Reading I Responsorial Psalm Reading II GospelPosted on 08/04/2002 2:55:26 PM PDT by Salvation
Reading I Responsorial Psalm Reading II GospelReading I
Is 55:1-3
Thus says the LORD:
All you who are thirsty,
come to the water!
You who have no money,
come, receive grain and eat;
Come, without paying and without cost,
drink wine and milk!
Why spend your money for what is not bread;
your wages for what fails to satisfy?
Heed me, and you shall eat well,
you shall delight in rich fare.
Come to me heedfully,
listen, that you may have life.
I will renew with you the everlasting covenant,
the benefits assured to David.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 145:8-9, 15-16, 17-18
R. (cf. 16) The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
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
Rom 8:35, 37-39
Brothers and sisters:
What will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?
No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly
through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities,
nor present things, nor future things,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Gospel
Mt 14:13-21
When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist,
he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.
The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said,
"This is a deserted place and it is already late;
dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages
and buy food for themselves."
Jesus said to them, "There is no need for them to go away;
give them some food yourselves."
But they said to him,
"Five loaves and two fish are all we have here."
Then he said, "Bring them here to me,"
and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples,
who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied,
and they picked up the fragments left over--
twelve wicker baskets full.
Those who ate were about five thousand men,
not counting women and children.
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Sunday, August 04, 2002
Meditation
Matthew 14:13-21
As much as Jesus wanted to satisfy the physical hunger of the more than five thousand people he fed that day in Galilee, he wanted to fill their spirits even more. From the earliest centuries, the church has seen the multiplication of bread and fish as pointing toward something even greater: the Eucharist, in which Jesus feeds millions every day with his body and blood.
Imagine the grace that’s available at Mass, if only we “hearken diligently” to the Lord (Isaiah 55:2). What could be more life-changing than joining with so many of God’s people in a prayer of praise and adoration? What could be more powerful than receiving Jesus Christ himself, letting his flesh and blood mingle with ours, letting his Holy Spirit lift our spirits up to the very throne of heaven? No wonder countless saints have sung the praises of the Eucharist!
And yet, we all know how easy it can be to go to Mass without expecting to be changed. We all know how quickly the prayers and readings can take a back seat to thoughts about our day, daydreams about the future, or worries about the past. How can we reverse this tendency? By preparing.
Try taking a little time with the Lord before heading out the door for Mass. Ask him to examine your heart and show you where you might need to repent so that at the penitential rite, you will know forgiveness. Set aside some time to read the Scripture passages ahead of time, so that when they are proclaimed in the liturgy you will hear Jesus speaking to you personally. Take a few moments to remember Christ’s body, broken for you on the cross and thank him for loving you even unto death. Whatever you do, know that as you come to the Lord’s table, with humble, repentant hearts, willing to be changed by the Lord, the Eucharist can become one of the most powerful experiences of your life. May we all come to taste and see the goodness of the Lord!
“Jesus, I am amazed by your compassion. Thank you for sacrificing your life on the altar of the cross so that I might have your life in me. Thank you for feeding me with your own self. By your Spirit, help me open myself up to the transforming power of your love.”
Let Us Hear with Our Hearts
Website Supplement: Aug. 4, 2002
God cares for us, and we in turn learn how to care for others, for each other, and for our loving God. This requires us to open our ears to hear, and open our hearts to understand.
Faith-sharing and Bible study groups can prepare for the Aug. 4, 2002 Sunday celebration of the Mass by first reviewing the format for sharing the word on page 3 of the July 21-September 28, 2002 issue of Share The Word. For today’s Scripture readings on which this website reflection and the published Share The Word reflection are based, go to: www.nccbuscc.org/nab.
Then, prayerfully discuss pages 23-25, which is the Aug. 4, 2002 reflection on the Scripture readings for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. This reflection explores how God’s superabundant care for our well-being results in nothing being able to separate us from God’s power to save.
The material that follows can be used to supplement your faith-sharing group or personal reflection on the readings and the Aug. 4, 2002 Share The Word reflection with further examination of the Scriptures of this Sunday.
Help us Share The Word…
We thank God for the popularity of these website supplements to the published Share The Word reflections on the Sunday Scriptures. However, as with all faith-based organizations, Share The Word must in good stewardship cover our expenses. Thus beginning with the next issue, Ordinary Time 4 issue (Sept. 29-Nov. 30, 2002), these Sunday supplements will be available to subscribers only. For more information on subscribing, click “Subscribe” above, call 1-800-237-5515, or write Share The Word, 3031 Fourth St. NE, Washington, DC 20017-1102.
Share The Word enriches the spiritual life of readers every day of the year. The magazine includes daily reflections on a Scripture reading from Mass. Always new Sunday reflections give individuals and groups insights into all the readings proclaimed at Sunday Mass. Practical articles on Scripture, evangelization, and spirituality help people grow in faith and share it with others. At $20 a year—just 5 cents a day—it’s a blessing!
Opening Prayer
Lord God, you invite us to come to you that we may have life
(first reading)
for you satisfy the desire of every living thing,
(responsorial psalm)
even as your beloved Son satisfied the hunger of those eager for his word.
(gospel reading)
May we draw closer to him, and never be separated from his love,
that all our deepest hungerings may be fulfilled in him, who is Lord forever and ever. Amen.
(second reading)
The First Reading—Isaiah 55:1-3
We take another look at the overture and finale of Second Isaiah.
Background
As earlier, on the 15th Sunday, we look at the opening and closing chapters of Second Isaiah as “overture” (ch. 40) and “finale” (ch, 55). The themes first sounded receive more dramatic treatment at the end, and are given full resonance.
Shepherd: The opening chapter announced that God would soon step into history, and rescue the people of Judah from their captivity. God would come to their aid as a shepherd assists a flock. God would feed the flock, and “gather the lambs,” leading them out of exile with care (40:11).
King: Taken captive by the armies of Babylon’s king, the people witnessed the death of the last king from David’s dynasty. They felt even more helpless. The prophet had to address their lack of a leader. It is God who “rules by his strong arm” (40:10), and “makes the rulers of the earth as nothing” (40:23). It is God who is their king!
Now, in Sunday’s verses from the final chapter of this book, or the finale as we have called it, those two themes recur, and are given deeper expression.
Commentary
Shepherd (55:1-2): The style of these opening verses resembles that found so often in the wisdom books. There, Lady Wisdom issued an invitation: “Come, eat of my food, and drink of the wine I have mixed” (Pry 9:5).
Here, it is the Lord who issues an invitation. It is mingled, however, with commands. Three times the people are ordered to come. This triple command has all the tenderness of a shepherd’s call to the sheep of his flock, before a final command is uttered: “Heed me!” (v. 2b).
King (v. 3): Finally, the invitations to come blend with the command to heed. They form a single declaration, as we hear God declare: “Come to me heedfully!” The people have been wearied by their captivity, and were less willing to hear what the prophet had been proclaiming.
Lest they be further lulled by the gentleness of their Shepherd’s invitations, and the prophet’s promises of rescue, they are given a command. Listen!
It is in this final invitation, now become a command, that the images of God as shepherd and as king become one.
God does rule (40:10), and will bring about the end of Babylon’s power, making “the rulers of the earth as nothing” (40:23).
True, David’s dynasty had come to an end, and there was no king to rule over Judah. But God ruled the world, and so this prophet can promise that “the benefits assured to David” would not be forgotten.
God bestowed many blessings on David, the shepherd whom God chose to become a king. All that God did for David, however, had a single purpose. It was to show that God was the true and only Shepherd of the people called to be “the flock he tends” (Psalm 100:3). And only God would be their true King forever (Psalm 99:1).
With the end of David’s dynasty, that purpose had not been thwarted. Now, instead of conferring benefits on a single person for the welfare of all, God would bestow divine blessings upon all. A royal power would be transferred to them.
The choice of David was but the “overture” to a blessed history. Second Isaiah pens this “finale,” and gives the opening themes of his composition their fullest resonance.
The Responsorial—Psalm 145:8-9 & 15-18
We have already looked at this psalm for the Fourteenth Sunday, but then, the psalm itself is a “second look” at other psalms in the Psalter!
Background
Psalm 145 is an “alphabetical psalm,” or an “acrostic psalm.” Each verse begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, in order. There are many such psalms in the Psalter, and one of them, Psalm 111, comes readily to mind.
Apart from the use of the alphabet in its arrangement of verses, many phrases found in Psalm 111 appear to be exact copies of the phrases used in Psalm 145. For example:
Psalm 111 declares: “gracious and merciful is the Lord” (v. 4); Psalm 145 states: “The Lord is gracious and merciful” (v. 8).
Psalm 111 declares how “great are the works of the Lord” (v. 2); Psalm 145 tells us, “Great is the Lord” (v. 3), and “holy in all his works” (v. 13).
Psalm 111 celebrates the truth that God “has given food to those who fear him” (v. 5); Psalm 145 reveals that God gives “food in due season” (v. 15).
Both psalms mention “the works” that God performs, and celebrates how “wondrous” they are, revealing the power and majesty of God. And both psalms include the gentle and generous gift of “food” as being among the mighty deeds of God.
For this reason, the church has traditionally borrowed verses from both psalms for recitation before and after meals. The theology behind such usage must impress us. It is God who provides our food, even when we produce it ourselves, or earn it by our labor.
What human strength can achieve is actually a work of the Lord! And when we “give food” to the hungry, that work of God is even more apparent, for it bears direct resemblance to the providence of God, and is a sharing in that kindness of God.
The idea is worth repeating, and the very fact that the Psalter comes back to this idea again and again is proof of that.
Commentary
We recall, for a moment, the obvious structure employed by our psalmist. Descriptions of God’s mighty works (vv. 1-10) and God’s provident works (vv. 14-21) serve as “frames” for the central theme, the “kingdom” of God (vv. 10-13).
Verses 8-9: This section has already mentioned the might” of God (v. 4) and the splendor of God (v. 5). Those same terms will appear, in the same order, at the start of the central section, describing the kingdom of God (vv. 11 & 12).
By using the same words, our psalmist has framed a truth that is told in these verses, the kindness and compassionate nature of God. The basic truth about God, one that flies in the face of a commonly accepted view of human nature, is asserted: gentleness is powerful!
It is not a weakness on God’s part to show kindness, and to be “slow to anger.” To the contrary, it is a powerful and mighty “work,” and one that can be imitated by all who would praise God.
Verses 15-18: A look at the identical phrase, found in vv. 13b and 17, also indicates a “framing” of a central truth. God is “holy in all his works.” It is not only the might of God that is evident in deeds of compassion, but the very holiness of God!
God answers the needs of all who look hopefully for help. Indeed, God is near to “all who call upon him” in their need (v. 18). We are being given an unusual look at the notion of the holiness of God.
When Moses first encountered God, as he approached a burning bush, he knew that he was on “holy ground.” He “hid his face,” because he was “afraid to look at God” (Exodus 3:4-6).
When Elijah was summoned to stand before the Lord (as told in last Sunday’s first reading) he “hid his face in his cloak” (1 Kings 19:13).
When Isaiah was called to be a prophet, he heard the heavenly choir singing: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.” Hearing the song which we still sing, he could only cry out, “Woe is me, I am doomed!” (Isaiah 6:1-5).
If our psalm looks back at other psalms, it also takes a second look at the reactions of those who stood before the very holiness of God. All who hid their faces, or spoke words of fear, were afraid to look upon God. The splendor of God overwhelmed them.
For our psalmist, the compassion of God reveals the splendor of his works. No need, our psalmist is saying, to be afraid to call upon God, or even to look upon God. There is every need to look toward God, the Lord who is “gracious and merciful.”
The Second Reading—Romans 8:35 & 37-39
“The fruit of the Spirit is love” (Galatians 5:22).
Background
Paul lists love as the first of the nine virtues that form the singular “fruit of the Spirit” described by Paul. But in this present section of Romans, which describes the work of the Spirit, love comes last, in place of honor and importance.
When he began this section, Paul asked a question: “What then shall we say?” (6:1). Now, at its close, he returns to that same question: “What then shall we say to this?” (8:31). And he adds six additional questions, for a total of seven, the biblical number for completeness and perfection (vv. 31b-39).
In fact, numbers will play a significant role in this entire closing argument.
Commentary
Verse 35a: Paul had just asked “who will bring a charge against” Christians (v. 33), and “who will condemn” them (v. 34)? Now he asks, “what will separate” Christians from the love of Christ? That is the opening question, and the remainder of the verse provides a reply, phrased as a question as well.
Verse 35b: Paul lists six possibilities, upsetting things that might easily cause someone to forget how deeply loved we are. All of them were faced by Paul himself. Elsewhere, he will describe his difficulties in greater detail (2 Corinthians 11:24-29).
The very number is significant. It represents incompleteness, of course, and came to stand for evil. The number 666, for example, found in the Book of Revelation (13:18), is seen as the epitome of evil, a threefold evil, the evil counterpart to the triune God.
And the final item is significant as well. Paul mentions “the sword,” and with great irony. This is his final letter before his own martyrdom! (He is depicted, in religious art, with the book of the Gospel he preached, and the sword by which he gave his life in service to that Gospel.)
Verses 37-39: Christ conquered death, the consequence of evil. And Christ’s victory makes us conquerors as well. No one can “bring a charge” against us, or condemn us, and nothing can remove us from the love of Christ.
Once again, Paul lists the possibilities, things that appear to be powerful, none of which are as powerful as God’s love.
And, once again, numbers play a role, for with the use of several couplets, Paul lists six possibilities.
First, he joins death and life together, for life is basic to us, and its ending inspires fear.
Second, he mentions “angels” and “principalities.” The terms refer to spiritual forces, unseen by mortals. Such forces were viewed as powerful and in control of the universe.
Third, Paul uses a couplet that presents the notion of time, over which none of us has any power or control. The present and the future, and all that they hold, have no hold over those whom God loves.
Fourth, Paul mentions “powers,” which could be another name for spiritual forces. Separated from “angels” and “principalities” as it is, however, the word refers to civil authorities, the earthly powers that could bring charges and condemn Christians to death (vv. 33-34).
Fifth, the next couplet presents the notion of space. Both terms refer to the highest and lowest point of a star’s position to influence earth. Paul has astrology in mind, and today’s interest in horoscopes proves how strong an influence some people consider the stars to be!
Sixth, the final term and, perhaps, the most significant. Paul refers to “any other creature.” It is his way of saying that everything else in this list is a created thing, whether seen or unseen. All were created. None of them could possibly equal the power of the God who formed them, the God who loves us!
God’s love is so overwhelming that there could be no other response but love in return. And even God has provided that response. “The fruit of the Spirit is love!”
The Gospel Reading—Matthew 14:13-21
“The hero of my tale is ... Truth. “ So Tolstoy wrote, and Matthew could have written it as readily.
Background
The parables that filled the 13th chapter are over. “When Jesus finished these parables, he went away from there” (13:53). The stories may have ended, but the story continues. For in reality, all the parables formed a single story.
Twice as the parables were presented we were given an explanation, and told why Jesus taught in parables.
First, as the prophet foretold, it would be God who spoke “in parables” that Jesus was telling (13:35). The very stories of Jesus fulfill that prophecy!
Second, the stories were told despite the fact that many “will hardly hear with their ears” or “understand with their hearts” (13:15). In other words, the rejection of the truth (that God was speaking through Jesus) was also foreseen by prophets.
All seven parables actually formed a single “parable.” In Jesus, God was present announcing the divine kingdom, and those who refused to “understand” this truth would become “parables” in a way, symbols of the rejection which prophets foreknew.
Now that the actual stories have finished, the story continues. God continues to speak in Jesus, and many continue to reject that truth. The more Jesus speaks, the greater the rejection.
In this section (chs. 14-17), the truth about Jesus is declared with greater intensity. The rejection of that truth by many also grows more intensely.
This section opens with the rejection of Jesus by his own “native place” (13:54-58). Next, the death of John the Baptist is narrated (14:1-12). It points to the ultimate rejection of Jesus, his own death, which he will begin to predict shortly.
Yet the truth about Jesus continues to be told!
Commentary
The truth that Jesus announced in the words of his parables is now clearly set forth in a “deed.” When the parables were told, emphasis was placed on the many who would refuse to understand. But disciples did show a willingness to hear, and their role becomes clearer now.
When the parables were told, Jesus quoted the prophet Isaiah. Many would refuse to listen “and be converted,” so that God could “heal them” (Mt 13:15). God’s desire to heal is the reason for speaking out despite rejection.
As this incident opens, God’s desire to heal is apparent at the outset. Seeing the vast crowds, and their state, Jesus is “moved with pity,” and we learn that “he cured their sick” (14:14). That compassion will now be expressed as Jesus sees the needs of other crowds.
The place may have been deserted, but the crowds who gathered there would not be deserted by their God. They had a need for food, but “no need for them to go away” to obtain food, as disciples suggested.
Those disciples, who evidenced a willingness to “hear with their ears” and “understand with their hearts,” are now being asked to truly hear with their hearts. They are told to “give them some food themselves”!
All they had were a few loaves and fishes. The inadequacy of food is symbolic, or “parabolic” if you will, of their own inadequate understanding of themselves. And what Jesus will do with the food is itself a symbol or “parable” of what Jesus will accomplish with those who cling to him!
The “hero of this story,” as Tolstoy observed, “is Truth.”
The truth about Jesus, and the truth we learn about ourselves, surfaces here. And, like the loaves and fishes, it is a truth grown large!
The Sharing
The Opening Prayer is recited. The readings take place, and several moments of prayerful silence precede the discussion of the following or other questions.
The First Reading—Isaiah 55:1-3
Study Questions: What images for God surface in this reading? How are each significant, given the Exile?
Reflections: Do you consider yourself “thirsty” for the things of God? What satisfies that thirst in your life?
The Responsorial—Psalm 145:8-9 & 15-18
Study Questions: Why is the structure of three stanzas so significant? How is God’s might displayed in this psalm?
Reflections: Given the use of this psalm as a prayer before meals, is there any other time you might use it in prayer?
The Second Reading—Romans 8:35 & 37-39
Study Questions: How do the numbers 6 and 7 figure into our text? What does each signify, in Paul’s mind?
Reflections: Could you list anything in today’s world that might lead some to feel separated from the love of God?
The Gospel Reading—Matthew 14:13-21
Study Questions: How is this chapter related to the preceding chapter of seven parables?
Reflections: What one emotion, on Christ’s part, is most apparent in this passage? How have you experienced it?
Closing Prayer—A Blessing of Loaves
The Gospel reading prompts the members to bring loaves of bread, or rolls, placing them on the table where the Bible rests. Then this rite of blessing takes place.
Leader: No longer will your Teacher hide himself.
All: With our own eyes we shall see our Teacher.
(Isaiah 30:20)
Leader: Nourish us with the bread of understanding.
All: And give us the water of learning to drink.
(Sirach 15:3)
Leader: O Lord, hear our prayer.
All: And let our cry come to you.
Leader: Let us pray. (All pray briefly in silence.)
Loving Creator, we give you thanks for the food you have bestowed on us.
We bless you for the gift of Jesus Christ, the “heavenly bread” you sent to us,
who “gives life to the world” (John 6:33).
As he blessed the loaves, and gave them to the people he pitied,
so may these loaves be a sign of your compassion toward us,
and move us to come to the aid of all who hunger.
May our lives answer their deepest hungerings, that all may see,
in what we say and do, the Teacher who nourishes us with your word,
sustains us with his own body and blood, and whose own words taught us to pray:
All: Our Father...
The loaves are not returned, but exchanged. They can be given to those in need. If used at home throughout the week as a reminder of God’s word and provident care, other provisions can be given to those who assist the hungry.
That was precisely what I experienced at Mass this morning. This fellow was rotund but what a voice and sang with so much compassion it brought a tear to my eye...What marred it slightly was this teenager in front of me, seemingly oblivious that she was in a church and fidgeted incessantly.
You and I must be kindred souls. ;)
I can't stand the noise or the clothing that looks immodest.
Prayer Ping!
Please post your prayers to Dakota gal in Seattle.
Or the gum chewing that seems to go on during Mass. (My pet peeve.)
Our priest looked at this morning's Gospel reading from the historical point of view looking back at how some people were fed in the Old Testament (I think he said Elisha in Kings, Chap. 4. And then he referenced another old testament reading of a similar line.
Then he focused us forward to the feeding of the 5,000 in today's Gospel and how Jesus
took the bread and two fish
looked to heaven
asked God's blessing
broke the bread
and then gave it to his apostles to distribute. There were 12 baskets of leftovers also--------this part never registered for me-------one for each of the apostle's. Some commentaries note one for each tribe of the Israelites.
Then our priest went forward even further to today, where the priest
takes the bread and wine
looks to heaven
gives thanks
asks the blessing on the bread and wine (in the words of Jesus)
and distributes it to the Deacon and Eucharistic ministers-------who then distribute it to the multitudes at all the Masses every Sunday.
He then called on all of us to be a disciple, much like a member of the 5,000. Would they have gone home and said nothing about Jesus feeding that many people with a few loaves and 2 fish? No, they would have gone forth and talked to people and invited them to go along with them to listen to Jesus the next time he was in the vicinity. Likewise, our priest told us that we are disciples, and should go forth and tell others about the good news of Jesus Christ and invite them to come and know him in the breaking of the bread during Mass.
It was really a good homily.
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