Wednesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

“Moses with the Ten Commandments”
by Philippe de Champaigne, 1648

Readings for Wednesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary:[3]
 
Reading 1: Exodus 34:29-35
 
As Moses came down from Mount Sinai
with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands,
he did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant
while he conversed with the LORD.
When Aaron, then, and the other children of Israel saw Moses
and noticed how radiant the skin of his face had become,
they were afraid to come near him.
Only after Moses called to them did Aaron
and all the rulers of the community come back to him.
Moses then spoke to them.
Later on, all the children of Israel came up to him,
and he enjoined on them all that the LORD
had told him on Mount Sinai.
When he finished speaking with them,
he put a veil over his face.
Whenever Moses entered the presence of the LORD to converse with him,
he removed the veil until he came out again.
On coming out, he would tell the children of Israel
all that had been commanded.
Then the children of Israel would see
that the skin of Moses’ face was radiant;
so he would again put the veil over his face
until he went in to converse with the LORD.
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Commentary on Ex 34:29-35
 
Moses returns a second time (see Exodus 32:19) bearing the tablets of the Law to his charges, the children of Israel whom he has led out of Egypt. The startling change in Moses' appearance (“the skin of Moses’ face was radiant”) will later be remembered as Jesus is transfigured in front of his disciples (Matthew 17:1-9, Luke 9:28b-36, and Mark 9:1-8). The episode concludes with Moses veiling his face. “St. Paul sees in this a symbol of the failure of the Jews to recognize Jesus as the promised Messiah: the true spiritual meaning of the writings of Moses and the prophets is still veiled from the unbelieving Jews. Cf 2 Corinthians 3:7-18.” [4]
 
CCC: Ex 34:29 2058
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 99:5, 6, 7, 9
 
R. (see 9c) Holy is the Lord our God.
 
Extol the LORD, our God,
and worship at his footstool;
holy is he!
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
 
Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
and Samuel, among those who called upon his name;
they called upon the LORD, and he answered them.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
 
From the pillar of cloud he spoke to them;
they heard his decrees and the law he gave them.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
 
Extol the LORD, our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for holy is the LORD, our God.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
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Commentary on Ps 99:5, 6, 7, 9
 
This psalm of praise and thanksgiving holds up the traditions of Moses and Aaron. The praise and respect given to the Law of Moses extolled here stands between Paul’s assertion that the New Covenant superseded the covenant of Moses and Jesus' assurance that the Law of Moses stands firm. The psalmist recalls the great boon given to the Children of Israel as God gave the Law to Moses on the holy mountain.
 
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GOSPEL: Matthew 13:44-46
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”
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Commentary on Mt 13:44-46
 
The parable of the buried treasure and the parable of the pearl have the same point. One who understands the Kingdom of Heaven and sees its worth joyfully places obtaining that promise before all else. It is the primacy of Christ’s teaching that guides the disciple in all things. While these two parables have generally the same meaning, it is interesting to note they have some subtle differences. The parable of the hidden treasure which is found by accident refers to an abundance of gifts.  The parable of the pearl sought out through diligence refers to the beauty of the Kingdom of God.

“Anyone who understands the Kingdom which Christ proposes realizes that it is worth staking everything to obtain it […]. The Kingdom of heaven is difficult to win.  No one can be sure of achieving it, but the humble cry of the repentant man can open wide its doors” (St. Josemaria Escriva, Christ Is Passing By, 180) [5]

CCC: Mt 13:44-45 546
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Reflection:
 
We reflect today on the outward signs of inner conversion.  In the first reading today we hear how Moses, after having a close encounter of the holiest kind, came down the mountain and “he did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant.”  It was as if he had stepped across the threshold and had entered the Kingdom of God.  From that point, the light of his spirit burst out and his physical appearance to those who knew him changed.
 
So remarkable was this change that his friends asked him to veil his face so they would not see it.  Why would they ask such a thing?  It could have been because they were afraid that by looking upon one who had been so thoroughly converted by God they might die, which is what they thought would happen if they ever saw God, face to face. 
 
Their fear could also have been because they recognized their own sinfulness.  Like placing a poor copy of a beautiful painting next to the original, the contrast became so apparent that they could not accept their own flaws.  As a result, they asked Moses to cover himself so he would not shame them.
 
Faith and conversion have that effect.  Internal conversion manifests itself externally.  It is something we must all remember.  A wise person once said, “The person who can remain calm in the face of a heated argument has already won.”  This true statement has a side effect.  The person who cannot remain calm in the face of an emotional argument will become even more incensed and irrational in the face of that calm.  The same is true of the outward peace of conversion in the face of the enemy.  That wondrous peace of Christ can stir up resentment and mistrust in those who do not understand it.  I will quote St. Augustine who famously said: “Resentment is like taking poison and hoping the other person dies.” It is something we must be at least aware of because resentment can blindside us if we are not aware that our inner peace has an exterior affect.
 
Nonetheless, today we pray for that complete conversion that will cause us to glow with the light of our spirit.  May all who encounter us see that light and be comforted by it.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Moses with the Ten Commandments” by Philippe de Champaigne, 1648.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] NAB footnote on Exodus 34:33.
[5] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p.136.

Tuesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

“The Tent of Moses” from the 1728 Figures de la Bible,
illustrated by Gerard Hoet (1648-1733)

 
Readings for Tuesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary:[3]
 
Reading 1: Exodus 33:7-11; 34:5b-9, 28
 
The tent, which was called the meeting tent,
Moses used to pitch at some distance away, outside the camp.
Anyone who wished to consult the LORD
would go to this meeting tent outside the camp.
Whenever Moses went out to the tent, the people would all rise
and stand at the entrance of their own tents,
watching Moses until he entered the tent.
As Moses entered the tent, the column of cloud would come down
and stand at its entrance while the LORD spoke with Moses.
On seeing the column of cloud stand at the entrance of the tent,
all the people would rise and worship
at the entrance of their own tents.
The LORD used to speak to Moses face to face,
as one man speaks to another.
Moses would then return to the camp,
but his young assistant, Joshua, son of Nun,
would not move out of the tent.
 
Moses stood there with the LORD and proclaimed his name, “LORD.”
Thus the LORD passed before him and cried out,
“The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God,
slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity,
continuing his kindness for a thousand generations,
and forgiving wickedness and crime and sin;
yet not declaring the guilty guiltless,
but punishing children and grandchildren
to the third and fourth generation for their fathers’ wickedness!”
Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship.
Then he said, “If I find favor with you, O LORD,
do come along in our company.
This is indeed a stiff-necked people;
yet pardon our wickedness and sins,
and receive us as your own.”
 
So Moses stayed there with the LORD for forty days and forty nights,
without eating any food or drinking any water,
and he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant,
the ten commandments.
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Commentary on Ex 33:7-11; 34:5b-9, 28
 
The excerpts from the Book of Exodus paint a picture of Moses' relationship with God. It is clear from this and previous readings about Moses that he had a unique relationship with the Lord, and was able, as he did in this passage, to intercede on behalf of the people. The construction of the meeting tent described in this passage is taken up in later Scripture. The Ten Commandments are restored to the people following their destruction in Exodus 32:19 as Moses fasts. We note the duration of his fast is of the same duration as Christ’s fast in the desert following his baptism by John.
 
CCC: Ex 33:9-10 697; Ex 33:11 2576; Ex 34:9 210; Ex 34:28 2056
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 103:6-7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13
 
R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
 
The LORD secures justice
and the rights of all the oppressed.
He has made known his ways to Moses,
and his deeds to the children of Israel.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
 
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
 
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
 
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
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Commentary on Ps 103:6-7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13
 
Psalm 103 echoes in gratitude the gift of the Law from Exodus, and the relationship of Moses to God the Father. Though we are unworthy, God shows us love and compassion.
 
CCC: Ps 103 304
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Gospel: Matthew 13:36-43
 
Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house.
His disciples approached him and said,
“Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man,
the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom.
The weeds are the children of the Evil One,
and the enemy who sows them is the Devil.
The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire,
so will it be at the end of the age.
 
The Son of Man will send his angels,
and they will collect out of his Kingdom
all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.
They will throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
Then the righteous will shine like the sun
in the Kingdom of their Father.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
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Commentary on Mt 13:36-43
 
Jesus dismisses the crowd which, in this instance, represents the unbelieving of Israel. The remainder of this passage is directed at instruction of the disciples. The Lord’s explanation of the parable of the weeds clearly shows the intent of the story. The judgment of the wicked by God through his angels will take place in the eschaton (the end times – the end of the age). The righteous will be vindicated (shine like the sun). The final statement, “Whoever has ears ought to hear,” is both a warning and a statement of the need for patience by the faithful.
 
CCC: Mt 13:41-42 1034; Mt 13:41 333; Mt 13:42 1034
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Reflection:
 
So often we forget that there is a dynamic struggle taking place in the world between God and his nemesis, the Evil One, as the Gospel names him.  We mistakenly think that evil is passive in the world and while we should avoid it, it does not seek us out.
 
Jesus makes it clear that the struggle is ongoing and that the children of God are at risk, not just of sinning of their own accord, but of being seduced by the Evil One and falling into eternal fire.  The warning is apt.  The evil of the world has trapped so many right-intentioned people.  We see the devil portrayed in Scripture as a fallen angel.  If, therefore, we consider how an angel might appear to us, we must also consider that should the fallen one present himself to us, how are we to know that it is not one of God’s messengers who persuades us to take a course of action?
 
In the desert, when Christ was tempted by the same Evil One, the devil, we recall, even quoted scripture to the Lord to try to seduce him away from his salvific mission.  He offered food to a hungry man and water to one who thirsted.  He offered all the kingdoms of the earth, essentially the fulfillment of Christ’s mission, to Jesus who came to save all people for the Heavenly Father.  All this he offered if our Lord would but bow to him, the fallen angel.  How tempting that must have been to the Lord as he looked past his trial in the desert and saw at the end of his earthly mission the cross of his passion standing starkly at Golgotha.
 
The Lord’s warning to the disciples and hence to us is indeed apt.  We, who strive to keep Christ’s mission of love visible in the world, are challenged constantly not by some benign evil that sits like a pit for us to avoid; but by a malignant evil, active and insatiable that seeks to ambush us, choke us as weeds, as we attempt to do God’s will.  Our attitude must be one of constant vigilance and prayer.  It is only by keeping this vigil and remaining in a state of constant discernment that we can see evil for what it is and avoid the terrible harvest at the end of time. “Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “The Tent of Moses” from the 1728 Figures de la Bible, illustrated by Gerard Hoet (1648-1733).
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Proper readings for the Memorial of Sts. Joachim and Anne 

Biographical information about Sts. Joachim and Anne

“The Annunciation to Joachim”
by Bartolo DiFredi, 1383

Readings for Monday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Exodus 32:15-24, 30-34
 
Moses turned and came down the mountain
with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands,
tablets that were written on both sides, front and back;
tablets that were made by God,
having inscriptions on them that were engraved by God himself.
Now, when Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting,
he said to Moses, “That sounds like a battle in the camp.”
But Moses answered, “It does not sound like cries of victory,
nor does it sound like cries of defeat;
the sounds that I hear are cries of revelry.”
As he drew near the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing.
With that, Moses’ wrath flared up, so that he threw the tablets down
and broke them on the base of the mountain.
Taking the calf they had made, he fused it in the fire
and then ground it down to powder,
which he scattered on the water and made the children of Israel drink.
 
Moses asked Aaron, “What did this people ever do to you
that you should lead them into so grave a sin?”
Aaron replied, “Let not my lord be angry.
You know well enough how prone the people are to evil.
They said to me, 'Make us a god to be our leader;
as for the man Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt,
we do not know what has happened to him.’
So I told them, 'Let anyone who has gold jewelry take it off.’
They gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out.”
 
On the next day Moses said to the people,
“You have committed a grave sin.
I will go up to the LORD, then;
perhaps I may be able to make atonement for your sin.”
So Moses went back to the LORD and said,
“Ah, this people has indeed committed a grave sin
in making a god of gold for themselves!
If you would only forgive their sin!
If you will not, then strike me out of the book that you have written.”
The LORD answered, “Him only who has sinned against me
will I strike out of my book.
Now, go and lead the people to the place I have told you.
My angel will go before you.
When it is time for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin.”
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Commentary on Ex 32:15-24, 30-34
 
In this passage from Exodus, Moses has gone up Mt. Sinai and has been absent from the people for some time.  In their ignorance, the people are afraid that they have no leadership in the wilderness and ask Aaron to make for them an image of God. (Most scholars agree that the calf was intended to be an image of God rather than a false god.  Graven images of God were forbidden.) Moses smashing the tablets upon which the Law had been engraved by the hand of God was a symbol that the covenant between the people and God had been broken through their sinful actions.
 
Moses' actions in destroying the idol and then having it ground to powder, put in water and drunk by the people creates an ordeal by which the innocent would be spared and the guilty would be punished (see also Numbers 5:11-28). Note also the weak argument Aaron provides.  In Exodus 32:4 he fashions the idol from gold, here he states he simply melted down the gold and the calf miraculously appeared.
 
God’s response to Moses' intercession is that those who committed the sin would be punished on the Day of Judgment. Moses offers his own life as an atonement saying: “If you will not, then strike me out of the book that you have written.” This statement presupposes God has a list of names, a book of life (see also Psalm 69:29) from which a name may be struck and that person shall die.
 
CCC: Ex 32 210; Ex 32:1-34:9 2577
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 106:19-20, 21-22, 23
 
R. (1a) Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
 
Our fathers made a calf in Horeb
and adored a molten image;
They exchanged their glory
for the image of a grass-eating bullock.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
 
They forgot the God who had saved them,
who had done great deeds in Egypt,
Wondrous deeds in the land of Ham,
terrible things at the Red Sea.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
 
Then he spoke of exterminating them,
 but Moses, his chosen one,
Withstood him in the breach
to turn back his destructive wrath.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
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Commentary on Ps 106:19-20, 21-22, 23
 
Psalm 106 is a national lament remembering the events from Exodus 32:7-14, where the Jews brought out of Egypt by Moses fell into idol worship, even as he received the Law on Mt. Horeb. The psalmist reminds the people that Moses interceded and turned away God’s wrath.
 
CCC: Ps 106:23 2577
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Gospel: Matthew 13:31-35
 
Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds.
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed
that a person took and sowed in a field.
It is the smallest of all the seeds,
yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.
It becomes a large bush,
and the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.”
 
He spoke to them another parable.
“The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast
that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch was leavened.”
 
All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables.
He spoke to them only in parables,
to fulfill what had been said through the prophet:
 
I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world.
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Commentary on:  Mt 13:31-35

The Lord continues his descriptions of the Kingdom of Heaven using two parables. The parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the yeast have the same point. What appears to be small grows to miraculous size. What has been insignificant is vastly important; what cannot be seen is unknowingly immense. The parables of the mustard seed and yeast (see also Mark 4:30-32 and Luke 13:18-21) emphasize that from the smallest of beginnings with the proclamation of the word, the Kingdom of God expands to encompass all peoples.
 
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Reflection:
 
We see the events that took place in the Exodus couched in the language of the Hebrew author who recorded them after they had been passed down orally from generation to generation for two thousand years. We marvel at the truth contained in God’s interaction with humankind.  The children of Israel had been led out of Egypt with great hopes and expectations by Moses (accompanied by Aaron).  They had come to Horeb at the base of Mount Sinai footsore and hungry from their journey.  Things were not turning out as they had expected. They had anticipated a quick and easy journey to a land that flowed with milk and honey.  Instead they find a harsh desert, hardship, and in this passage, Moses disappears up the mountain and is gone for a good deal of time.
 
In easier situations in the modern times, people would act the same way.  Deprived of leadership, a new leader would be selected or self-proposed.  Deprived of God, a new god would be selected as the object of adoration.  We see it time and again, those searching for God and failing to find him. In spite of all attempts to show them the Kingdom of God, the face of Jesus, they pick the golden calf instead.  The calf may be represented by material wealth, or perhaps a passionate pursuit of a hedonistic lifestyle, completely self-engrossed.  Failing to find God or dissatisfied by what God stands for, they invent a personal god that ultimately is unsatisfying, hollow, and in the end denies them the love, comfort, and peace they are seeking.
 
We might ask how and why supposedly bright people can be seduced by the golden calf.  It does not take long thought to understand that those who give free reign to their desires for only their own pleasure can easily see and reject God, who tells us that only when all are comforted can we find comfort, only when no one is thirsty can our thirst be satisfied.  The Golden calf represents the selfish and shallow side of human nature.  The standard bearer is Satan, and its golden invitation is to eternal damnation.
 
It is always good to recall that ancient time when the Hebrew people, our predecessors in faith, fell prey to their basest impulses and turned to a false god.  We are reminded of the frailty of our own wills and cautioned to be on guard unless we begin to build our own version of the golden calf.  Our standard is the Cross.  We have the Lamb of God who calls us to holiness.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture is “The Annunciation to Joachim” by Bartolo DiFredi, 1383.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Catechism Links[1]
 
CCC 1335: The miracle of the loaves and fishes prefigures the Eucharist
CCC 814-815, 949-959: Sharing of gifts in the communion of the Church

"Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes”
by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, c. 1670

Readings for Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary:[4]
 
Reading 1: 2 Kings 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.
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Commentary on 2 Kgs 4:42-44
 
The story of the multiplication of the loaves from 2 Kings is part of a series of miraculous events attributed to the Prophet Elisha by his disciples.  This section (2 Kings 4: 1 – 8: 15) is known as the “Fioretti of Elisha” similar to the “Fioretti (popular legends) about St. Francis of Assisi.”
 
In this passage Elisha is in Gilgal and there is a famine in the land.  He is presented with barley loaves from the first fruits of the harvest and instructs his servant to feed one hundred people with the loaves. This is done over the servant’s objections that there would not be enough.  As predicted by the prophet, there was more than enough.  This event prefigures the later account of Jesus feeding the multitudes (as below in John 6:1-15 as well as Mark 6:34-44, Luke 9:10-17, Matthew 14:13-21 and Matthew 15:32-39), a demonstration of God’s love and mercy.
 
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Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 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.
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Commentary on Ps 145:10-11, 15-16, 17-18
 
Psalm 145 is a hymn of praise. These strophes call on the faithful to give thanks to God for opening the gates of his Heavenly Kingdom. The second strophe is a clear reference to the ancient promise in 2 Kings 4:42-44 and the future promise of God feeding the poor in John 6:1-15. They continue praising God for his justice and his creating hand.
 
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Reading II: Ephesians 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.
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Commentary on Eph 4:1-6
 
St. Paul begins this chapter of his letter to the Ephesians with an exhortation to live (walk) in unity with each other. The theological foundation (the "mystery" of Christ - the calling of all men, Gentiles and Jews, to form a single people, the Church) laid down in the previous parts of the letter is now translated into the need to act upon that reality. The apostle's plea for unity uses the litany of bonds that bring Christian unity: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one baptism, and one God and Father.
 
"To show the importance of unity in the Church, and the theological basis of that unity, St Paul quotes an acclamation which may well have been taken from early Christian baptismal liturgy. It implies that the unity of the Church derives from the unicity of the divine essence. The text also reflects the three persons of the Blessed Trinity who are at work in the Church and who keep it together – one Spirit, one Lord, one God and Father." [5]
 
CCC: Eph 4-6 1454; Eph 4-5 1971; Eph 4:2 2219; Eph 4:3-5 866; Eph 4:3 814; Eph 4:4-6 172, 249, 2790
--------------------------------------------
Gospel:
John 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.
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Commentary on Jn 6:1-15
 
This selection from St. John is the fourth sign from his Gospel, the multiplication of the loaves. It is the only miracle story carried in all four Gospels, and closely follows the synoptic Gospels (Mark 6:34-44, Luke 9:10-17, Matthew 14:13-21 and Matthew 15:32-39) in most details.
 
We see in this passage the strong reference to the Eucharist as well as a demonstration of God’s great love and mercy. More subtle is the reference to feeding the poor. Barley loaves were traditionally the fare of the poor. It is also interesting to note that, in the Jerusalem translation, the Lord “escaped” into the hills at the end of the story. This implied that the people were immediately aware of the great sign he had facilitated.
 
CCC: Jn 6 1338; Jn 6:5-15 549; Jn 6:15 439, 559
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Reflection:
 
“God feeds his people” is the one-phrase summary of what Scripture says to us today.  In the story from 2 Kings, we see the great Prophet Elisha feeding a hundred people with the first fruits of the harvest.  The story presented to the early Hebrew peoples would have been a testament to the prophet’s favor with God.  We further note that he takes no credit for this event.  Rather he says simply “For thus says the Lord, 'They shall eat and there shall be some left over.’” This formula “Thus says the Lord” is a common reference within prophetic literature for a prediction or a prediction fulfillment story.
 
The sparse details of the setting for this event contrast with the Gospel account from St. John in which the Lord feeds the multitude with five barley loaves and two fishes.  Here the motive and setting are well established and the symbolism of the action on Jesus’ part is compelling.  God, in Jesus, recognized the need of the people.  St. John’s account, committed to paper after long theological reflection, presumes that Christ knew what he was about to do.  The people are fed after the Lord first blesses the food.
 
These acts of God feeding the people are at once both miraculous and predictive in themselves.  God continues to feed us.  The offer is there, like manna provided in the desert (Exodus 16:4ff), for us to take – freely offered in unconditional love only fully possible in the Savior.  In our lives this food takes many forms.  It comes to us in the form of the Eucharist; real bread transubstantiated into Jesus’ resurrected body and blood.  In this spiritual meal we are fed with the sacramental grace that strengthens us and prepares us to continue our journey toward the Father.
 
He feeds us in other ways that are not quite so obviously linked to the symbolism in the Scripture passages we have heard.  He feeds us with the very word that describes his love and concern.  In Sacred Scripture he reveals himself to us.  Like a great artist who molds clay into exquisite art, the inspired words of Scripture describe the wonders of God’s creation, his mercy, and his love for us.  In understanding the Word, we find the Word made flesh in the completeness of his revelation.
 
Finally, he feeds us with his very presence in prayer.  His great consolation comes to us in times of need and we feel his abiding presence as he buoys us up in times of distress and magnifies our joy when we are happy.  He feeds the soul in this way, and we grow in faith and understanding as a result of prayer.
 
God feeds us!  But, as the old saying goes, “You can lead a horse to water….”  We are offered so much from God but ultimately it is up to us to accept what is offered.  Our acceptance constitutes a bond with God: In order for the food he offers to be efficacious, we must allow him to direct our lives along wholesome paths.  His gentle yoke guides us to eternal life.
 
Pax
 
In other years: July 25 Feast of Saint James, Apostle
 

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[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The image used is "Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes” by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, c. 1670.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] Letters of St. Paul, The Navarre Bible, Four Courts Press, 2003, p. 391.