3 August 2015

by

Monday, 3 August 2015 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day, in continuation from the last Sunday’s readings, we heard about how the people of Israel grumbled and complained about the food which they have received from God Himself. God fed them with manna in the desert, so that in a place where no life could have existed, they would still be well fed and be filled in their stomachs and be satisfied in all things.

And God also gave them large birds and other good things to eat, and provide them with sweet and crystal clear water to drink, from the rocks themselves. This is such that even though the whole multitudes of Israel is so huge, but they could be sustained and were provided for as they made their journey through the desert on the way to the Promised Land.

But yet, the people did not feel grateful to the Lord for whatever He had done. They complained that the manna does not taste good and is bland, although it was truly bread from heaven, that the angels ate and partake together, it is a great privilege for them to have a share in that heavenly sustenance. And as described in the Scriptures, the manna actually has a good taste, like honey, sweet and fulfilling.

It was because they have been so blinded and thus unable to see or witness the love which God had given all of them. They succumbed to the temptations of their bodies and their flesh, and as we all should know, it is very difficult to satisfy our own desires. If we have more things and more goods with us, then all the more we want to have even more of what we already had.

For example, if we have plenty of food and good things, the tendency is for us to want and desire even more of them. We are very difficult to satisfy, as our greed and desires always tend to get the better of us. This is also exactly why the people of Israel had acted the way they did. This is because they were so accustomed to the pleasures of the flesh, the temptations of this world, that when they encountered difficulties of life and the disciplined way of the Lord, they rebelled and made a lot of complaints.

In the Gospel today, we also heard how Jesus fed the multitudes of five thousand people, with only five loaves and two fishes to feed them. And yet, by the power that is in Him, He made all the things possible, and He fed all the people until they were all satisfied and yet with twelve baskets worth of leftovers. He showed the eminent and great love of God, which He had freely given to all of us.

What does this show us, brethren? It shows us that even though we have sinned and rebelled against God again and again, but He continued to show us an undying love that goes even beyond our wickedness and sins. God continues to give us chance after chance, and opportunity after opportunity. Of course this does not mean that we can just take advantage of this and take it for granted.

For God had given none other than His own Son, a part of Himself so that by His suffering on the cross, for the sake and atonement of our sins, He may gather us all, a people to be consecrated in holiness to God. Through the giving of His Body and by the outpouring of His Blood, which He accomplished perfectly on the cross, He had done even more than what we witnessed in the Gospel today.

This is because while those who received the bread from heaven or manna were dead because of their sinfulness, and those who ate from the bread and fishes multiplied by Jesus were not guaranteed salvation and life in what they received, those who truly accepted the Lord and received Him with honour and proper worthiness, all of them received the fullness of God’s promise through Jesus.

And what is this promise? That death will no longer have any more power or dominion over any of us, and that we may have eternal life, true life that comes from the Lord. Yes, one that has no end or limits, because we would draw life and grace from God Himself, who will dwell with us and enjoy forever the eternal bliss of the world that He has prepared for us.

He is the Bread of Life who had come from heaven, in His own words, which He made clear to His disciples. Whoever takes his or her share in Him, they will not be disappointed, for God will be with them, and if they are faithful to the end, then God too will not abandon them. This is what all of us ought to realise, and what we have to look up to, and strive for in our own lives.

May Almighty God bless and guide us in our path, so that we may walk righteously in His ways, and seek to always find Him in our daily lives, and live according to His commandments, that by worthily sharing in His Body and Blood in the Eucharist, and by our faith made concrete through action, we may be justified and glorified in God. God bless us all. Amen.

by

Monday, 3 August 2015 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 14 : 13-21

At that time, on hearing about the death of John the Baptist, Jesus set out by boat for a secluded place, to be alone. But the people heard of it, and they followed Him on foot from their towns. When Jesus went ashore, He saw the crowd gathered there and He had compassion on them. And He healed their sick.

Late in the afternoon, His disciples came to Him and said, “We are in a lonely place and it is now late. You should send these people away, so they can go to the villages and buy something for themselves to eat.”

But Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat.” They answered, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fishes.” Jesus said to them, “Bring them here to Me.” Then He made everyone sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fishes, raised His eyes to heaven, pronounced the blessing, broke the loaves, and handed them to the disciples to distribute to the people.

And they all ate, and everyone had enough; then the disciples gathered up the leftovers, filling twelve baskets. About five thousand men had eaten there, besides women and children.

by

Monday, 3 August 2015 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 80 : 12-13, 14-15, 16-17

But My people did not listen; Israel did not obey. So I gave them over to their stubbornness and they followed their own counsels.

If only My people would listen, if only Israel would walk in My ways, I would quickly subdue their adversaries and turn My hand against their enemies.

Those who hate the Lord would cringe before Him, and their panic would last forever. I would feed you with the finest wheat and satisfy you with honey from the rock.

by

Monday, 3 August 2015 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Numbers 11 : 4b-15

The Israelites wept and said, “Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish we ate without cost in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions and garlic. Now our appetite is gone; there is nothing to look at, nothing but manna.”

Now the manna was like coriander seed and had the appearance of bedellium. The people went about gathering it up and then ground it between millstones or pounded it in a mortar. They boiled it in a pot and made cakes with it which tasted like cakes made with oil. As soon as dew fell at night in the camp, the manna came with it.

Moses heard the people crying, family by family at the entrance of their tent and YHVH became very angry. This displeased Moses. Then Moses said to YHVH, “Why have You treated Your servant so badly? Is it because You do not love me that You burdened me with this people? Did I conceive all these people and did I give them birth?”

“And now You want me to carry them in my bosom as a nurse carries an infant, to the land You promised on oath to their fathers? Where would I get meat for all these people, when they cry to me saying : ‘Give us meat that we may eat?’ I cannot, myself alone, carry all these people; the burden is too heavy for me. Kill me rather than treat me like this, I beg of You, if You look kindly on me, and let me not see Your anger.”