Tuesday after Epiphany
Lectionary: 213
Lectionary: 213
Beloved, let us
love one another,
because love is of God;
everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
In this way the love of God was revealed to us:
God sent his only-begotten Son into the world
so that we might have life through him.
In this is love:
not that we have loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
because love is of God;
everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
In this way the love of God was revealed to us:
God sent his only-begotten Son into the world
so that we might have life through him.
In this is love:
not that we have loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
Responsorial Psalm PS 72:1-2, 3-4, 7-8
R. (see 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The mountains shall yield peace for the people,
and the hills justice.
He shall defend the afflicted among the people,
save the children of the poor.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The mountains shall yield peace for the people,
and the hills justice.
He shall defend the afflicted among the people,
save the children of the poor.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Alleluia LK 4:18
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor
and to proclaim liberty to captives.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor
and to proclaim liberty to captives.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 6:34-44
When Jesus saw the
vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.
By now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already very late.
Dismiss them so that they can go
to the surrounding farms and villages
and buy themselves something to eat.”
He said to them in reply,
“Give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Are we to buy two hundred days’ wages worth of food
and give it to them to eat?”
He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”
And when they had found out they said,
“Five loaves and two fish.”
So he gave orders to have them sit down in groups on the green grass.
The people took their places in rows by hundreds and by fifties.
Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples
to set before the people;
he also divided the two fish among them all.
They all ate and were satisfied.
And they picked up twelve wicker baskets full of fragments
and what was left of the fish.
Those who ate of the loaves were five thousand men.
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.
By now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already very late.
Dismiss them so that they can go
to the surrounding farms and villages
and buy themselves something to eat.”
He said to them in reply,
“Give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Are we to buy two hundred days’ wages worth of food
and give it to them to eat?”
He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”
And when they had found out they said,
“Five loaves and two fish.”
So he gave orders to have them sit down in groups on the green grass.
The people took their places in rows by hundreds and by fifties.
Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples
to set before the people;
he also divided the two fish among them all.
They all ate and were satisfied.
And they picked up twelve wicker baskets full of fragments
and what was left of the fish.
Those who ate of the loaves were five thousand men.
Meditation: "They all ate and were
satisfied"
Nothing can satisfy
the deepest longing and desire of the heart - except God alone. Do you believe
that is true? Of all the miracles Jesus did, the multiplication of loaves and
fishes is the only one which is repeated in all four Gospels. A great crowd of
people had gathered to hear Jesus because they were hungry for God's word.
Jesus' disciples had wanted to send the crowd away at the end of the day
because they did not have the resources to feed them. They even complained how
much money it would take to feed such a large crowd - at least six month's
wages!
Jesus satisfies
our hunger - both physically and spiritually
Jesus did the unthinkable. He took the little food they had - only five loaves and two fish - and giving thanks to his Father in heaven, he blessed and distributed this meager portion to the vast crowd. To the amazement of all, there was more than enough food for everyone present. And they ate until there were satisfied of their hunger. The twelve disciples took up what was left over - twelve baskets full of fish and loaves - so that nothing would be wasted.
Jesus did the unthinkable. He took the little food they had - only five loaves and two fish - and giving thanks to his Father in heaven, he blessed and distributed this meager portion to the vast crowd. To the amazement of all, there was more than enough food for everyone present. And they ate until there were satisfied of their hunger. The twelve disciples took up what was left over - twelve baskets full of fish and loaves - so that nothing would be wasted.
Jesus is the
true bread of heaven - which produces abundant life
What is the significance of this miracle? The miraculous feeding of such a great multitude pointed to God's provision of manna in the wilderness for the people of Israel under Moses' leadership. This food foreshadowed the true heavenly bread which Jesus would offer his followers. Jesus makes a claim only God can make: He is the true bread of heaven that can satisfy the deepest hunger we experience.
What is the significance of this miracle? The miraculous feeding of such a great multitude pointed to God's provision of manna in the wilderness for the people of Israel under Moses' leadership. This food foreshadowed the true heavenly bread which Jesus would offer his followers. Jesus makes a claim only God can make: He is the true bread of heaven that can satisfy the deepest hunger we experience.
The feeding of the
five thousand shows the remarkable generosity of God and his great kindness
towards us. In the multiplication of the loaves and fishes we see a sign and a
symbol of what God always does. When God gives - he gives abundantly. He gives
more than we need for ourselves so that we may have something to share with
others as well, especially those who lack what they need. God takes the little
we have and multiplies it for the good of others. Do you trust in God's
provision for your life and do you freely share what you have with others,
especially those who lack what they need?
"Lord Jesus
Christ, you satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts and you feed us with the
finest of wheat (Psalm 81:16). Fill me with gratitude for your blessings and
give me a generous heart that I may freely share with others what you have
given to me."
TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, CHRISTMAS WEEKDAY, MARK
6:34-44
(1 John 4:7-10; Psalm 72)
(1 John 4:7-10; Psalm 72)
KEY VERSE: "They all ate and were satisfied" (v 42).
TO KNOW: Jesus took his exhausted apostles across the Sea of Galilee to rest in a quiet place. When they arrived, a great crowd was there to greet them. Jesus was not annoyed at this interruption, but was moved with compassion. Because the people were spiritually hungry, he taught them at length. His followers did not perceive that Jesus had nourished their souls, and they urged him to dismiss the crowds so they could find something to eat. Jesus told his disciples to feed the people themselves. Where they saw only scarcity in the few loaves and fish available, Jesus saw an abundance. He blessed the offering and fed the multitude. The miracle looks back to the feeding of Israel in the desert, and anticipates the Eucharistic banquet where all are fed by Christ.
TO LOVE: Lord Jesus, I hunger for your presence in word and sacrament.
TO SERVE: In what ways do I feed hungry souls?
Optional Memorial of André Besette, religious
André Besette was a member of the Congregation of the Holy Cross. He was a doorkeeper at Notre Dame College, Montreal, a Sacristan, laundry worker and messenger. Andre had a special devotion of St. Joseph, and a ministry to the sick who he anointed with oil from a lamp in the college chapel. Many were healed and the word of his power spread. When an epidemic broke out at a nearby college, Andre volunteered to help, No one died, and the trickle of sick people to his door became a flood. By his death, he was receiving 80,000 letters each year from the sick who sought his prayers and healing. Beatified in 1982 by Pope John Paul II, his canonization is pending.
Tuesday 6 January 2015
1 John 4:7-10. Lord, every
nation on earth will adore you. Ps 71(72):1-4, 7-8 Mark 6:34-44.
The apostles feel the
situation is beyond them because their resources are quite inadequate.
However, Jesus, using what
they had, had them distribute it until all ate as much as they wanted. The
people received the food from the hands of the apostles, though the power
producing it emanated from Jesus.
Even now, Lord, you accept
the little we can give—our time, a helping hand, a word of encouragement. You
enlarge and shape it, as we could not, to meet a need.
They collected the
leftovers—why twelve baskets? Jesus’ twelve companions carried the customary
small basket containing food or personal items. The apostles now shared in the
food Jesus lavished on the crowd.
Father, open our eyes to
see your hand at work in the beauty of human life. By offering what you have
given us may we receive the gift of yourself.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
|
Read Scripture
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God lavished love on those who didn’t deserve it. When we reflect
on God’s choice of Jacob the cheater or David the adulterer, or on Jesus’
forgiveness of those who crucified Him, we begin to see that if God’s love
extended to the likes of them, it surely extends to us.
January
6
St. André Bessette
(1845-1937)
St. André Bessette
(1845-1937)
Brother André expressed a saint’s faith by a lifelong devotion to
St. Joseph.
Sickness
and weakness dogged André from birth. He was the eighth of 12 children born to
a French Canadian couple near Montreal. Adopted at 12, when both parents had
died, he became a farmhand. Various trades followed: shoemaker, baker,
blacksmith—all failures. He was a factory worker in the United States during
the boom times of the Civil War.
At 25, he
applied for entrance into the Congregation of the Holy Cross. After a year’s
novitiate, he was not admitted because of his weak health. But with an
extension and the urging of Bishop Bourget (see Marie-Rose Durocher, October
6), he was finally received. He was given the humble job of doorkeeper at Notre
Dame College in Montreal, with additional duties as sacristan, laundry worker
and messenger. “When I joined this community, the superiors showed me the door,
and I remained 40 years,” he said.
In his
little room near the door, he spent much of the night on his knees. On his
windowsill, facing Mount Royal, was a small statue of St. Joseph, to whom he
had been devoted since childhood. When asked about it he said, “Some day, St.
Joseph is going to be honored in a very special way on Mount Royal!”
When he
heard someone was ill, he visited to bring cheer and to pray with the sick
person. He would rub the sick person lightly with oil taken from a lamp burning
in the college chapel. Word of healing powers began to spread.
When an
epidemic broke out at a nearby college, André volunteered to nurse. Not one
person died. The trickle of sick people to his door became a flood. His
superiors were uneasy; diocesan authorities were suspicious; doctors called him
a quack. “I do not cure,” he said again and again. “St. Joseph cures.” In the
end he needed four secretaries to handle the 80,000 letters he received each
year.
For many
years the Holy Cross authorities had tried to buy land on Mount Royal. Brother
André and others climbed the steep hill and planted medals of St. Joseph.
Suddenly, the owners yielded. André collected 200 dollars to build a small
chapel and began receiving visitors there—smiling through long hours of
listening, applying St. Joseph’s oil. Some were cured, some not. The pile of
crutches, canes and braces grew.
The
chapel also grew. By 1931 there were gleaming walls, but money ran out. “Put a
statue of St. Joseph in the middle. If he wants a roof over his head, he’ll get
it.” The magnificent Oratory on Mount Royal took 50 years to build. The sickly
boy who could not hold a job died at 92.
He is
buried at the Oratory. He was beatified in 1982 and canonized in 2010. At his
canonization in October 2010, Pope Benedict XVI said that St. Andre "lived
the beatitude of the pure of heart."
Comment:
Rubbing ailing limbs with oil or a medal? Planting a medal to buy land? Isn’t this superstition? Aren’t we long past that?
Rubbing ailing limbs with oil or a medal? Planting a medal to buy land? Isn’t this superstition? Aren’t we long past that?
Superstitious people
rely only on the “magic” of a word or action. Brother André’s oil and medals
were authentic sacramentals of a simple, total faith in the Father who lets his
saints help him bless his children.
Quote:
“It is with the smallest brushes that the artist paints the most exquisitely beautiful pictures,” said St. André Bessette.
“It is with the smallest brushes that the artist paints the most exquisitely beautiful pictures,” said St. André Bessette.
LECTIO DIVINA:
MARK 6,34-44
Lectio:
Tuesday, January 06, 2015
Christmas Time
1) Opening prayer
Father, your Son became like us
when he revealed himself in our nature;
help us to become more like him,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Mark 6,34-44
So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.
By now it was getting very late, and his disciples came up to him and said, 'This is a lonely place and it is getting very late, so send them away, and they can go to the farms and villages round about, to buy themselves something to eat.' He replied, 'Give them something to eat yourselves.' They answered, 'Are we to go and spend two hundred denarii on bread for them to eat?' He asked, 'How many loaves have you? Go and see.' And when they had found out they said, 'Five, and two fish.' Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass, and they sat down on the ground in squares of hundreds and fifties. Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven and said the blessing; then he broke the loaves and began handing them to his disciples to distribute among the people. He also shared out the two fish among them all.
They all ate as much as they wanted. They collected twelve basketfuls of scraps of bread and pieces of fish. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.
3) Reflection
• It is always good to look at the context in which the text of the Gospel is found, because it enlightens us in order to discover better the sense of it. A bit before (Mk 6, 17-19), Mark narrates the banquet of death, organized by Herod with the great persons of Galilee, in the Palace of the Capital city, during which John the Baptist was killed. In today’s text, he describes the banquet of life , promoted by Jesus with the hungry crowds of Galilee, there in the desert. The contrast of this context is great and enlightens the text.
• In Mark’s Gospel, the multiplication of the loaves is very important. It is mentioned twice: here and in Mk 8, 1-9. And Jesus himself questions the disciples on the multiplication of the loaves (Mk 8, 14-21). This is why it is worth while to observe and to reflect up to the point of discovering in what exactly consists the importance of the multiplication of the loaves.
• Jesus had invited the disciples to rest a bit in a place in the desert (Mk 6, 31). The crowds perceived that Jesus had gone to the other side of the lake, and they followed him and arrived there before he did (Mk 6, 33). When Jesus, getting down from the boat, sees that large crowd waiting for him, he becomes sad “because they were like sheep without a shepherd”. This phrase recalls the Psalm of the Good Shepherd (Ps 23). Before the people without a shepherd, Jesus forgets to rest and begins to teach, he begins to be a Shepherd. With his words he orientates and guides the crowds in the desert of life; and in this way the crowd could sing: “The Lord is my Shepherd! There is nothing I shall want!” (Ps 23, 1).
• Time went by and it began to be late and dark. The disciples were concerned and asked Jesus to send the people away. They affirm that there in the desert it is not possible to find anything to eat for so many people. Jesus says: “You, yourselves give them to eat!” But they were afraid: “Do you want us to go and buy bread for 200 denarius?” (that is, the salary of 200 days!). The disciples seek a solution outside the crowds and for the crowds. Jesus does not seek the solution outside, but rather within the crowd and for the crowd and he asks: “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” The answer is: “Five loaves and two fish!” It is very little for so many people! Jesus orders the crowd to sit down in groups and asks the disciples to distribute the bread and the fish. Everybody ate enough to be satisfied!
• It is important to observe how Mark describes this fact: Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to Heaven, pronounced the blessing, broke the bread and gave it to the disciples to distribute it”. This way of speaking makes the communities think about what? No doubt, this made them think about the Eucharist. Because these same words will be used (even now) in the celebration of the Supper of the Lord. Thus Mark suggests that the Eucharist has to lead us to share. It is the Bread of Life which gives us courage and leads us to face the problems of people in a different way, not from outside, but from inside.
• In the way of describing the facts, Mark recalls the Bible in order to enlighten the sense of the facts. To feed the hungry crowds in the desert, Moses was the first one to do it (cfr. Ex 16, 1-36). And to ask the people to organize themselves and sit down in groups of 50 or 100 reminds us of the census of the People in the desert after they left Egypt (cfr. Nb 1-4). In this way, Mark suggests that Jesus is the new Messiah. The people of the communities knew the Old Testament, and for one who understands well, few words suffice. In this way they discovered the mystery which surrounded the person of Jesus.
4) Personal questions
• Jesus forgets to rest in order to serve the people. Which is the message which I discover for myself?
• If today we would share what we have, there would be no hunger in the world. What can I do?
5) Concluding prayer
In his days uprightness shall flourish,
and peace in plenty till the moon is no more.
His empire shall stretch from sea to sea,
from the river to the limits of the earth. (Ps 72,7-8)
Father, your Son became like us
when he revealed himself in our nature;
help us to become more like him,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Mark 6,34-44
So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.
By now it was getting very late, and his disciples came up to him and said, 'This is a lonely place and it is getting very late, so send them away, and they can go to the farms and villages round about, to buy themselves something to eat.' He replied, 'Give them something to eat yourselves.' They answered, 'Are we to go and spend two hundred denarii on bread for them to eat?' He asked, 'How many loaves have you? Go and see.' And when they had found out they said, 'Five, and two fish.' Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass, and they sat down on the ground in squares of hundreds and fifties. Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven and said the blessing; then he broke the loaves and began handing them to his disciples to distribute among the people. He also shared out the two fish among them all.
They all ate as much as they wanted. They collected twelve basketfuls of scraps of bread and pieces of fish. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.
3) Reflection
• It is always good to look at the context in which the text of the Gospel is found, because it enlightens us in order to discover better the sense of it. A bit before (Mk 6, 17-19), Mark narrates the banquet of death, organized by Herod with the great persons of Galilee, in the Palace of the Capital city, during which John the Baptist was killed. In today’s text, he describes the banquet of life , promoted by Jesus with the hungry crowds of Galilee, there in the desert. The contrast of this context is great and enlightens the text.
• In Mark’s Gospel, the multiplication of the loaves is very important. It is mentioned twice: here and in Mk 8, 1-9. And Jesus himself questions the disciples on the multiplication of the loaves (Mk 8, 14-21). This is why it is worth while to observe and to reflect up to the point of discovering in what exactly consists the importance of the multiplication of the loaves.
• Jesus had invited the disciples to rest a bit in a place in the desert (Mk 6, 31). The crowds perceived that Jesus had gone to the other side of the lake, and they followed him and arrived there before he did (Mk 6, 33). When Jesus, getting down from the boat, sees that large crowd waiting for him, he becomes sad “because they were like sheep without a shepherd”. This phrase recalls the Psalm of the Good Shepherd (Ps 23). Before the people without a shepherd, Jesus forgets to rest and begins to teach, he begins to be a Shepherd. With his words he orientates and guides the crowds in the desert of life; and in this way the crowd could sing: “The Lord is my Shepherd! There is nothing I shall want!” (Ps 23, 1).
• Time went by and it began to be late and dark. The disciples were concerned and asked Jesus to send the people away. They affirm that there in the desert it is not possible to find anything to eat for so many people. Jesus says: “You, yourselves give them to eat!” But they were afraid: “Do you want us to go and buy bread for 200 denarius?” (that is, the salary of 200 days!). The disciples seek a solution outside the crowds and for the crowds. Jesus does not seek the solution outside, but rather within the crowd and for the crowd and he asks: “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” The answer is: “Five loaves and two fish!” It is very little for so many people! Jesus orders the crowd to sit down in groups and asks the disciples to distribute the bread and the fish. Everybody ate enough to be satisfied!
• It is important to observe how Mark describes this fact: Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to Heaven, pronounced the blessing, broke the bread and gave it to the disciples to distribute it”. This way of speaking makes the communities think about what? No doubt, this made them think about the Eucharist. Because these same words will be used (even now) in the celebration of the Supper of the Lord. Thus Mark suggests that the Eucharist has to lead us to share. It is the Bread of Life which gives us courage and leads us to face the problems of people in a different way, not from outside, but from inside.
• In the way of describing the facts, Mark recalls the Bible in order to enlighten the sense of the facts. To feed the hungry crowds in the desert, Moses was the first one to do it (cfr. Ex 16, 1-36). And to ask the people to organize themselves and sit down in groups of 50 or 100 reminds us of the census of the People in the desert after they left Egypt (cfr. Nb 1-4). In this way, Mark suggests that Jesus is the new Messiah. The people of the communities knew the Old Testament, and for one who understands well, few words suffice. In this way they discovered the mystery which surrounded the person of Jesus.
4) Personal questions
• Jesus forgets to rest in order to serve the people. Which is the message which I discover for myself?
• If today we would share what we have, there would be no hunger in the world. What can I do?
5) Concluding prayer
In his days uprightness shall flourish,
and peace in plenty till the moon is no more.
His empire shall stretch from sea to sea,
from the river to the limits of the earth. (Ps 72,7-8)
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