

For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.”

So they said to him,

“What can we do to accomplish the works of God?”

Jesus answered and said to them,

“This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”

So they said to him,

“What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?

What can you do?

Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written:

    He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”

So Jesus said to them,

“Amen, amen, I say to you,

it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven;

my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.

For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven

and gives life to the world.”

 

So they said to him,

“Sir, give us this bread always.”

Jesus said to them,

“I am the bread of life;

whoever comes to me will never hunger,

and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

 

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

 

It is truly amazing how we can be so easily distracted by physical necessities and the things that we think we have to have so as to be comfortable, complacent, and satisfied. Many times we can find ourselves focused on desires that we convince ourselves are essential to achieve contentment. In reality, most of the time, we are chasing an illusion that is being offered by a society that really doesn’t have our best intentions in mind. Selfishness, greed, and indulgence are usually at the root of these thoughts as well as all things that are grounded in the desires of the flesh. If we take a step back from our daily routine and reflect just a little bit I feel we can see just how many things we chase after to feed our earthly desires that, ultimately, do not serve any purpose but just to satisfy some sort of longing which was developed in the moment. This can be defined as wasted time and meaningless in comparison to the bigger picture. These things can also serve as a catalyst for something deeper and more threatening to our relationship with God.

 

This condition that we most likely suffer from is nothing new. We read in The Book of Exodus today how The Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron because they were hungry. It is worth note that they were not starving and were only six weeks into their journey from captivity in Egypt. Even though they had obtained their freedom and were on a journey towards a new life they readily abandoned what faith they had because they were not completely comfortable with the amenities afforded to them: they actually chose slavery in exchange for being comfortable! This is seen earlier in The Sacred Scriptures when Esau sold his birthright to Jacob in a moment of weakness that also had its roots in earthly desires. This serves as a lesson to us that no one is above the temptations of the flesh: these can wreak havoc upon our best intentions and on our relationship with God.

 

In the Nicene Creed we profess, “I believe in one God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.” The invisible is referring to the spiritual realm and all that it contains including the spiritual beings that dwell therein. This belief should offer an understanding that there is something beyond this physical world and that it also holds a higher importance to us than anything in this physical world; for we are also a part of the spiritual realm. Our souls are eternal and will remain while our earthen vessels return to the dust from which they were created. Believing this and understanding this should give us hope and enforce our faith that God indeed has a plan for us; a plan that exceeds all that we could expect from this world.

 

Our faith encourages us to look at everything differently; through the lens of Jesus Christ. If we allow Him to do so, Jesus will shape our minds to understand things the way He wants us to. This will pull back the curtain on that which has been hidden from those who choose earthly desires above that which is God. The Apostle Paul describes this as a “renewal of the mind.” We will then welcome in the emergence of a new self guided by The Holy Spirit and a new life with Jesus Christ. The desires of the flesh will be minimized; reduced to a secondary position while our spirituality will take command of our existence. These things have to be worked on but will eventually become second-nature with a complete surrendering to God.

 

Jesus emphasizes the path that all of us should be taking; telling us to focus on the food that endures forever. It other words we should be most concerned about feeding our spirituality. We are always at risk of focusing on the wrong things; things that are material and have an expiration date. This is usually done at the expense of the spiritual nourishment that we desperately need. One leads to temporary satisfaction while the other leads to eternal joy. The one that is temporary leaves us full for only a moment then we are empty once again; left dissatisfied and grumbling. The Bread of Life keeps nourishing us forever. When we consume it we want more but in a different way than which the flesh demands. The spiritual nourishment makes us hunger in a good way because the more we partake of it the more joyous we become; being lifted ever higher in our experiences and awareness of what is being offered to us.

All of what Jesus is offering us comes directly from God. All that comes from God is good. We will be provided for and our burdens will be taken away from us if we embrace that which is good. That is the biggest difference between walking with Jesus and pursuing that which comes from a defective world. We are guaranteed to overcome everything that ails us through the strength given to us by Jesus. We will receive wisdom, knowledge, understanding, fortitude, piety, good counsel, and a healthy fear of God amongst other things which will then define our very existence; preparing ourselves for eternity while experience insurmountable joy in the present. No longer will we be focused on the wrong things at the wrong time. Instead we will be nourished and strengthened in the right things that will never do us any harm. We will be new creations through, in, and by our Lord Savior Jesus Christ. His intentions will become our reality. God’s reality and our reality will be the same.

 

Deacon Tom

 

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 110

Reading I

2 Kgs 4:42-44

A man came from Baal-shalishah bringing to Elisha, the man of God,
twenty barley loaves made from the firstfruits,
and fresh grain in the ear. 
Elisha said, “Give it to the people to eat.” 
But his servant objected,
“How can I set this before a hundred people?” 
Elisha insisted, “Give it to the people to eat.” 
“For thus says the LORD,
‘They shall eat and there shall be some left over.’” 
And when they had eaten, there was some left over,
as the LORD had said.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 145:10-11, 15-16, 17-18

R. (cf. 16) The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
    and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
    and speak of your might.
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
The eyes of all look hopefully to you,
    and you give them their food in due season;
you open your hand
    and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
The LORD is just in all his ways
    and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
    to all who call upon him in truth.
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.

Reading II

Eph 4:1-6

Brothers and sisters:
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace:
one body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.

Alleluia

Lk 7:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A great prophet has risen in our midst.
God has visited his people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Jn 6:1-15

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. 
A large crowd followed him,
because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. 
Jesus went up on the mountain,
and there he sat down with his disciples. 
The Jewish feast of Passover was near. 
When Jesus raised his eyes
and saw that a large crowd was coming to him,
he said to Philip,
“Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” 
He said this to test him,
because he himself knew what he was going to do. 
Philip answered him,
“Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough
for each of them to have a little.” 
One of his disciples,
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him,
“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish;
but what good are these for so many?” 
Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” 
Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. 
So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. 
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks,
and distributed them to those who were reclining,
and also as much of the fish as they wanted. 
When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples,
“Gather the fragments left over,
so that nothing will be wasted.” 
So they collected them,
and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments 
from the five barley loaves
that had been more than they could eat. 
When the people saw the sign he had done, they said,
“This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.” 
Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off
to make him king,
he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

 

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

 

Our faith in God should be the guiding principle in all of our affairs in we are to experience this life as God intended us to do. We cannot let doubt or disbelief creep in. If it does then our relationship with God will be compromised. Because we are human we do have this tendency to think about the worst case scenario and to perceive things are worse than they really are. Once we engage these negative thoughts they quickly multiply and force out good thoughts; challenging our faith and causing us extreme anxiety. God does not want us to feel this way. He wants us to be at ease. He wants us to have full trust in Him and wants us to rely on Him completely. It is Satan who wants us to distrust God and to be fearful of all outcomes in all situations that we face.

 

 

In our imperfection we tend to separate our spiritual relationship with God from our physical life. Either consciously or unconsciously we doubt that God can influence our physical life here on this earth. At times we pray for strength and a positive outcome regarding specific situations yet we still worry; filled with doubt that what we are facing will be rectified through Divine Providence. We immediately feel abandoned; falling back on our own will to face a seemingly impossible situation alone. Staying close to God means we are closer to the perfect than we allow us to believe. This is a weakness that should be continuously addressed if we are to continue to strengthen our relationship with God.

 

The Scripture Reading today tells of a man who came who Elisha with an offering. Because he was bringing an offering it was obvious that he knew who Elisha was. He was a great prophet and the heir of Elijah. To bring an offering means there was some sort of faith that this man had. He knew of Elijah, the defeat of the Prophets of Baal, and the miracles that Elisha himself did. Yet when Elisha told him to give the bread to the people to eat the man immediately doubted; thinking it impossible to feed 100 people from the 22 loaves. This serves as a lesson to us that we should always have complete trust and faith in God. When we do only good things will abound. God has complete confidence in us. Shouldn’t we have full confidence in Him? He created us. He loves us. Why wouldn’t God take care of us if we allow Him to do so? It is a good exercise to make ourselves answer that simple question. If we come up with a justification for having these doubts then that becomes an obvious area of our relationship with God that we have to work on.

 

This world is dysfunctional. There are a lot of bad things that happen that are hard to comprehend. Many of these events happen to those who are apparently not at fault. Bad things do happen to good people. This leads to many people having trouble trusting God. Some people even end up hating God as a result. Whatever is wrong is not God’s fault. We welcomed evil into this world. We chose to turn away from God and rely on our decisions and defective judgment. As a result a product which was perfect became imperfect. When this happened and continues to happen we then look at the end result and blame God instead of taking responsibility ourselves.

 

The fault lies with everyone. Even those who profess to follow Jesus Christ ignore the words of the apostle Paul in his Letter to the Ephesians. In it he stresses one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. He talks about the unity of peace with tolerance and patience. He was against divisions, hatred, and animosity. After over 2000 years we cannot even get this right. This chapter should be read and followed by all Christians; especially those who engage in division and are reluctant to follow what is specifically written by arguably the greatest evangelist of the Christian Faith. We cannot pretend our faith is strong and our relationship with God when we cannot even follow the faith we profess correctly and with abandon. We are hesitating too much and many refuse to make the adjustments necessary to make ourselves better men and women.

 

The miracles that Jesus performed had an impact but the impact was always in danger of fading away. Reinforcement through instruction and prayer was necessary to build a solid foundation that was to be continuously built upon. If we do not provide constant maintenance to our condition then it will eventually fall apart. A lot of what He said and did was meant to be reflected on and referred back to when those who heard Him doubted or were challenged. When Jesus questioned his disciples regarding where they could buy enough food for all the people to eat they immediately relied on a physical solution and then mentioned the limitations that were apparent to the challenge before them. Never did they place their trust in a spiritual solution to overcome the physical problem even though they were witnesses to the power of Jesus and the miracles He had already performed. He knew how they would answer before they answered and He then presented the solution which was firmly rooted in faith and God. This is where all of our solutions should come from.

 

The Multiplication of the Loaves and the miracle of The Breaking of the Bread opened the eyes of thousands. This serves as a precursor to the Eucharist and an indication that The Word of God is all the nourishment we need. Jesus has given this gift to the world to the believers and unbelievers alike. Turning to Jesus means that our eyes will be opened and we will be fed physically, mentally, and spiritually. This promise was fulfilled and continues to be fulfilled today if we allow Him to do the work necessary. We cannot let our relationship with God be limited by the barriers that we ourselves erect. We need to be focused on tearing down barriers and running to God. He is waiting for us with open arms.

 

Deacon Tom

 

 

 

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 107

Reading 1 Jer 23:1-6

Woe to the shepherds
who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture,
says the LORD.
Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of Israel,
against the shepherds who shepherd my people:
You have scattered my sheep and driven them away.
You have not cared for them,
but I will take care to punish your evil deeds.
I myself will gather the remnant of my flock
from all the lands to which I have driven them
and bring them back to their meadow;
there they shall increase and multiply.
I will appoint shepherds for them who will shepherd them
so that they need no longer fear and tremble;
and none shall be missing, says the LORD.

Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;
as king he shall reign and govern wisely,
he shall do what is just and right in the land.
In his days Judah shall be saved,
Israel shall dwell in security.
This is the name they give him:
"The LORD our justice."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6

R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Reading 2 Eph 2:13-18

Brothers and sisters:
In Christ Jesus you who once were far off
have become near by the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, he who made both one
and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh,
abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims,
that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two,
thus establishing peace,
and might reconcile both with God,
in one body, through the cross,
putting that enmity to death by it.
He came and preached peace to you who were far off
and peace to those who were near,
for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

Alleluia Jn 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 6:30-34

The apostles gathered together with Jesus
and reported all they had done and taught.
He said to them,
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”
People were coming and going in great numbers,
and they had no opportunity even to eat.
So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.
People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.
They hastened there on foot from all the towns
and arrived at the place before them.

When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.

 

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

 

Jesus Christ is the True Shepherd of the Flock, meaning that He is the one calling to the entire universe and inviting all to come to the Father through Him. There is pure love in His voice and He longs for everyone to respond to His call. Some have heard it and have begun their journey of truth and enlightenment through Him. Others hear His voice but choose to ignore it, preoccupied with their own thoughts and desires. Still others are still lost and hear nothing. Just as we are unique, so is our journey of faith to Jesus. It is impossible to compare one journey to another. Each of us will encounter a different experience through Jesus Christ and our relationship with Him will reflect that. Because of this, we cannot judge those around us because of how they react to the presence of Jesus Christ in their lives. Instead, we are encouraged to share, help, console, and celebrate together while we all go forward to the same destination: eternal life with God the Father.

 

When we start following Jesus we ourselves become shepherds and are possessors of a great responsibility. The knowledge that we have received through Divine Revelation and the Deposit of Faith must be shared with everyone that we interact with. This does not mean that we have to actively preach the Gospels and attempt to convert all those we come in contact with, but rather we must let what has been given to us freely and what we have received readily do its work within us. When we do this, our whole lives will change. Our conduct will change. The way we treat other people will change. Other people will be witness to this transformation and react to it. Those who find themselves seeking will be naturally attracted it us while those who reject the Living Word will also reject us. Those who embrace Jesus will all go forward together while those who do not will eventually be scattered.

 

There will be challenges on the way but these can be faced with joy and a knowledge that God is on our side. The only fears and anxieties that will be present are those that are put there by our own pride and by Satan who is like a wolf stalking us in the forest along the road. The way to eliminate these is through prayer and a more committed relationship with Jesus. Yes, prayers do work. All are answered through the infinite wisdom of God that our own wisdom can never compare to.

 

God sends us a message through the Prophet Jeremiah. We do indeed have a responsibility to those around us who just might not know and understand their faith as deeply as we do. There will always be those who know more and those who know less. We are responsible for each other. Everyone is just as important as us and no one is another person’s master. We are all slaves to Jesus and must act accordingly. When one is to lead he or she must also follow. This is done through all of our actions, thoughts, and deeds. If we are to truly follow Jesus Christ then we need to insure that we do it correctly. Just as we follow the example of others, there will be those who follow us.

 

In the Gospel Reading today, Jesus and His apostles were tired and hungry. They needed time for them to relax and rest. Yet, these plans changed as Jesus witnessed the crowds still coming to listen to Him. He has pity for them and was moved, so He began to teach them. At times, we may feel tired and in need of rest. It is human to feel that way. As shepherds, we should choose the times when we are to withdraw. There are others who rely on us because of the Light of Christ within us. Our own needs and wants should always be weighed in comparison to the needs and wants of others. As Christians, the needs and wants of others have become our own and our community’s. This may seem unfair at times but it is truly the Christian Way and the key to a joyful life with Jesus.

 

Everything is better with Jesus Christ. Every joyful moment becomes more joyful while the struggles and challenges also turn into joy. There is joy in everything. Leading and following is the same thing when it comes to Jesus. When we do these things consistently then there will always be joy. When we follow Jesus as our personal shepherd, we then become shepherds to all those around us and behind us; all going forward to Jesus Christ.

 

Deacon Tom……