Monday of the Eighteenth Week in
Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 407
Lectionary: 407
The children of Israel lamented,
“Would that we had meat for food!
We remember the fish we used to eat without cost in Egypt,
and the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks,
the onions, and the garlic.
But now we are famished;
we see nothing before us but this manna.”
Manna was like coriander seed and had the color of resin.
When they had gone about and gathered it up,
the people would grind it between millstones or pound it in a mortar,
then cook it in a pot and make it into loaves,
which tasted like cakes made with oil.
At night, when the dew fell upon the camp, the manna also fell.
When Moses heard the people, family after family,
crying at the entrance of their tents,
so that the LORD became very angry, he was grieved.
“Why do you treat your servant so badly?” Moses asked the LORD.
“Why are you so displeased with me
that you burden me with all this people?
Was it I who conceived all this people?
Or was it I who gave them birth,
that you tell me to carry them at my bosom,
like a foster father carrying an infant,
to the land you have promised under oath to their fathers?
Where can I get meat to give to all this people?
For they are crying to me,
‘Give us meat for our food.’
I cannot carry all this people by myself,
for they are too heavy for me.
If this is the way you will deal with me,
then please do me the favor of killing me at once,
so that I need no longer face this distress.”
“Would that we had meat for food!
We remember the fish we used to eat without cost in Egypt,
and the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks,
the onions, and the garlic.
But now we are famished;
we see nothing before us but this manna.”
Manna was like coriander seed and had the color of resin.
When they had gone about and gathered it up,
the people would grind it between millstones or pound it in a mortar,
then cook it in a pot and make it into loaves,
which tasted like cakes made with oil.
At night, when the dew fell upon the camp, the manna also fell.
When Moses heard the people, family after family,
crying at the entrance of their tents,
so that the LORD became very angry, he was grieved.
“Why do you treat your servant so badly?” Moses asked the LORD.
“Why are you so displeased with me
that you burden me with all this people?
Was it I who conceived all this people?
Or was it I who gave them birth,
that you tell me to carry them at my bosom,
like a foster father carrying an infant,
to the land you have promised under oath to their fathers?
Where can I get meat to give to all this people?
For they are crying to me,
‘Give us meat for our food.’
I cannot carry all this people by myself,
for they are too heavy for me.
If this is the way you will deal with me,
then please do me the favor of killing me at once,
so that I need no longer face this distress.”
Responsorial
PsalmPS 81:12-13, 14-15, 16-17
R.(2a)Sing
with joy to God our help.
"My people heard not my voice,
and Israel obeyed me not;
So I gave them up to the hardness of their hearts;
they walked according to their own counsels."
R. Sing with joy to God our help.
"If only my people would hear me,
and Israel walk in my ways,
Quickly would I humble their enemies;
against their foes I would turn my hand."
R. Sing with joy to God our help.
"Those who hated the LORD would seek to flatter me,
but their fate would endure forever,
While Israel I would feed with the best of wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would fill them."
R. Sing with joy to God our help.
"My people heard not my voice,
and Israel obeyed me not;
So I gave them up to the hardness of their hearts;
they walked according to their own counsels."
R. Sing with joy to God our help.
"If only my people would hear me,
and Israel walk in my ways,
Quickly would I humble their enemies;
against their foes I would turn my hand."
R. Sing with joy to God our help.
"Those who hated the LORD would seek to flatter me,
but their fate would endure forever,
While Israel I would feed with the best of wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would fill them."
R. Sing with joy to God our help.
AlleluiaMT 4:4
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.
One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 14:13-21
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.
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.
For the readings of the Optional Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilica
of Saint Mary Major, please go here.
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.
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 they 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.
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 they 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' 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?
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 sake. 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 6, MATTHEW 14:13-21
Weekday
(Numbers 11:4b-15; Psalm 81)
Weekday
(Numbers 11:4b-15; Psalm 81)
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, the 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.
Optional Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint
Mary Major
The most important church in the city of Rome is dedicated to Our Lady, the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. It was erected around the year 352, during the reign of Pope Liberius (352-366). According to legend, a member of an aristocratic family and his wife were childless. They prayed that the Blessed Mother might intercede for them so that they would have an heir to bequeath their wealth. Our Lady appeared to them in a dream on the night of August 4-5. She requested that they build a church in her honor on the Esquiline hill. The sign was that the exact location would be marked out in snow. The Basilica has been called Our Lady of the Snows in commemoration of the miraculous snowfall. Pope Sixtus III (432-440) rebuilt and embellished the basilica. From the seventh century onward, it was referred to as Saint Mary the Great (Major).
Monday 5 August 2019
Numbers 11:14-15. Psalm 80(81):12-17. Matthew 14:13-21.
Sing with joy to God our help – Psalm 80(81):12-17.
‘We have nothing but five loaves and two fish.’
Father, as I contemplate the scene in the wilderness, I feel
sympathy for Moses who carried such a heavy burden. At the same time, I feel
little sympathy for the people, ungrateful and complaining as they were.
Jesus saw the large crowd and took pity on them. Grant us the
generosity to respond to people in their need, rather than to judge them for
being needy. When I am impatient with others because of their slowness, their
inefficiency, their failures, touch my heart and enable me to see beyond myself
and my demands or expectations.
Your Son said, ‘Give them something to eat yourselves.’ Our
society places great emphasis on ‘achievement’ and looks with contempt on those
who do not make it. Lord Jesus, fill my heart with your Holy Spirit and send me
out with compassion for the people I will meet today.
Dedication of Saint Mary Major Basilica
Saint of the Day for August 5
 |
| Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome | photo by Gary Ullah from UK |
The Story of the Dedication of Saint Mary Major Basilica
First raised at the order of Pope Liberius in the mid-fourth
century, the Liberian basilica was rebuilt by Pope Sixtus III shortly after the
Council of Ephesus affirmed Mary’s title as Mother of God in 431. Rededicated
at that time to the Mother of God, St. Mary Major is the largest church in the
world honoring God through Mary. Standing atop one of Rome’s seven hills, the
Esquiline, it has survived many restorations without losing its character as an
early Roman basilica. Its interior retains three naves divided by colonnades in
the style of Constantine’s era. Fifth-century mosaics on its walls testify to
its antiquity.
St. Mary Major is one of the four Roman basilicas known as
patriarchal cathedrals in memory of the first centers of the Church. St. John
Lateran represents Rome, the See of Peter; St. Paul Outside the Walls, the See
of Alexandria, allegedly the see presided over by Mark; St. Peter’s, the See of
Constantinople; and St. Mary’s, the See of Antioch, where Mary is supposed to
have spent most of her later life.
One legend, unreported before the year 1000, gives another name
to this feast: Our Lady of the Snows. According to that story, a wealthy Roman
couple pledged their fortune to the Mother of God. In affirmation, she produced
a miraculous summer snowfall and told them to build a church on the site. The
legend was long celebrated by releasing a shower of white rose petals from the
basilica’s dome every August 5.
Reflection
Theological debate over Christ’s nature as God and man reached
fever pitch in Constantinople in the early fifth century. The chaplain of
Bishop Nestorius began preaching against the title Theotokos,
“Mother of God,” insisting that the Virgin was mother only of the human Jesus.
Nestorius agreed, decreeing that Mary would henceforth be named “Mother of
Christ” in his see. The people of Constantinople virtually revolted against
their bishop’s refutation of a cherished belief. When the Council of Ephesus
refuted Nestorius, believers took to the streets, enthusiastically chanting, “Theotokos!
Theotokos!”
Lectio Divina: Matthew 14:13-21
Lectio Divina
Monday, August 5, 2019
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.
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 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.
3) Reflection
• Context. Chapter 14 of Matthew, which contains the account of
the multiplication of the loaves, provides 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 marvel 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 deserted 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 Jesus’ attitude 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; on 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 Jesus’ compassion is really meaningful: “Jesus’ heart was broken”; and this corresponds to the Hebrew verb that expresses 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 the big crowd that follows Jesus. 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 to send 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 Jesus’ response, 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 fulfill later, on the “night when He was betrayed”. He raised his eyes, blessed the bread and breaks it. From here comes the symbolic value of the miracle: it can be considered an anticipation of the Eucharist. 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 all humanity. The disciples learn from Jesus, who distributes the bread to them, the value of sharing. A symbolic 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.
• 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 deserted 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 Jesus’ attitude 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; on 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 Jesus’ compassion is really meaningful: “Jesus’ heart was broken”; and this corresponds to the Hebrew verb that expresses 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 the big crowd that follows Jesus. 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 to send 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 Jesus’ response, 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 fulfill later, on the “night when He was betrayed”. He raised his eyes, blessed the bread and breaks it. From here comes the symbolic value of the miracle: it can be considered an anticipation of the Eucharist. 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 all humanity. The disciples learn from Jesus, who distributes the bread to them, the value of sharing. A symbolic 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 extend gestures of solidarity toward those who
are close to you or who are close to you along 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?
• Do you share your life with the poorest (as well as immigrants) or just share from your excess? Do you know of their lives personally or just from the news, statistics, or the internet?
• 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?
• Do you share your life with the poorest (as well as immigrants) or just share from your excess? Do you know of their lives personally or just from the news, statistics, or the internet?
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 judgments. (Ps 119:29,43)
grant me the grace of Your Law.
Do not deprive me of that faithful word,
since my hope lies in Your judgments. (Ps 119:29,43)
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