JESUS CONTINUES TO FEED HIS PEOPLE
The second reading on this weekend tells us: “to lead a life worthy of your vocation, bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness, and patience and do everything that you can to preserve unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together”. We have been called to live in Christ and every aspect of our life should be in relationship to Him.
In the first reading we see that Prophet Elisha asking a man to give 20 barley loaves to feed 100 people. He knew that it is impossible but the prophet tells him to do it and trust in God. The man gives his food and there is food left over. God often asks the people to do what seems to be impossible and then it happens according to the word of God. We will be able to do impossible things if we build trust in God and build a good relationship with God. When we believe Jesus as our Lord and Saviour then our lives change and we will be able to do many impossible things and able to lead our life worthy of our call.
In the gospel, moved by compassion for his flock, Jesus, “the new Elisha,” replicated the miracle of Elisha. He fed more than five thousand people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. He was sensitive to their situation and need. Christ cares both for our physical and spiritual needs. He feeds us with both His word, and the Holy Eucharist.
We must be ready to offer the little we have. This is because it might be the source of a miracle for our community. That little offer might make a difference in the life of someone in your community. When compassion and generosity embraces, the result is usually a great miracle for the community united by one faith, one spirit and one baptism in Christ. There can be no miracles without compassion and generosity. Now Jesus is looking for those who are ready to offer just two fish and five loaves of bread in order to perform the miracle seriously needed in your family and community. That person might be you! If you do not hide what you have, you could be the next hero in the next miracle of Jesus for your community and family.
Fr. Joseph Kanatt, MCBS
Parish Priest
First Reading (2 Kings 4:42-44)
A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing Elisha, the man of God, bread from the first-fruits, twenty barley loaves and fresh grain in the ear. 'Give it to the people to eat,' Elisha said. But his servant replied, 'How can I serve this to a hundred men?' 'Give it to the people to eat' he insisted for the Lord says this, "They will eat and have some over."' He served them; they ate and had some over, as the Lord had said.
Second Reading (Ephesians 4:1-6)
I, the prisoner in the Lord, implore you to lead a life worthy of your vocation. Bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience. Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together. There is one Body, one Spirit, just as you were all called into one and the same hope when you were called. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is Father of all, through all and within all.
Gospel (John 6:1-15)
Jesus went off to the other side of the Sea of Galilee - or of Tiberias - and a large crowd followed him, impressed by the signs he gave by curing the sick. Jesus climbed the hillside, and sat down there with his disciples. It was shortly before the Jewish feast of Passover.
Looking up, Jesus saw the crowds approaching and said to Philip, 'Where can we buy some bread for these people to eat?' He only said this to test Philip; he himself knew exactly what he was going to do. Philip answered, 'Two hundred denarii would only buy enough to give them a small piece each.' One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said, 'There is a small boy here with five barley loaves and two fish; but what is that between so many?' Jesus said to them, 'Make the people sit down.' There was plenty of grass there, and as many as five thousand men sat down. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks and gave them out to all who were sitting ready; he then did the same with the fish, giving out as much as was wanted. When they had eaten enough he said to the disciples, 'Pick up the pieces left over, so that nothing gets wasted.' So they picked them up, and filled twelve hampers with scraps left over from the meal of five barley loaves. The people, seeing this sign that he had given, said, 'This really is the prophet who is to come into the world.' Jesus, who could see they were about to come and take him by force and make him king, escaped back to the hills by himself.
The second reading on this weekend tells us: “to lead a life worthy of your vocation, bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness, and patience and do everything that you can to preserve unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together”. We have been called to live in Christ and every aspect of our life should be in relationship to Him.
In the first reading we see that Prophet Elisha asking a man to give 20 barley loaves to feed 100 people. He knew that it is impossible but the prophet tells him to do it and trust in God. The man gives his food and there is food left over. God often asks the people to do what seems to be impossible and then it happens according to the word of God. We will be able to do impossible things if we build trust in God and build a good relationship with God. When we believe Jesus as our Lord and Saviour then our lives change and we will be able to do many impossible things and able to lead our life worthy of our call.
In the gospel, moved by compassion for his flock, Jesus, “the new Elisha,” replicated the miracle of Elisha. He fed more than five thousand people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. He was sensitive to their situation and need. Christ cares both for our physical and spiritual needs. He feeds us with both His word, and the Holy Eucharist.
We must be ready to offer the little we have. This is because it might be the source of a miracle for our community. That little offer might make a difference in the life of someone in your community. When compassion and generosity embraces, the result is usually a great miracle for the community united by one faith, one spirit and one baptism in Christ. There can be no miracles without compassion and generosity. Now Jesus is looking for those who are ready to offer just two fish and five loaves of bread in order to perform the miracle seriously needed in your family and community. That person might be you! If you do not hide what you have, you could be the next hero in the next miracle of Jesus for your community and family.
Fr. Joseph Kanatt, MCBS
Parish Priest
First Reading (2 Kings 4:42-44)
A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing Elisha, the man of God, bread from the first-fruits, twenty barley loaves and fresh grain in the ear. 'Give it to the people to eat,' Elisha said. But his servant replied, 'How can I serve this to a hundred men?' 'Give it to the people to eat' he insisted for the Lord says this, "They will eat and have some over."' He served them; they ate and had some over, as the Lord had said.
Second Reading (Ephesians 4:1-6)
I, the prisoner in the Lord, implore you to lead a life worthy of your vocation. Bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience. Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together. There is one Body, one Spirit, just as you were all called into one and the same hope when you were called. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is Father of all, through all and within all.
Gospel (John 6:1-15)
Jesus went off to the other side of the Sea of Galilee - or of Tiberias - and a large crowd followed him, impressed by the signs he gave by curing the sick. Jesus climbed the hillside, and sat down there with his disciples. It was shortly before the Jewish feast of Passover.
Looking up, Jesus saw the crowds approaching and said to Philip, 'Where can we buy some bread for these people to eat?' He only said this to test Philip; he himself knew exactly what he was going to do. Philip answered, 'Two hundred denarii would only buy enough to give them a small piece each.' One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said, 'There is a small boy here with five barley loaves and two fish; but what is that between so many?' Jesus said to them, 'Make the people sit down.' There was plenty of grass there, and as many as five thousand men sat down. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks and gave them out to all who were sitting ready; he then did the same with the fish, giving out as much as was wanted. When they had eaten enough he said to the disciples, 'Pick up the pieces left over, so that nothing gets wasted.' So they picked them up, and filled twelve hampers with scraps left over from the meal of five barley loaves. The people, seeing this sign that he had given, said, 'This really is the prophet who is to come into the world.' Jesus, who could see they were about to come and take him by force and make him king, escaped back to the hills by himself.