Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.Year B - Sunday, 28 July 2024 (EPISODE: 489)
Image Credit- Shutterstock Licensed. Stock Photo ID: 42044212- Miracle attributed to Jesus, The Feeding of the five thousand people. Photo Contributor- Zvonimir Atletic.
Readings for Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year B
FIRST READING: 2 Kgs 4: 42-44. Twenty loaves
Ps 145: 10-11, 15-16, 17-18. "The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs. "
SECOND READING: Eph 4: 1-6. Preserve unity
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Luke 7: 16). Alleluia, alleluia! A great prophet has appeared among us. God has visited his people.
GOSPEL: John 6: 1-15. Five loaves
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Please listen to the audio recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily), for Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year B - Sunday, 28 July 2024, by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-17th-sunday-ordinary-time-year-b-episode-489/s-ljdULIJka3V
(EPISODE: 489)
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* (Prologue: Fr Paul Kelly)
Love, gentleness and dignity is at the heart of everything Our Lord did and taught.
The miracle with the loaves and the fishes is amazing enough. But HOW he distributes the miraculous loaves and fishes is also PROFOUNDLY important. Our Lord could have had this huge and plentiful supply given out by saying something like: "Okay everyone, line up!! We will hand this out." That is to say, Our Lord could have insisted on handing out the bread and fish like the recipients were just beggars, recipients of charity…. People who merely grab and clutch the food. But no!! Our Lord respects each person's dignity. He asks that everyone sits down, in groups…. In little community groups. The food is brought to the people, and they eat it as equals and with all dignity. Truly a second miracle has occurred…..an equally needed miracle. Yes, we have people who are in physical need; and we also have people in our society who are crying out for a sense of dignity, for equality and who do not want to be treated just like a number. People still cry out for human and respectful interaction and an experience of a real and nurturing community.
Our Lord gives us both nourishment and dignity and asks us to do the same.
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(Homily): "Bread with Dignity"
This weekend's first reading and gospel are closely connected. They speak of God's compassionate feeding of the people in their time of need. It's also a reminder of God's desire for us to offer our gifts, our resources, and talents to others for the good of all.
We offer these gifts to God through our care for each other. The gifts we have, we're given to share. We're very mindful of the many areas in the world where there are huge numbers of people who don't even have enough of the basics of life.
Food, water, shelter, health care, education, safety or even freedom. We're inspired to work to help those people through the caring help of missionaries and charitable groups who meet those essential needs. And the ideal is those groups who follow the example of Christ and meet people on the ground in their own situations.
In the gospel, it's been noted that our Lord is very careful to make it clear that his actions in feeding the crowd are not meant to be any kind of show of power or wonder. These acts were not intended to win him popularity. In fact, our Lord shuns popularity and swiftly leaves the scene after this extraordinary event in order to prevent the popular enthusiasm of the crowd from rising up and to avoid the unsavoury situation of people trying to make him an earthly king.
That's not what he wanted. Our Lord's actions are motivated only by compassion and for concern for the real needs of his people. Real practical needs.
And he calls on his disciples, that's us too, to do everything we can to use our resources that we have available to be real food for the hungry and help for those most in need. It's so reassuring to remember that God is the one who gives us what we need in due season. God has our concerns in his heart.
It's God who works to give us what we need, and he calls upon others to assist in the meeting of real human needs of others. When we're tempted to lose hope or to question, then the words of the scriptures remind us that God is completely faithful and desires that we are fed. God is generous, but God does not want us to waste this generosity, even a crumb of the graces and blessings he gives us.
We should use them for the benefit of others. Our Lord calls us to give and keep giving without counting the cost, without the expectation of return. Our Lord promises to transform this heartfelt but humble offering of ours into many things of rich grace.
There's a beautiful reflection attributed to Saint Teresa of Kolkata, which I think was actually written by a man named Kent M Keith and published in a 1968 college pamphlet. However, a copy of this reflection was kept on the wall in Mother Teresa's children's home. It goes like this.
"People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centred.
Forgive them anyway.
If you're kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you're honest and sincere, people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others may destroy overnight.
Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it may never be enough.
Give your best anyway."
The gospel does not make judgment or self-justification into the common bond between us, but rather God makes love and goodwill, generosity of spirit, as the true bond that unites us all. We love our neighbour precisely because God's presence is in everyone around us, whether the others recognize it in return or whether or not they recognize the beauty of God's indwelling spirit in themselves or in their own actions. The second reading has Saint Paul imploring us, pleading with us, live a life worthy of your vocation in humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love.
I think it's fair to say that Saint Paul would not have had to need to plead with us to bear with each other if it was already an easy thing to do. It's not easy to follow the way of our Lord. It doesn't always come naturally to bear with one another in patience and love, even if it's what we're made for and destined for, because we are called to live in communion with God and allow God to transform our humanity into the shining image of God's divine life and values, and that's something divine that comes from God's grace.
Love, gentleness and dignity are at the heart of everything our Lord does. Our Lord respects each and every person's dignity, and that's shown in the miracle of the loaves and too. He asks that everyone sits down in groups, in little communities.
The food is brought to the people, and they eat it as equals with great dignity. It's not just handed out as if the recipients were mere beggars. No one wants to be treated just like a number.
Many people are crying out for human and respectful interactions and experiences of real and nurturing community. Our Lord gives us both nourishment and dignity. Jesus never stops at half measures.
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References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly
Kent M. Keith. "The Paradoxical Commandments: Finding Personal Meaning in a Crazy World." October 25, 2001." (ISBN-10: 1930722052).
+ Some ideas are taken from Gustavo Gutierrez, "sharing the word through the liturgical year."
Abbotts Homily, Monastery of Christ in the Desert
Image Credit- Shutterstock Licensed. Stock Photo ID: 42044212- Miracle attributed to Jesus, The Feeding of the five thousand people. Photo Contributor- Zvonimir Atletic.
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year B (Sunday, July 25, 2021)
(EPISODE: 489 )
The grace of our Lord Our Lord Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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{{May Our Lord's generosity inspire you. }} welcome everyone, we gather - To Pray, listen and reflect upon God and God's Kingdom.
Coming together as Gods family, let us call to mind our sins.
Lord Jesus, you healed the sick: Lord, have mercy//You forgave sinners: Christ, have mercy//You give us yourself to heal us and bring us strength: Lord, have mercy.
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
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Memorial Acclamation
2. When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord until you come again.
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Ps 145: 10-11, 15-16, 17-18. "The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs. "
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Luke 7: 16). Alleluia, alleluia! A great prophet has appeared among us. God has visited his people.
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EP IV (with own preface)
(theme variation: 3 )
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{Thanks for joining us for this time of prayer and reflection}
Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.
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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
To listen to our weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks
Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly
Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)
Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)
"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.
Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993) . (Sydney Australia).
Sung "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" - By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria, Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org.
- "Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - in memory of William John (Bill) Kelly (1942-2017) - Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
"Quiet Time." Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.
- "Today I Arise" - For Trisha J Kelly. Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
Sound Engineering and editing - P.W. Kelly.
Microphone: - Shure Motiv MV5 Digital Condenser.
Editing equipment: NCH software - MixPad Multitrack Studio Recording Software
NCH – WavePad Audio Editing Software. Masters Edition v 12.44
Sound Processing: iZotope RX 6 Audio Editor
[Production - KER - 2024]
May God bless and keep you.
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