Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori,
Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 407
In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah,
in the fifth month of the fourth year,
the prophet Hananiah, son of Azzur, from Gibeon,
said to me in the house of the LORD
in the presence of the priests and all the people:
“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:
‘I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.
Within two years I will restore to this place
all the vessels of the temple of the LORD which Nebuchadnezzar,
king of Babylon, took away from this place to Babylon.
And I will bring back to this place Jeconiah,
son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah,
and all the exiles of Judah who went to Babylon,’ says the LORD,
‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’”
The prophet Jeremiah answered the prophet Hananiah
in the presence of the priests and all the people assembled
in the house of the LORD, and said:
Amen! thus may the LORD do!
May he fulfill the things you have prophesied
by bringing the vessels of the house of the LORD
and all the exiles back from Babylon to this place!
But now, listen to what I am about to state in your hearing
and the hearing of all the people.
From of old, the prophets who were before you and me prophesied
war, woe, and pestilence against many lands and mighty kingdoms.
But the prophet who prophesies peace
is recognized as truly sent by the LORD
only when his prophetic prediction is fulfilled.
Thereupon the prophet Hananiah took the yoke
from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it,
and said in the presence of all the people:
“Thus says the LORD: ‘Even so, within two years
I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
from off the neck of all the nations.’”
At that, the prophet Jeremiah went away.
Some time after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke
from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah,
The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:
Go tell Hananiah this:
Thus says the LORD:
By breaking a wooden yoke, you forge an iron yoke!
For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:
A yoke of iron I will place on the necks
of all these nations serving Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
and they shall serve him; even the beasts of the field I give him.
To the prophet Hananiah the prophet Jeremiah said:
Hear this, Hananiah!
The LORD has not sent you,
and you have raised false confidence in this people.
For this, says the LORD, I will dispatch you from the face of the earth;
this very year you shall die,
because you have preached rebellion against the LORD.
That same year, in the seventh month, Hananiah the prophet died.
R. (68b) Lord,
teach me your statutes.
Remove from me the way of falsehood,
and favor me with your law.
R. Lord,
teach me your statutes.
Take not the word of truth from my mouth,
for in your ordinances is my hope.
R. Lord,
teach me your statutes.
Let those turn to me who fear you
and acknowledge your decrees.
R. Lord,
teach me your statutes.
Let my heart be perfect in your statutes,
that I be not put to shame.
R. Lord,
teach me your statutes.
Sinners wait to destroy me,
but I pay heed to your decrees.
R. Lord,
teach me your statutes.
From your ordinances I turn not away,
for you have instructed me.
R. Lord,
teach me your statutes.
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
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.”
He 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.
Meditation: Jesus blessed the loaves and fishes
What can truly satisfy our deepest hunger and longing?
Wherever Jesus went multitudes of people gathered to meet him - people from
every part of society - rich and poor, professionals and laborers, even social
outcasts and pagans. What drew them to Jesus? Were they simply curious or
looking for a healing? Many were drawn to Jesus because they were hungry for
God. Jesus' message of God's kingdom and the signs and wonders he performed
stirred fresh hope and expectation that God was acting in a new and powerful
way to set people free from sin and oppression and to bring them the blessings
of his kingdom.
God never rests in caring for our needs
Jesus never disappointed those who earnestly sought him out. We see a marvelous
example of this when Jesus and his twelve disciples got into the boat to seek
out a lonely place for some rest along the lake of Galilee, only to discover a
crowd of a few thousand people had already gathered in anticipation of their
arrival! Did Jesus' disciples resent this intrusion on their plan to rest
awhile? Jesus certainly didn't - he welcomed them with open-arms. His
compassion showed the depths of God's love and care for his people. Jesus spoke
the word of God to strengthen them in faith and he healed many who were sick.
God multiplies the little we have to bring great
blessing to others
As evening approached the disciples wanted Jesus to send the people away.
Jesus, instead, commanded his disciples to feed the whole crowd. Why did Jesus
expect his disciples to do what seemed impossible - to feed such a large and
hungry crowd when there was no adequate provision in sight? Jesus very likely
wanted to test their faith and to give them a sign of God's divine intervention
and favor for his people. Jesus took the little they had - five loaves and two
fish - and giving thanks to his heavenly Father, distributed to all until were
satisfied of their hunger. Twelves baskets full of fish and loaves that were
leftover show the overflowing generosity of God's gifts to us - gifts that
bring blessing, healing, strength, and refreshment.
Bread from heaven to sustain us on our journey
Jesus' feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle recorded in all four
Gospel accounts (Luke 9:10-17, Mark 6:34-44, John 6:51-58, Matthew 14:13-21).
What is the significance of this miracle? The miraculous feeding of such a
great multitude recalled the miraculous provision of manna in the wilderness
under Moses' leadership and intercession for his people (Exodus 16). The daily
provision of food for the people of Israel during their forty years of
journeying in the barren wilderness foreshadowed the true heavenly bread which
Jesus would pass on to his disciples at his last supper meal on the eve of his
sacrifice on the cross. Jesus makes a claim which only God can make: He is the true
bread of heaven that can satisfy the deepest hunger we experience
(John 6:32-35). The miracle of the multiplication of the loaves, when Jesus
said the blessing, broke and distributed the loaves through his disciples to
feed the multitude, is a sign that prefigures the superabundance of the unique
bread of the Eucharist, or Lord's Supper which sustains us on our journey to
the kingdom of heaven.
God multiplies the little we have so we can bring his
blessing to others
The feeding of the five thousand shows the remarkable generosity of God and his
great kindness towards us. When God gives, he gives abundantly. He gives more
than we need for ourselves that we may have something to share with others,
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 you
and do you share freely with others, especially those who lack?
"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)
MONDAY, AUGUST 1, MATTHEW 14:13-21
(Jeremiah 28:1-17; Psalm 119)
KEY VERSE: "There
is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves" (v 16).
TO KNOW: In the
Book of Exodus, Moses fed the hungry people in the desert with miraculous
"manna" from heaven. The people were told not to hoard the bread, but
to gather only enough for each day (16:15-30). On the sixth day, they were
permitted to collect extra manna for the Sabbath day of rest. In the time of
Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah was expected to be a prophet like Moses (Dt
18:15) or Elisha who performed similar miracles (2 Kgs 4:42-44). In the
miraculous multiplication of the loaves and fish in the wilderness, Jesus fed
the people and there were twelve baskets of fragments remaining. After his
death and resurrection, it would be the responsibility of the twelve apostles
to feed God's people who gathered in the Eucharistic assembly on the Sabbath.
TO LOVE: What is my
parish doing to feed the hungry?
TO SERVE: Lord
Jesus, thank you for being my daily bread on life's journey.
Memorial of Alphonsus Liguori,
bishop and doctor of the Church
Alphonsus Liguori was ordained at age 29. He was
noted for his simple, clear style of preaching, and his understanding manner in
the confessional. He was often opposed by Church officials for a perceived
laxity toward sinners. He founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer
(Liguorians or Redemptorists). Alphonsus was appointed bishop in 1762, and
worked to reform the clergy and revitalize the faithful in the diocese. In 1775
he resigned his office due to his health, and went into what he thought was a prayerful
retirement. In 1777 the royal government threatened to disband his
Redemptorists. Calling on his knowledge of theology, and his skills as a
lawyer, Alphonsus defended the Redemptorists so well that they obtained the
king's approval. Alphonsus was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX
in 1871.
Monday 1 August 2016
MON
1ST. St Alphonsus Liguori.
Jeremiah
28:1-17. Teach me your laws, O Lord—Ps 118(119):29, 43, 79-80, 95, 102. Matthew 14:13-21.
All
the miracles that Jesus works in the Gospels reveal something about who he is
in relation to God the Father. In feeding the 5,000 from a handful of loaves
and fish, Jesus provides an insight into God's ability to take what seems
insignificant and magnify it to reveal his glory. In the same way Jesus, a
seemingly insignificant Jew from Nazareth, will provide spiritual nourishment
for the multitudes through his crucifixion and resurrection. We have only to
look at the saints like Mother Teresa and John Vianney for examples of how God
works great things through those with seemingly meagre gifts by the standards
of the world.
What personal gifts, no matter how small or insignificant, am I aware of that
could be shared for the benefit of others? By offering these to God in prayer I
allow God to magnify these gifts for the benefit of others.
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
Venting negative emotions, contrary to popular misconception,
doesn’t ease them. Through mental rehearsal, it tends to aggravate them. It can
convince the venter that life is the way she sees it, even if in reality it’s
not. Writing down all of one’s upsets doesn’t generally help ease those upsets.
August 1
St. Alphonsus Liguori
(1696-1787)
Moral
theology, Vatican II said, should be more thoroughly nourished by Scripture,
and show the nobility of the Christian vocation of the faithful and their
obligation to bring forth fruit in charity for the life of the world.
Alphonsus, declared patron of moral theologians by Pius XII in 1950, would
rejoice in that statement.
In
his day, Alphonsus fought for the liberation of moral theology from the
rigidity of Jansenism. His moral theology, which went through 60 editions in
the century following him, concentrated on the practical and concrete problems
of pastors and confessors. If a certain legalism and minimalism crept into
moral theology, it should not be attributed to this model of moderation and
gentleness.
At
the University of Naples he received, at the age of 16, a doctorate in both
canon and civil law by acclamation, but he soon gave up the practice of law for
apostolic activity. He was ordained a priest and concentrated his pastoral
efforts on popular (parish) missions, hearing confessions, forming Christian
groups.
He
founded the Redemptorist congregation in 1732. It was an association of priests
and brothers living a common life, dedicated to the imitation of Christ, and
working mainly in popular missions for peasants in rural areas. Almost as an
omen of what was to come later, he found himself deserted, after a while, by
all his original companions except one lay brother. But the congregation
managed to survive and was formally approved 17 years later, though its
troubles were not over.
Alphonsus’
great pastoral reforms were in the pulpit and confessional—replacing the
pompous oratory of the time with simplicity, and the rigorism of Jansenism with
kindness. His great fame as a writer has somewhat eclipsed the fact that for 26
years he traveled up and down the Kingdom of Naples, preaching popular
missions.
He
was made bishop (after trying to reject the honor) at 66 and at once instituted
a thorough reform of his diocese.
His
greatest sorrow came toward the end of his life. The Redemptorists,
precariously continuing after the suppression of the Jesuits in 1773, had
difficulty in getting their Rule approved by the Kingdom of Naples. Alphonsus
acceded to the condition that they possess no property in common, but a royal
official, with the connivance of a high Redemptorist official, changed the Rule
substantially. Alphonsus, old, crippled and with very bad sight, signed the
document, unaware that he had been betrayed. The Redemptorists in the Papal
States then put themselves under the pope, who withdrew those in Naples from
the jurisdiction of Alphonsus. It was only after his death that the branches
were united.
At 71
he was afflicted with rheumatic pains which left incurable bending of his neck;
until it was straightened a little, the pressure of his chin caused a raw wound
on his chest. He suffered a final 18 months of “dark night” scruples, fears,
temptations against every article of faith and every virtue, interspersed with
intervals of light and relief, when ecstasies were frequent.
Alphonsus
is best known for his moral theology, but he also wrote well in the field of
spiritual and dogmatic theology. His Glories of Mary is one of
the great works on that subject, and his book Visits to the Blessed
Sacrament went through 40 editions in his lifetime, greatly
influencing the practice of this devotion in the Church.
Comment:
St. Alphonsus was known above all as a practical man who dealt in the concrete
rather than the abstract. His life is indeed a “practical” model for the
everyday Christian who has difficulty recognizing the dignity of Christian life
amid the swirl of problems, pain, misunderstanding and failure. Alphonsus
suffered all these things. He is a saint because he was able to maintain an
intimate sense of the presence of the suffering Christ through it all.
Quote:
Someone once remarked, after a sermon by Alphonsus, "It is a pleasure to
listen to your sermons; you forget yourself and preach Jesus Christ."
Patron
Saint of:
Theologians
Vocations
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW
14,13-21
Lectio
Divina:
Monday,
August 1, 2016
Ordinary
Time
1) Opening prayer
Father of everlasting
goodness,
our origin and guide,
be close to us
and hear the prayers of all who praise you.
Forgive our sins and restore us to life.
Keep us safe in your love.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2)
Gospel Reading - Matthew 14,13-21
When Jesus received
this news of John beheading, he withdrew by boat to a lonely place where they
could be by themselves. But the crowds heard of this and, leaving the towns,
went after him on foot. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took
pity on them and healed their sick.
When evening came, the disciples went to him and said, 'This is a lonely place,
and time has slipped by; so send the people away, and they can go to the
villages to buy themselves some food.' Jesus replied, 'There is no need for
them to go: give them something to eat yourselves.' But they answered, 'All we
have with us is five loaves and two fish.' So he said, 'Bring them here to me.'
He gave orders that the people were to sit down on the grass; then he took the
five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven and said the blessing.
And breaking the loaves he handed them to his disciples, who gave them to the
crowds.
They all ate as much as they wanted, and they collected the scraps left over,
twelve baskets full. Now about five thousand men had eaten, to say nothing of
women and children.
3)
Reflection
• Context. Chapter 14
of Matthew which contains the account of the multiplication of the loaves,
proposes an itinerary that guides the reader in a progressive discovery of
faith in Jesus: from the lack of faith on the part of his fellow countrymen to
the acknowledgment of the Son of God, passing through the gift of bread. The
fellow citizens of Jesus marvelled at his wisdom but do not understand that
this is what acts behind his works. Besides, having a direct knowledge of
Jesus’ family, of his mother, of his brothers, and of his sisters, they only
succeed in seeing in him his human condition alone: he is the son of the
carpenter. Not being understood in his own home town, from now on, Jesus will
live in the midst of his people, to whom he will give all his attention and his
solidarity. Healing and feeding the crowds.
• The dynamic of the account. Matthew has carefully narrated the episode of the
multiplication of the loaves. The episode is enclosed between two expressions
of transition in which he tells us that Jesus withdrew “separated himself” from
the crowds, from the disciples, from the boat (vv.13-14; vv. 22-23). Verse 13
does not only serve as transition but offers us the reason why Jesus went to a
desert place. Such a device serves to create the environment in which the
miracle takes place. The evangelist concentrates the account on the crowd and
on the attitude of Jesus in regard to the crowd.
• Jesus was moved deeply to pity. At the moment when Jesus arrives he finds
himself before a crowd awaiting him; in seeing the crowd he took pity on them
and healed their sick. This is a “tired and depressed crowd for they were like
sheep without a shepherd” (9, 36; 20, 34). The verb that expresses the
compassion of Jesus is really meaningful: “Jesus’ heart was broken”; and this
corresponds to the Hebrew verb that expresses the maternal visceral love. This
is the same sentiment experienced by Jesus before the tomb of Lazarus (Jn 11,
38). Compassion is the subjective aspect of the experience of Jesus that
becomes effective with the gift of the bread.
• The gift of the bread. The account of the multiplication of the loaves is
opened with the expression, “when evening came” (v.15) that will introduce the
account of the Last Supper (Mt 26, 20) and also that of the burial of Jesus (Mt
27, 57). In the evening, then, Jesus invites the Apostles to feed the crowd. In
the middle of the desert, far away from the villages and from the cities, Jesus
and the disciples find themselves before a very big human problem; to feed that
the big crowd that follows Jesus. But they cannot take care of this task to
provide for the material needs of the crowd without the power of Jesus. Their
immediate response is that of sending the crowd back home. In the face of human
limitations Jesus intervenes and works the miracle satisfying the hunger of all
the people who follow him. To feed the crowd is the response of Jesus, from his
heart which breaks in the face of a very concrete human need. The gift of the
bread is not only sufficient to satisfy the crowd but it is so superabundant
that it becomes necessary to gather what was left over. In v. 19b we can see
that Matthew gave a Eucharistic significance to the episode of the
multiplication of the loaves: “he raised his eyes to heaven and said the
blessing, and breaking the loaves he handed them to his disciples”; the role of
the disciples is also made evident in their function of mediation between Jesus
and the crowd: “and the disciples distributed to the crowd” (v.19c). The
gestures that accompany the miracle are identical to those that Jesus will
fulfil later on the “night when he was betrayed”: he raised his eyes, blessed
the bread and breaks it. From here comes the symbolical value of the miracle:
it can be considered an anticipation of the Eucharist. Besides, on the part of
Jesus, feeding the crowds is “a sign” that he is the Messiah and that he
prepares a banquet of joy for the whole humanity. The disciples learn from
Jesus, who distributes the bread to them, the value of sharing. A symbolical
gesture that contains a real fact that goes beyond the episode itself and is
projected on the future: in our daily Eucharistic celebration, where we relive
that gesture of the broken bread, it is necessary that it be multiplied
throughout the whole day.
4)
Personal questions
• Do you try to fulfil
gestures of solidarity toward those who are close to you or who share close to
you the journey of life? In the face of very concrete problems of your friends
or relatives, do you know how to offer your help and your availability to
collaborate to find a solution?
• Before breaking the bread, Jesus raised his eyes to heaven: do you know how
to thank the Lord for the daily gift of bread? Do you know how to share your
goods with others, especially with the poorest?
5)
Concluding Prayer
Keep me far from the
way of deceit,
grant me the grace of your Law.
Do not deprive me of that faithful word,
since my hope lies in your judgements. (Ps 119,29.43)
