Memorial
of Saint John Neumann, Bishop
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
PsalmPS 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.
AlleluiaLK 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."
Daily Quote from the early church
fathers: The Lord fills all things with
blessing from above, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"So that by every means the
Lord might be known to be God by nature, he multiplies what is little, and he
looks up to heaven as though asking for the blessing from above. Now he does
this out of the divine economy, for our sakes. For he himself is the one who
fills all things, the true blessing from above and from the Father. But, so
that we might learn that when we are in charge of the table and are preparing
to break the loaves, we ought to bring them to God with hands upraised and
bring down upon them the blessing from above, he became for us the beginning
and pattern and way." (excerpt from FRAGMENT 177
TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, MARK 6:34-44
(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 thought that they were physically hungry, and they urged Jesus 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 with manna in the desert, and anticipates the Eucharistic banquet where all are fed by Christ.
TO LOVE: In what ways do I feed hungry souls?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, I hunger for your presence in word and sacrament.
(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 thought that they were physically hungry, and they urged Jesus 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 with manna in the desert, and anticipates the Eucharistic banquet where all are fed by Christ.
TO LOVE: In what ways do I feed hungry souls?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, I hunger for your presence in word and sacrament.
Memorial of John Neumann, bishop
John Neumann, a German, studied theology at Prague in 1833. When the time came for his ordination there was an over-abundance of priests. John decided to go to America to ask for ordination. He arrived unannounced in Manhattan in 1836. The Bishop was happy to see him as there were only 36 priests for the 200,000 Catholics in New York and New Jersey. John was ordained on 28 June 1836, and sent to Buffalo. There the parish priest, Father Pax, gave him the choice of the city of Buffalo or the rural area; John chose the more difficult country area. John's parishioners were from many lands, but John knew twelve languages, and worked with them all. He joined the Redemptorists, taking his vows at Baltimore, Maryland in 1841, the first Redemptorist to do so in the United States. He became Bishop of Philadelphia in 1852. John Neumann was the first American male and first American bishop to be canonized.
John Neumann, a German, studied theology at Prague in 1833. When the time came for his ordination there was an over-abundance of priests. John decided to go to America to ask for ordination. He arrived unannounced in Manhattan in 1836. The Bishop was happy to see him as there were only 36 priests for the 200,000 Catholics in New York and New Jersey. John was ordained on 28 June 1836, and sent to Buffalo. There the parish priest, Father Pax, gave him the choice of the city of Buffalo or the rural area; John chose the more difficult country area. John's parishioners were from many lands, but John knew twelve languages, and worked with them all. He joined the Redemptorists, taking his vows at Baltimore, Maryland in 1841, the first Redemptorist to do so in the United States. He became Bishop of Philadelphia in 1852. John Neumann was the first American male and first American bishop to be canonized.
Tuesday
5 January, 2016
Tue 5th. 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 feeding of the five
thousand has long been a source of debate.
Do we take it literally or not? In the
end, I don’t think it matters. What is important is the message; Jesus
understood the needs of the people who had come to listen to him. Also he was
endlessly generous and allowed nothing to stand in the way of his compassion
and generosity. What an example for us to have.
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
|
Body of Christ
|
This Sunday at Mass, thank God
for the gift of the Spirit, through whom we can always have Jesus in our midst.
Look around and see Jesus not only in the Eucharist but also in the word in the
readings, in the priest celebrating the Mass and speaking his words, and in the
community of people around you, the body of Christ.
January 5
St. John Neumann
(1811-1860)
St. John Neumann
(1811-1860)
Perhaps because the United States got a
later start in the history of the world, it has relatively few canonized
saints, but their number is increasing.
John Neumann was born in what is now the
Czech Republic. After studying in Prague, he came to New York at 25 and was
ordained a priest. He did missionary work in New York until he was 29, when he
joined the Redemptorists and became its first member to profess vows in the
United States. He continued missionary work in Maryland, Virginia and Ohio,
where he became popular with the Germans.
At 41, as bishop of Philadelphia, he
organized the parochial school system into a diocesan one, increasing the
number of pupils almost twentyfold within a short time.
Gifted with outstanding organizing
ability, he drew into the city many teaching communities of sisters and the
Christian Brothers. During his brief assignment as vice provincial for the
Redemptorists, he placed them in the forefront of the parochial movement.
Well-known for his holiness and learning,
spiritual writing and preaching, on October 13, 1963, John Neumann became the
first American bishop to be beatified. Canonized in 1977, he is buried in St.
Peter the Apostle Church in Philadelphia.
Comment:
Neumann took seriously our Lord’s words, “Go and teach all nations.” From Christ he received his instructions and the power to carry them out. For Christ does not give a mission without supplying the means to accomplish it. The Father’s gift in Christ to John Neumann was his exceptional organizing ability, which he used to spread the Good News.
Neumann took seriously our Lord’s words, “Go and teach all nations.” From Christ he received his instructions and the power to carry them out. For Christ does not give a mission without supplying the means to accomplish it. The Father’s gift in Christ to John Neumann was his exceptional organizing ability, which he used to spread the Good News.
Today the Church is in dire need of men
and women to continue in our times the teaching of the Good News. The obstacles
and inconveniences are real and costly. Yet when Christians approach Christ, he
supplies the necessary talents to answer today’s needs. The Spirit of Christ
continues his work through the instrumentality of generous Christians.
Quote:
“All people of whatever race, condition or age, in virtue of their dignity as human persons, have an inalienable right to education. This education should be suitable to the particular destiny of the individuals, adapted to their ability, sex and national cultural traditions, and should be conducive to amicable relations with other nations in order to promote true unity and peace in the world. True education aims to give people a formation which is directed towards their final end and the good of that society to which they belong and in which, as adults, they will have their share of duties to perform” (Vatican II, Declaration on Christian Education, 1, Austin Flannery translation).
“All people of whatever race, condition or age, in virtue of their dignity as human persons, have an inalienable right to education. This education should be suitable to the particular destiny of the individuals, adapted to their ability, sex and national cultural traditions, and should be conducive to amicable relations with other nations in order to promote true unity and peace in the world. True education aims to give people a formation which is directed towards their final end and the good of that society to which they belong and in which, as adults, they will have their share of duties to perform” (Vatican II, Declaration on Christian Education, 1, Austin Flannery translation).
LECTIO DIVINA: JOHN 1,43-51
Lectio:
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Christmas Time
1) Opening prayer
All-power and ever-living God,
you give us a new vision of your glory
in the coming of Christ your Son.
He was born of the Virgin Mary
and came to share our life.
May we come to share his eternal life
in the glory of your kingdom,
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - John 1,43-51
The next day, after Jesus had decided to leave for Galilee, he met Philip and said, 'Follow me.' Philip came from the same town, Bethsaida, as Andrew and Peter.
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.' Nathanael said to him, 'From Nazareth? Can anything good come from that place?' Philip replied, 'Come and see.'
When Jesus saw Nathanael coming he said of him, 'There, truly, is an Israelite in whom there is no deception.' Nathanael asked, 'How do you know me?' Jesus replied, 'Before Philip came to call you, I saw you under the fig tree.' Nathanael answered, 'Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the king of Israel.' Jesus replied, 'You believe that just because I said: I saw you under the fig tree. You are going to see greater things than that.'
And then he added, 'In all truth I tell you, you will see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending over the Son of man.'
The next day, after Jesus had decided to leave for Galilee, he met Philip and said, 'Follow me.' Philip came from the same town, Bethsaida, as Andrew and Peter.
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.' Nathanael said to him, 'From Nazareth? Can anything good come from that place?' Philip replied, 'Come and see.'
When Jesus saw Nathanael coming he said of him, 'There, truly, is an Israelite in whom there is no deception.' Nathanael asked, 'How do you know me?' Jesus replied, 'Before Philip came to call you, I saw you under the fig tree.' Nathanael answered, 'Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the king of Israel.' Jesus replied, 'You believe that just because I said: I saw you under the fig tree. You are going to see greater things than that.'
And then he added, 'In all truth I tell you, you will see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending over the Son of man.'
3) Reflection
• Jesus returned to Galilee. He met Philip and called him telling him: “Follow me!” The purpose of the call is always the same: “to follow Jesus”. The first Christians sought to preserve the names of the first disciples, and of some they even kept their family names and the name of their place of origin. Philip, Andrew and Peter were from Bethsaida (Jn 1, 44). Nathanael was from Cana. Today many forget the names of the persons who were at the origin of their communities. To remember the names is a way of preserving the identity.
• Philip meets Nathanael and speaks to him about Jesus: “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets wrote, Jesus, son of Joseph from Nazareth”. Jesus is the one to whom all the history of the Old Testament refers.
• Nathanael asks: “From Nazareth? Can anything good come from that place?” Probably, even in his question there was some of the rivalry which existed among the small villages of the same region: Cana and Nazareth. Besides, according to the official teaching of the Scribes, the Messiah would come from Bethlehem, in Judah. He could not come from Nazareth in Galilee (Jn 7, 41-42). Andrew gives the same answer which Jesus had given to the other two disciples: “Come and see for yourself!” It is not by imposing, but rather by seeing that persons are convinced. Once again the same way: to meet, to experience, to share, to witness, to lead toward Jesus!
• Jesus sees Nathanael and says: “Truly, he is an Israelite in whom there is no deception”. And affirms that he already knew him when he was under the fig tree. How could Nathanael be an “authentic or true Israelite” if he did not accept Jesus as the Messiah? Nathanael “was under the fig tree”. The fig tree was the symbol of Israel (cf. Mi 4, 4; Zc 3, 10; 1 Kg 5,5). An authentic Israelite is the one who knows how to detach himself from his own ideas when he perceives that they are not in agreement with God’s project. The Israelite who is not ready to bring about this conversion is neither authentic nor honest. Nathanael is authentic. He was waiting for the Messiah according to the official teaching of the time (Jn 7, 41-42.52). This is why at the beginning, he did not accept a Messiah coming from Nazareth. But the encounter with Jesus helped him to understand that God’s project is not always as people imagine or desire that it be. He recognizes, acknowledges his deception or mistake, he changes his idea, accepts God as Messiah and confesses: “Rabi, you are the Son of God: you are the King of Israel !” The confession of Nathanael is only at the beginning: The one who will be faithful will see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending over the Son of man. He will experience that Jesus is the new bond of union between God and us, human beings. It is the dream of Jacob which has become a reality (Gen 28, 10-22).
4) Personal questions
• Which is the title of Jesus that pleases you the most? Why?
• Have you had an intermediary between you and Jesus?
• Which is the title of Jesus that pleases you the most? Why?
• Have you had an intermediary between you and Jesus?
5) Concluding prayer
For Yahweh is good,
his faithful love is everlasting,
his constancy from age to age. (Ps 100,5)
For Yahweh is good,
his faithful love is everlasting,
his constancy from age to age. (Ps 100,5)
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét