Feed the Hungry

Mosaic in front of Altar
Church of the Loaves and Fishes
Capernaum near Sea of Galile

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today's first reading from the Book of Kings tells the story of how the prophet Elisha fed a hundred people with just twenty barley loaves and some fresh grain. It is in today's readings because it obviously introduces the feeding of five thousand people by Jesus that is recounted in today's gospel.

We notice that Elisha's servant questioned how they could feed so many with so little but that the prophet insisted that he distribute what food they had. Just as in the gospel after all had eaten, there was still food left over. Finally, Elisha took no credit for himself. He said that he was just following the instructions of the Lord.

In today's gospel we have St. John's account of the miraculous multiplication of the loaves and fishes where instead of 100, Jesus fed 5000 people with only five loaves and two fish. Despite the fact that this miracle is the only one to appear in all four gospels, it is one of the most difficult for many people to accept. Today it is fashionable to offer a purely natural or sociological explanation. Some think that people were shamed by the selfless sharing of Jesus, and proceeded to take food which they had hidden about their persons and share it with their neighbors.

That's one theory but I prefer to think that the God who is responsible for every grain of wheat that grows on the earth, and for every fish that swims in the sea, could feed 5000 people. Right after this miracle we read in St. Mark's gospel that Jesus saved His disciples from drowning when he calmed the storm at sea. St. Mark relates this incident to the miracle of the loaves. He says that the disciples in the boat "were utterly beside themselves with astonishment, for they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was blinded."

 Like many of the miracles of Jesus the loaves and fishes follows a standard format. Jesus is busy at his work of teaching and healing when a problem--a hungry crowd--comes to his attention. He asks Philip where can they find enough food to feed the multitude. Like Elisha's servant, Philip expresses doubt. He explains that even if they could find the food, the cost would be beyond their means. At this point Andrew, Peter's brother, chimes in and says that a boy has five barley loaves and two fish. Jesus then performed a kind of liturgy that should remind us of what happens at every Mass.

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 all the five thousand had eaten their fill, there was enough left over to fill five wicker baskets.


When Jesus performed a physical miracle like this, we can usually be sure that it had a spiritual dimension. Remember how after he had forgiven the sins of a paralyzed man, he healed his paralysis as a sign he could also forgive his spiritual malady. This miracle, where Jesus provided food for the 5000, has also always been viewed as a precursor of the Eucharistic sacrifice. Although many people in the world today still are hungry, many more seem to duffer from a real spiritual hunger.

This miracle, where Jesus provided food for the 5000, has also always been viewed as a precursor of the Eucharistic sacrifice. Many people find it hard today to believe that the Body and Blood of Jesus are offered in the Sacrifice of the Mass. Perhaps this lack of belief is one of the things that has led to so much of the spiritual hunger in our world. 

The Apostles must have been reminded of the loaves and fishes at the Last Supper when they saw Jesus take the bread, offer thanks, break it, and then say, "This is my body that is for you?" How could the bread be His Body? Or what about, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood." How could the wine be His Blood? We know that they believed it because He said it and because He would raise His Body from the dead only three days later. We also know that the first Christian communities also believed it and from the beginning repeated the Lord's words whenever they gathered together "in remembrance of Him."

In today's second reading from the letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul calls for unity in that community of new Christians. He says that there is "one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. No where is this unity seen more than when we all join together to receive the Body and Blood of Our Lord during the sacrifice of the Mass. It is there that He feeds us in the same way that he did the 5000 on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.

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Reading 1. 2 Kings 4: 42-44
Reading II. Ephesians 4: 1-6
Gospel. John 6: 1-15 (Loaves and Fishes).

The Little Way

                           15^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

                         

When we hear of prophets we usually think of them as kind of mystical foretellers of the future. However, the special talent of the prophets we encounter in scripture was their ability to describe with sometimes brutal accuracy the wrongs of their own day and call for repentance and renewal.

For the most part, the prophets we encounter in scripture claimed no special gifts or talents. Last week we saw that the Prophet Ezekiel claimed that despite his own weakness or lack of ability, the Lord had called him to carry out a mission. In our first reading today, the Prophet Amos says much the same thing. He claims that he is not a prophet and that he does not even have the learning or background to be one.

I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores,

The Lord took me from following the flock, and said to me,

Go, prophesy to my people Israel.

In other words, Amos was just a simple, ordinary man no different from anyone else.             

In today’s gospel we see Our Lord entrusting a bunch of simple, ordinary men with a mission. Today’s gospel reading from Mark picks up right where we left off last week. We recall that after performing many healings and miracles in a neighboring region, Jesus returned home only to meet a doubtful reception from his own people. He was led to say that a “prophet is not without honor except in his own country.”

Nevertheless, Jesus commissions the Apostles to embark on a mission in the same way as Ezekiel and Amos. They wouldn’t need book learning or years in a seminary. They wouldn’t need a lot of money or equipment.

He instructed them to take nothing for the journey

But a walking stick—

No food, no sack, no money in their belts. 

His authority would be all they needed to perform the same works that He had done. So, without any special training or experience they set out to do His work. We are told that like the prophets of old they preached repentance, drove out many demons, and “anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.”

When we hear of these first Apostles, we must always put ourselves in their shoes or sandals. We speak of our bishops as being successors of the Apostles, but we are all successors of the Apostles in our own little way. But how are we to be apostles or prophets with our own limited time and abilities?

I knew a young widow he told me about all that she was doing to care for and raise her young daughter. It was truly admirable. Nevertheless, she wished that she had more time to devote to God’s work, or to spend more time in prayer and devotion. I think I did right to tell her that when she cared for her daughter, she was indeed doing God’s work, the work she had been chosen to do. Her prayers were the words she said to her daughter. So many times in the gospel Jesus directs our attention away from himself, and asks us to care for those entrusted to our care. His one commandment was to love one another.

In today’s second reading, St. Paul begins his letter to the Ephesians, that is the young Christian community in the city of Ephesus, with a long introduction that seems to indicate that they are all apostles. He writes,

In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, which is the first installment of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s possession, to the praise of his glory.

Even though we are simple, ordinary people involved in the mundane tasks of life, these same mundane tasks have been elevated or consecrated through the sacrifice of Jesus and the sanctification of his Holy Spirit. 

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Reading 1.  Amos 7: 12-15

Reading II. Ephesians 1: 3-14

Gospel. Mark 6: 7-13 (Jesus Summoned the Twelve)

A Prophet without Honor

                           14^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

                        

                          

In today’s first reading the prophet Ezekiel is warned that his mission will be difficult. Though he is being sent to his own people, the Israelites, he should not expect a warm welcome.

"Hard of face and obstinate of heart

Are they to whom I am sending you."

This passage from the Hebrew scriptures is obviously an introduction to today’s gospel reading. Today’s passage from Mark picks up right after the words we heard last week where Jesus had worked some miracles in a land with a mixed population of Jews and pagans. Even though he was not a native of this territory, his reputation had preceded him and crowds swarmed around him. A woman just had to touch his cloak to be healed, and he had even raised the young daughter of a synagogue official from her deathbed. In both cases it was faith that worked the miracle.

But today we read that Jesus returned to his own native land and rather than receiving a hero’s welcome the people who knew him could not believe. Even when the wisdom of his words when he spoke in the synagogue amazed them, they could not believe their ears.

How could he be so smart? They knew he was just a carpenter or the son of a carpenter. They knew his mother, Mary. Was she any different from any other Jewish mother? They knew his brothers and sisters. Scholars tell us not to take these words literally. The words brother and sister could mean just cousins or kinfolk. In any case, there was nothing special about any of his relatives.

We are told that his neighbors took offense at Him leading Jesus to utter the famous reply.

A prophet is not without honor except in his native place 

And among his own kin and in his own house.

It is always good for us to put ourselves in the place of those mentioned in the gospels. Today we should put ourselves in the place of the hard hearted or hard headed Israelites of Ezekiel’s time, or the neighbors of Jesus who could not believe or understand.

Haven’t we all had the experience of underestimating someone that we knew very well? Aren’t we surprised sometimes to find out that a brother or sister, a son or daughter has done very well in their chosen profession? Has any of us had the experience of going to an awards banquet and discovering that someone we thought we knew was highly regarded by strangers? Sadly, don’t we all often fail to realize how gifted or talented our own husbands and wives might be? We all love to get recognition but it is so hard to give it.

On the other hand, it is hard when we fail to receive recognition for what we have done or for who we are. From children to senior citizens we all want to get our just desserts. The gospel says that Jesus was amazed by the lack of faith of his hometown neighbors. We can understand because we are often ignored by those closest to us. It has often been said that if business men or women would treat their spouses with the same respect they treat their clients, their marriages would be much happier.

In today’s second reading St. Paul expresses a similar kind of disappointment. He knows that God has given him a great gift but that God has also humbled him so that he will not become puffed up.  He knows that he will not always succeed or get the recognition he desires but still he will carry on. It is better to trust in God than in yourself.

I am content with weaknesses, insults, 

Hardships, persecutions and constraints,  

For the sake of Christ,  

For when I am weak, then I am strong. 

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Reading 1.  Ezekiel 2: 2-5

Reading II. 2 Corinthians 12: 7-10

Gospel. Mark 6:1-6 (a prophet without honor)

Tabitha Koum

                                    13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

                         

           

Starting last week and continuing on for this week and the weeks to come, we will be going through the gospel of Mark almost word for word. In his teaching Jesus mainly relied on parables as a way to convey his core message.  Even so, many of his hearers were mystified by the parables. However, his actions usually spoke louder than his words although they often also left the onlookers mystified.

Last week we saw that he calmed a storm while sailing on the Sea of Galilee with his disciples. Although they were experienced fishermen, the disciples were terrified by the raging storm but then were mystified when Jesus rebuked the storm and calmed the waters. They asked themselves “what kind of a man is this?” Being observant Jews they could never imagine that Jesus was anything but a man who had magical powers. However, the disciples could hardly have imagined that the magical powers of Jesus would even extend to life and death.

Today’s first reading from the Book of Wisdom gives us an insight into the traditional Jewish teaching on death.

God did not make death,

Nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living…

For God formed man to be imperishable;

The image of His own nature he made him.

In other words, we were meant to be immortal but somehow sin entered into the world, and death is one of the consequences of sin for both the good and the bad.

Anyone who had trouble believing that Jesus could calm a storm at sea will have even more trouble with the two miracles recorded in today’s gospel. In the first case, after Jesus lands on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, he is surrounded by crowds who have heard of his reputation. A synagogue official works his way through the crowd and begs Jesus to come to his home and heal his daughter who is “at the point of death.” The official believes that Jesus just has to lay his hands on the child to heal her.

Jesus agrees to accompany the man home but on the way they are met by people who inform them that the girl has died and that there is no need to trouble Jesus any further. However, Jesus disregards the news and tells the father, “Do not be afraid, just have faith.” When they arrive at the house, they are met by a crowd of weeping mourners who ridicule Jesus when he tells them that the child “is not dead but asleep.” He puts all the mourners out and then enters the girl’s room with just her father and mother, and his three disciples, Peter, James, and John. Mark was a disciple of Peter and here is his account of what happened.

He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means,

“Little girl, I say to you, arise!” The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around.

Just as at the storm at sea, the onlookers were “utterly astounded.” Not only does Jesus seem to have power over the wind and the waves; he also has power over death, the great enemy of us all. I know that there are some who will say that there must have been a natural cause for the girl’s recovery. Perhaps she was in a coma. But then how could Jesus have known the girl’s condition or been so confident that he could save her? How could he have pressed on even after he was informed that the girl had died? If this was a natural case of healing, how could he have known that merely touching the girl would bring her out of the coma?

The answer to these questions might be found in the other cure featured in today’s gospel.

On the way to the girl’s home a woman who had suffered from hemorrhages for twelve years came through the crowd surrounding Jesus hoping that if she could only touch his clothes, she might be healed. When she touched his cloak, she was healed immediately without a word from Jesus. He only sensed that power had gone out of him and turned around to ask, “who has touched my clothes”?

Even after miracles like these it appears that the crowds and the disciples could not realize who He was. At the most I suspect they thought of him as a great magician. It would take his own resurrection before they finally began to realize where his power came from.

In our time it is easy to think of Jesus as a good man who went about saying good things and doing good deeds. But Mark’s gospel will not let us leave it at that. Why do we underestimate Jesus today? Why do people feel it’s ok to ignore him or even ridicule him as the mourners did before he revived the little girl? Why do modern TV personalities think they can insult and demean someone who never hurt a fly and spent his life for others even to the point of torture and death on a cross?

In today’s second reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, the disciple is urging the community in Corinth to provide assistance to their fellow Christians who are not so well off. He uses Jesus as an example they should follow.

For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ,

That though he was rich, for your sake He became poor,

So that by his poverty you might become rich.

For those who believe, the power is still coming out of Jesus.

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Reading 1.  Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24

Reading II. 2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15

Gospel. Mark 5: 21-43 (Talitha koum)