Saturday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary
Time
Lectionary: 334
Lectionary: 334
Jeroboam thought to himself:
“The kingdom will return to David’s house.
If now this people go up to offer sacrifices
in the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem,
the hearts of this people will return to their master,
Rehoboam, king of Judah,
and they will kill me.”
After taking counsel, the king made two calves of gold
and said to the people:
“You have been going up to Jerusalem long enough.
Here is your God, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.”
And he put one in Bethel, the other in Dan.
This led to sin, because the people frequented those calves
in Bethel and in Dan.
He also built temples on the high places
and made priests from among the people who were not Levites.
Jeroboam established a feast in the eighth month
on the fifteenth day of the month
to duplicate in Bethel the pilgrimage feast of Judah,
with sacrifices to the calves he had made;
and he stationed in Bethel priests of the high places he had built.
“The kingdom will return to David’s house.
If now this people go up to offer sacrifices
in the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem,
the hearts of this people will return to their master,
Rehoboam, king of Judah,
and they will kill me.”
After taking counsel, the king made two calves of gold
and said to the people:
“You have been going up to Jerusalem long enough.
Here is your God, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.”
And he put one in Bethel, the other in Dan.
This led to sin, because the people frequented those calves
in Bethel and in Dan.
He also built temples on the high places
and made priests from among the people who were not Levites.
Jeroboam established a feast in the eighth month
on the fifteenth day of the month
to duplicate in Bethel the pilgrimage feast of Judah,
with sacrifices to the calves he had made;
and he stationed in Bethel priests of the high places he had built.
Jeroboam did not give up his evil
ways after this,
but again made priests for the high places
from among the common people.
Whoever desired it was consecrated
and became a priest of the high places.
This was a sin on the part of the house of Jeroboam
for which it was to be cut off and destroyed from the earth.
but again made priests for the high places
from among the common people.
Whoever desired it was consecrated
and became a priest of the high places.
This was a sin on the part of the house of Jeroboam
for which it was to be cut off and destroyed from the earth.
Responsorial
Psalm106:6-7AB, 19-20, 21-22
R. (4a) Remember us, O Lord,
as you favor your people.
We have sinned, we and our fathers;
we have committed crimes; we have done wrong.
Our fathers in Egypt
considered not your wonders.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
They made a calf in Horeb
and adored a molten image;
They exchanged their glory
for the image of a grass-eating bullock.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
They forgot the God who had saved them,
who had done great deeds in Egypt,
Wondrous deeds in the land of Ham,
terrible things at the Red Sea.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
We have sinned, we and our fathers;
we have committed crimes; we have done wrong.
Our fathers in Egypt
considered not your wonders.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
They made a calf in Horeb
and adored a molten image;
They exchanged their glory
for the image of a grass-eating bullock.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
They forgot the God who had saved them,
who had done great deeds in Egypt,
Wondrous deeds in the land of Ham,
terrible things at the Red Sea.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
AlleluiaMT 4:4B
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.
GospelMK 8:1-10
In those days when there again was
a great crowd without anything to eat,
Jesus summoned the disciples and said,
“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
because they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.
If I send them away hungry to their homes,
they will collapse on the way,
and some of them have come a great distance.”
His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread
to satisfy them here in this deserted place?”
Still he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?”
They replied, “Seven.”
He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.
Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them,
and gave them to his disciples to distribute,
and they distributed them to the crowd.
They also had a few fish.
He said the blessing over them
and ordered them distributed also.
They ate and were satisfied.
They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets.
There were about four thousand people.
Jesus summoned the disciples and said,
“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
because they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.
If I send them away hungry to their homes,
they will collapse on the way,
and some of them have come a great distance.”
His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread
to satisfy them here in this deserted place?”
Still he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?”
They replied, “Seven.”
He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.
Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them,
and gave them to his disciples to distribute,
and they distributed them to the crowd.
They also had a few fish.
He said the blessing over them
and ordered them distributed also.
They ate and were satisfied.
They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets.
There were about four thousand people.
He dismissed the crowd and got
into the boat with his disciples
and came to the region of Dalmanutha.
and came to the region of Dalmanutha.
Meditation:
Jesus
alone can satisfy our hunger for God
Can
anything on earth truly satisfy the hunger we experience for God? The enormous
crowd that pressed upon Jesus for three days were hungry for something more
than physical food. They hung upon Jesus' words because they were hungry for
God. When the disciples were confronted by Jesus with the task of feeding four
thousand people many miles away from any source of food, they exclaimed: Where
in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them? The
Israelites were confronted with the same dilemma when they fled Egypt and found
themselves in a barren wilderness.
Like
the miraculous provision of manna in the wilderness, Jesus, himself provides
bread in abundance for the hungry crowd who came out into the desert to seek
him. The Gospel records that all were satisfied and they took up what was
leftover. When God gives he gives abundantly - more than we deserve and more
than we need so that we may have something to share with others as well. The
Lord Jesus nourishes and sustains us with his life-giving word and with his
heavenly bread.
Jesus
nourishes us with the true bread of heaven
The sign of the multiplication of the loaves, when the Lord says the blessing, breaks and distributes through his disciples, prefigures the superabundance of the unique bread of his Eucharist or Lord's Supper. When we receive from the Lord's table we unite ourselves to Jesus Christ, who makes us sharers in his body and blood. Ignatius of Antioch (35-107 A.D.) calls it the "one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ" (Ad Eph. 20,2). This supernatural food is healing for both body and soul and strength for our journey heavenward.
The sign of the multiplication of the loaves, when the Lord says the blessing, breaks and distributes through his disciples, prefigures the superabundance of the unique bread of his Eucharist or Lord's Supper. When we receive from the Lord's table we unite ourselves to Jesus Christ, who makes us sharers in his body and blood. Ignatius of Antioch (35-107 A.D.) calls it the "one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ" (Ad Eph. 20,2). This supernatural food is healing for both body and soul and strength for our journey heavenward.
When
you approach the Table of the Lord, what do you expect to receive? Healing,
pardon, comfort, and refreshment for your soul? The Lord has much more for us,
more than we can ask or imagine. The principal fruit of receiving from the
Lord's Table is an intimate union with Christ himself. As bodily nourishment
restores lost strength, so the Eucharist strengthens us in charity and enables
us to break with disordered attachments to creatures and to be more firmly
rooted in the love of Christ. Do you hunger for Jesus, the true "bread of
life"?
"Lord
Jesus, you alone can satisfy the hunger in our lives. Fill me with grateful joy
and eager longing for the true heavenly bread which gives health, strength, and
wholeness to body and soul alike.”
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: Breaking the bread of God's Word, by
Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"In
expounding to you the Holy Scriptures, I as it were break bread for you. If you
hunger to receive it, your heart will sing out with the fullness of praise
(Psalm 138:1). If you are thus made rich in your banquet, be not meager in good
works and deeds. What I am distributing to you is not my own. What you eat, I
eat; what you live upon, I live upon. We have in heaven a common store-house -
from it comes the Word of God." (excerpt from SERMONS ON NEW
TESTAMENT LESSONS 45.1)
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, MARK 8:1-10
Weekday
(1 Kings 8:1-10; Psalm 106)
Weekday
(1 Kings 8:1-10; Psalm 106)
KEY VERSE: "Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to distribute" (v 6).
TO KNOW: This is the second account of the multiplication of the loaves in Mark's Gospel. The first took place in Galilee with the Jews (Mk 6:34-44). This second event occurred in Gentile territory. When Jesus saw the hungry crowd, he took pity on them; his disciples wondered how they could feed so many people. Jesus took the seven loaves offered to him (the number seven signifies completion and represents the seven ministers in the Gentile Christian Church, Acts 6:1-6). Then Jesus gave thanks to God, broke the bread, and gave it to his disciples to distribute. When everyone had eaten their fill, the fragments were gathered in seven baskets (twelve baskets in the first miracle representing the Twelve Apostles). In this feeding of the Gentile people, Jesus demonstrated that all people had equal right to the Eucharist.
TO LOVE: Can you explain the Eucharist to those not of our faith?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, gather all of your people to give thanks and praise at your table of plenty.
OPTIONAL MEMORIAL OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Chapter V of the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, issued by the Holy See in December 2001, describes the Church's traditional dedication of Saturday to the Virgin Mary. "Saturdays stand out among those days dedicated to the Virgin Mary. These are designated as memorials of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (218). The chapter also describes the importance of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in Catholic devotional life, in the Liturgy, and reflections on popular devotions to Mary, her feast days, and the Rosary.
Saturday 15 February 2020
1 Kings 12:26-32, 13:33-34. Psalm 105(106):6-7, 19-22. Mark
8:1-10.
Lord, remember us, for the love you bear your people – Psalm 105(106):6-7, 19-22
‘The feeding of the four thousand.’
Lord, remember us, for the love you bear your people – Psalm 105(106):6-7, 19-22
‘The feeding of the four thousand.’
It’s interesting that Jesus is moved to feed the crowd because
he feels for their physical needs. They have been assembled to listen to him,
going without food so they can take in his words. Jesus is worried that they
will collapse on their way home.
None of us are of much use if we aren’t cared for physically. As
followers of Christ, it can often seem that we’re asked to give and give of
ourselves, and set our own needs aside in order to better serve others. But
this reading reminds us that our bodies also need nourishment, and that God has
provided us with enough on this earth to sustain us for the time that we are
here.
God, I pray today that you turn your attention to my physical
needs. Help care for my body so that I can be a better disciple for you.
Saint Claude de la Colombière
Saint of the Day for February 15
(February 2, 1641 – February 15, 1682)
 |
| Saint Claude de la Colombière statue, Saône-et-Loire, France | Benoît Prieur |
Saint Claude de la Colombière’s Story
This is a special day for the Jesuits, who claim today’s saint
as one of their own. It’s also a special day for people who have a special
devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus—a devotion Claude de la Colombière
promoted, along with his friend and spiritual companion, Saint Margaret
Mary Alacoque. The emphasis on God’s love for all was an antidote to the
rigorous moralism of the Jansenists, who were popular at the time.
Claude showed remarkable preaching skills long before his
ordination in 1675. Two months later, he was made superior of a small Jesuit
residence in Burgundy. It was there he first encountered Margaret Mary
Alacoque. For many years after he served as her confessor.
He was next sent to England to serve as confessor to the Duchess
of York. He preached by both words and by the example of his holy life,
converting a number of Protestants. Tensions arose against Catholics and
Claude, rumored to be part of a plot against the king, was imprisoned. He was
ultimately banished, but by then his health had been ruined.
He died in 1682. Pope John Paul II canonized Claude de la
Colombière in 1992.
Reflection
As a fellow Jesuit and as a promoter of the devotion to the
Sacred Heart of Jesus, Saint Claude must be very special to Pope Francis
who has so beautifully emphasized the mercy of Jesus. The emphasis on God’s
love and mercy are characteristic of both men.
Lectio Divina: Mark 8:1-10
Lectio Divina
Saturday, February 15, 2020
1) Opening prayer
Father,
watch over Your family
and keep us safe in Your care,
for all our hope is in You.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
One God, forever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel reading - Mark 8:1-10
In those days when there again was a great crowd without
anything to eat, Jesus summoned the disciples and said, “My heart is moved with
pity for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have
nothing to eat. If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will collapse
on the way, and some of them have come a great distance.” His disciples
answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread to satisfy them here in this
deserted place?” Still he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They
replied, “Seven.” He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then, taking
the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to
distribute, and they distributed them to the crowd. They also had a few fish.
He said the blessing over them and ordered them distributed also. They ate and
were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets. There
were about four thousand people. He dismissed the crowd and got into the boat
with his disciples and came to the region of Dalmanutha.
3) Reflection
The Gospel today speaks about the second multiplication of the
loaves. The unitive thread of several episodes in this part of the Gospel of
Mark is the food, the bread. After the banquet of death (Mk 6:17-29), comes the
banquet of life (Mk 6:30-44). During the crossing of the Lake the disciples are
afraid, because they have understood nothing of the bread multiplied in the
desert (Mk 6: 51-52). Then Jesus declares that all food is pure (Mk 7: 1-23).
In Jesus’ conversation with the Canaanite woman, the gentiles ate the crumbs
which fell from the table of the children (Mk 7:24-30). And here, in today s
Gospel, Mark speaks about the second multiplication of the loaves (Mk 8:1-10).
Mark 8: 1-3: The situation of the people and the reaction of
Jesus. The crowds who gathered around Jesus in the desert had no food to eat.
Jesus calls the disciples and presents the problem to them: I feel pity for
this people, because for three days they have been following Me and have not
eaten. If I send them away to their homes without eating, they will faint on
the way; and some came from very far! In Jesus’ concern there are two important
things: a) People forget home and food and follow Jesus to the desert! This is
a sign that Jesus aroused great sympathy, up to the point that people followed
Him into the desert and remained with Him three days! b) Jesus does not ask
them to solve the problem. He only expresses His concern to the disciples. It
seems to be a problem without a solution.
Mark 8: 4: The reaction of the disciples: the first
misunderstanding. The disciples then think of a solution, according to which
someone had to bring bread for the people. It does not even occur to them that
the solution could come from the people themselves. They say: And how could we
feed all these people in the desert? In other words, they think of a
traditional solution. Someone has to find the money, buy bread and distribute
it to the people. They themselves perceive that, in that desert, to buy bread,
this solution is not possible, but they see no other possibility to solve the
problem. That is, if Jesus insists in not sending the people back to their
homes, there will be no way to feed them!
Mark 8:5-7: The solution found by Jesus. First of all, He asks
how much bread they have: seven loaves! Then He orders the people to sit down.
Then, He takes those seven loaves of bread, gives thanks, breaks them and gives
them to the disciples to distribute; and they distribute them to the crowds.
And He does the same thing with the fish. As in the first multiplication (Mk 6:
41), the way in which Mark describes Jesus’ attitude, recalls the Eucharist.
The message is this: participation in the Eucharist should lead to the gift and
to the sharing of bread with those who have no bread.
Mark 8: 8-10: The result: Everyone ate, they were satisfied and
bread was left over! This was an unexpected solution, which began within the
people, with the few loaves of bread that they had brought! In the first
multiplication, twelve baskets of bread were left over; here, seven. In the
first one, they served five thousand people. Here four thousand. In the first
one there were five loaves of bread and two fish. Here, seven loaves of bread
and a few fish.
The time of the dominant ideology. The disciples thought one
way, Jesus thinks in another way. In the way of thinking of the disciples there
is the dominant ideology, the common way of thinking of people. Jesus thinks in
a different way. It is not by going with Jesus and living in a community that a
person is already a saint and renewed. Among the disciples, the old mentality
always emerges again, because the leaven of Herod and of the Pharisees (Mk
8:15), that is, the dominant ideology, had profound roots in the life of those
people. The conversion requested by Jesus is a deep conversion. He wants to
uproot the various types of leaven.
* The leaven of the community closed up in itself, without any
openness. Jesus responds: The one who is not against is in favor! (Mk 9:39-40).
For Jesus, what is important is not if the person forms part of the community
or not, but if he/she is generous, available or not to do the good which the
community has to do.
* The leaven of the group which considers itself superior to
others. Jesus responds: You do not know what spirit animates you (Lk 9:55).
* The leaven of the mentality of class and of competition, which
characterized the society of the Roman Empire and which permeated the small
community which was just beginning. Jesus responds: Let the first one be the
last one (Mk 9:35). This is the point on which He insists the most; it is
the strongest point of His witness: “I have not come to be served, but to
serve” (Mk 10:45; Mt 20: 28; Jn 13:1-16).
* The leaven of the mentality of the culture of the time. Jesus
responds: Allow the little ones to come to me!. Jesus indicates that the little
ones are the models of discipleship for adults: anyone who does not accept the
kingdom of God as a child will not enter it (Lk 18:17).
The reading of the Gospel, done in community, can help us to
change life and the vision and can help us to continue to convert ourselves and
to be faithful to the words of Jesus.
4) Personal questions
We can always encounter misunderstandings with friends and
enemies. What is the misunderstanding between Jesus and the disciples on the occasion
of the multiplication of the loaves? How does Jesus face this misunderstanding?
In your house, with your neighbors or in the community, have there been misunderstandings? How have you reacted?
Has your community had misunderstandings or conflicts with the civil or ecclesiastical authority? How did this happen?
What is the leaven which today prevents the realization of the Gospel and should be eliminated?
In your house, with your neighbors or in the community, have there been misunderstandings? How have you reacted?
Has your community had misunderstandings or conflicts with the civil or ecclesiastical authority? How did this happen?
What is the leaven which today prevents the realization of the Gospel and should be eliminated?
5) Concluding prayer
Lord, You have been our refuge from age to age.
Before the mountains were born,
before the earth and the world came to birth,
from eternity to eternity You are God. (Ps 90:1-2)
Before the mountains were born,
before the earth and the world came to birth,
from eternity to eternity You are God. (Ps 90:1-2)
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét