17th Sunday: 2 Kgs 4:42-44. Eph 4:1-4. Jn 6:1-15. - The Gospel this weekend is this: Jn 6:1-15. After this, Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee (of Tiberias). 2 A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish feast of Passover was near. 5 When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, "Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?" 6 He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, "Two hundred days' wages * worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little (bit)." 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, 9 "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves * and two fish; but what good are these for so many?" 10 Jesus said, "Have the people recline." Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. 12 When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, "Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted." 13 So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets * with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. 14 When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, "This is truly the Prophet, * the one who is to come into the world." 15 Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone. - The first reading is this: 2 Kgs 4:42-44. A man came from Baal-shalishah bringing the man of God twenty barely loaves made from the first fruits, and fresh grain in the ear. "Give it to the people to eat," Elisha said. 43 But his servant objected, "How can I set this before a hundred men?" "Give it to the people to eat," Elisha insisted. "For thus says the LORD, 'They shall eat and there shall be some left over.'" 44 And when they had eaten, there was some left over, as the LORD had said. - The second reading is this: Eph 4:1-4. I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, 3 striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: 4 one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; - MEDITATION: The Gospel this Sunday is about the miracle of the loaves, and the first reading has the prophet Elisha doing something similar. It symbolises how God cures our hunger in life... our hunger for much more than bread! I hunger for a life and a love that go beyond death, and Jesus offers us that! The love of God engenders a life in us that is eternal. It's relevant that Jesus asks that the people sit down on the grass. Grass is a symbol of springtime where winter has passed and nature is blossoming again, but also it makes me think of where the Old Testament says 'The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of God remains forever' (Is 40:8). In other words, it's as if Jesus is asking us to dwell on His Word, to preach to people and thereby to help them also to dwell on the Word. That Word turns out to be Jesus himself: "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (Jn 1:14), and it's He himself that's asking for his Apostles to get the people to recline on the grass today. Thereafter, they get well fed! All the details are relevant. It begins saying that the Jewish feast of Passover was near and that's a prologue to the Crucifixion and Resurrection. It reminds us that Jesus wasn't going to set up a nice feast of bread with a superficial flick of the fingers, but rather with a love that's willing to go through passion and death on the cross. He knew well that the feast of Passover was near. Therefore the feeding with loaves etc. is really symbolising the way Jesus will nourish our need for hope in life after death. Jesus sits down on a hill-top and from there sees the crowd approaching, and that 'sitting down' was very symbolic for the Jews. Only teachers of dignity and authority would sit down as they taught. I like the way in the Gospel today they get a young boy to donate his five barley loaves and two fish, and that's a nice symbol of how God asks us to be generous with our simple humanity, and if we give a little, then God ends up paying back a lot. The Apostles are the big-shot organisers, but I like the way that a simple lad plays such an important role... giving up his bit of food. That speaks of how God wants us all (even a boy who's not so young in his wheelchair) to play a role in helping his Kingdom to come! It says that Jesus slipped off because he was afraid that they would make him king, so he's teaching us to remain free of mundane honours and people's opinions. Moses, at one stage, had to ask for Aaron to do the speaking for him, because he himself had a stutter!Humility isn't an act we have to put on, it's simply a question of realizing what we truly are - and traveling through life in that truth. The truth is that to walk in humility is to walk in the truth of our lives. A worker once said “I'm going to be the chief here” and his business employer asked “Who told you?”. The guy responded “God”, and the employer said “No I didn't”! The call to be like Christ brings humility to it's zenith as the Bible says about Calvary: "Christ became a cursed thing for us" (Gal 3:13). That's certainly a humility that's challenging to follow! But wouldn't it be great to be that free of people's mundane opinion of us?! Jesus was certainly worthy of honor and glory, but look at how he went out of his way to avoid it: 'Jesus had cured many and as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him. And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, "You are the Son of God.". He warned them sternly not to make him known.' (Mk 3:10-12). I think the Gospel is teaching us what real 'honor and glory' means. They asked Jesus who is great in the Kingdom of Heaven and He took a child in his arms and said 'Unless you become like the children, you can't enter the Kingdom' (Mt 18:3). The king of heaven and earth was born in a stable! - poor and simple - and when eventually welcomed honorably by the people of Jerusalem he arrives on a donkey! And it wasn't by chance - in the writings of the prophet Zechariah, centuries before, it says 'See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt'. We're called to give what God wants, which often may not be that for which people are asking. I'm glad that I said yes to the call to be a missionary and the call deepens now: "Are you willing to follow me in your wheelchair?". My answer is 'yes, yes, yes because I believe you are with me and this chair will help me to be humble'. That's a help I badly need! Saint Francis of Assisi lived at a time when being a priest gave social status (unlike in many places today) so he made no effort to be ordained. He was glad to remain in the laity because it would help him to be humble. He wanted to be called 'brother' by all and he called his newly founded group 'los locos de Cristo (the crazy madmen of Christ)'! St Teresa (Therése) of Lisieux wanted to live in what she called 'spiritual infancy'. She is called today 'the Little Flower'. In 1925, Pius XI named her patroness of the missions! And in 1997 Pope John Paul II actually named her a doctor of the Church! At the Last Supper an argument broke out among the Apostles about which of them should be regarded as the greatest. Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them and those in authority over them are addressed as 'Benefactors'; but among you it shall not be so. Rather, let the greatest among you be as the youngest, and the leader as the servant” (Lk 22:24-25). Concern for what people think of us can terribly impede our faithfulness to God. Check out what it says in the Gospel as Jesus was preaching: "Many, even among the authorities, believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they did not acknowledge it openly in order not to be expelled from the synagogue. For they preferred human praise to the glory of God" (Jn 12:42-43). Jesus said this: "In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world." (Jn 16:33). I'm in a wheelchair with this bloody MS, so in a physical sense I'm very weakened, so I like to quote St Paul: 'I am content with weaknesses, hardships ... and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong' (2 Cor 12:9b-10). .............. Dara. - - En ESPAÑOL: - 17º Domingo: 2°Reyes 4:42-44, Ef 4:1-6, Jn 6:1-15. El Evangelio este domingohabla del milagro de los panes, y la primera lectura (de 2°Reyes) habla del profeta Eliseo haciendo algo semejante. Simboliza cómo Dios cura nuestra hambre en la vida... ¡nuestra hambre de mucho más que de pan! Estoy hambriento de una vida y un amor que van más allá que la muerte - y Jesús sacia aquello. El amor de Dios engendra una vida en nosotros que es eterna. Es interesante como Jesús pide que la gente se siente sobre la hierba. La hierba es un símbolo de primavera cuando el invierno ha pasado y la naturaleza está brotando otra vez. Me hace recordar donde el Antiguo Testamento dice esto: 'La hierba se marchita y la flor muere, pero la palabra de Dios dura para siempre' (Is 40:8). Es como si Jesús nos está pidiendo contemplar bien su Palabra para poder predicarla y hacer que muchos la contemplen también. Dentro de poco nos damos cuenta que la Palabra es Jesús mismo. “La Palabra se hizo hombre y habitó entre nosotros” (Jn 1:14), y es él mismo que está pidiendo a los Apóstoles hacer que la gente se recuesten sobre la hierba hoy. ¡Desde allí estarán bien alimentados! Todos los detalles tienen relevancia – significan algo importante. Empieza diciendo que la fiesta Judía de la Pascua estaba cerca y aquello es como prólogo de la Crucifixión y la Resurrección. Jesús se sienta encima de un monte y desde allí ve a la muchedumbre acercándose, y aquel 'sentarse' es muy significativo para los Judíos. Es la posición de un maestro con dignidad y autoridad. La pregunta desafiante a Felipe simboliza cómo Jesús mismo es nuestro jefe, y aún los líderes en nuestra Iglesia tienen que esforzarse constantemente para crecer en la fe. Me gusta como en el Evangelio de hoy hacen que un jovencito regale sus cinco panes y dos peces, y aquello es un símbolo bonito de cómo Dios nos pide donar nuestra humanidad sencilla, y si damos al menos un poco, Dios acaba devolviéndonos mucho. Los Apóstoles son los grandes organizadores, pero me encanta cómo un joven sencillo tiene un papel tan importante. Aquello habla de como Dios da un papel a todos (aún a un chaval que no es tan joven en su silla de ruedas) - ¡un papel en ayudar a que venga su Reino! Dice que Jesús se fue porque tuvo miedo que ellos le harían rey, entonces está enseñándonos quedar libre de los honores mundanos y las opiniones de l gente. ¡Moisés, en una fase, tenía que pedirle a Aarón hablar para él, porque él estaba tartamudo! La humildad no es un acto que nosotros tenemos que ponernos, sino simplemente es una verdad que nos conviene comprender y vivir de verdad - y pasar por la vida en esa verdad. La verdad es eso y caminar en la humildad es caminar en la verdad de nuestras vidas. ¡Un obrero dijo una vez "yo voy a ser el jefe aquí" y su patrón preguntó "¿Quién te lo dijo? ". El tipo respondió "Dios", y el patrón dijo "No es verdad. ¡Yo no dije nada así!” La llamada a estar como Cristo trae la humildad a su colmen como la Biblia dice sobre el Calvario: "¡Cristo llegó a ser una cosa maldita para nosotros (Gal 3:13). ¡Ésa es ciertamente una humildad que no es fácil seguir! ¡Pero sería muy bueno eso para liberarnos de la opinión mundana de la gente! Jesús era ciertamente digno de honor y gloria, y me encanta como se esforzó para evitarlo: 'Jesús había curado muchos y como resultado, aquéllos que tenían enfermedades estaban en cola para tocarle. Y siempre que los espíritus malos le vieron, se caían ante él y gritaban, "Usted es el Hijo de Dios". Él los advirtió severamente no hacerlo conocido.' (Mc 3:10-12). Creo que el Evangelio está enseñándonos como alcanzar 'el honor y gloria'. ¡Le preguntaron a Jesús que es ser grande en el Reino de los Cielos y Él tomó a un niño en sus brazos y dijo 'Si no llegáis a ser como los niños, no podréis entrar en el Reino' (Mt 18:3). ¡El rey de cielo y tierra nació en un establo pobre y simple! - ¡y cuando más tarde la gente de Jerusalén dio la bienvenida honorable él llega sobre un asno! Y eso no era por casualidad… el profeta Zacarías, siglos antes, escribió 'Mira, su rey vendrá, manso, y montando sobre un asno.' Estamos llamados a dar lo que Dios quiere que demos y a veces eso no es lo que la gente está pidiendo. Me alegro que yo dije ‘sí’ a la llamada para ser un misionero y la llamada ahonda ahora: “¿Estás dispuesto a seguirme en tu silla de ruedas?”. Mi respuesta es 'sí, sí, sí porque creo que tú estás conmigo y esta enfermedad ayudará que yo sea humilde'. ¡Tal ayuda es muy necesaria! San Francisco de Asís vivió en un momento cuando ser sacerdote daba un buen estado social (diferente en muchos lugares hoy) entonces no hizo ningún esfuerzo para ser ordenado. Él se alegraba de permanecer en la laicidad porque ayudaría que él fuera humilde. ¡Quiso ser llamado 'hermano' por todos y llamó a su grupo recientemente fundado 'los Locos de Cristo'! Santa Teresa (Therése) de Lisieux vivió en lo que ella quiso llamar 'la infancia espiritual'. Hoy le llamamos 'la Pequeña Flor'. En 1925, Pio XI la nombró patrona de las misiones y en 1997 Juan-Pablo II la nombró doctor de la Iglesia! En la Última Cena un argumento surgió entre los Apóstoles sobre cual de ellos debe considerarse como el más grande. Jesús les dijo, "Entre los Gentiles los reyes tienen poder y aquéllos en autoridad están bendecidos como ‘Bienhechores’; pero entre vosotros no estará así. Más bien, haz que el más grande entre vosotros sea como el más joven, y el líder como el sirviente" (Lc 22:24-25). Preocuparse por lo que la gente piensa de nosotros puede impedir terriblemente nuestra fidelidad a Dios. Mira lo que dice en el Evangelio cuando Jesús estaba predicando: "Muchos, incluso entre las autoridades, creyeron en él, pero debido a los Fariseos ellos, no lo reconocieron abiertamente para no eatar expulsados de la sinagoga. Porque ellos prefirieron la alabanza humana a la gloria de Dios" (Jn 12:42, 43). Jesús dijo esto: "En el mundo tendréis problemas, pero ten valentía, yo he conquistado el mundo." (Jn 16:33). Yo estoy en una silla de ruedas con este maldita esclerosis múltiple, entonces en un sentido físico estoy muy debilitado, entonces me gusta lo que escribe San Pablo: 'Estoy satisfecho con las debilidades, penalidades... y constreñimientos, por causa de Cristo; porque cuando estoy débil, entonces estoy fuerte' (2º Cor 12:9b-10). .............. Dara. 16th Sunday: Jer 23:1-6. Eph 2:13-18. Mk 6:30-34. - The Gospel this weekend is this: Mk 6:30-34. The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. 32 So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. 33 People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them. 34 When he disembarked and 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. - The first reading is this: Jer 23:1-6. Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture, says the LORD. 2 Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, against the shepherds who shepherd my people: You have scattered my sheep and driven them away. You have not cared for them, but I will take care to punish your evil deeds. 3 I myself will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands to which I have driven them and bring them back to their meadow; there they shall increase and multiply. 4 I will appoint shepherds for them who will shepherd them so that they need no longer fear and tremble; and none shall be missing, says the LORD. 5 Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David; As king he shall reign and govern wisely, he shall do what is just and right in the land. 6 In his days Judah shall be saved, Israel shall dwell in security. This is the name they give him: "The LORD our justice." - The second reading is this: Eph 2:13-18. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh, 15 abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims, that he might create in himself one new person * in place of the two, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile both with God, in one body, through the cross, putting that enmity to death by it. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, 18 for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. - MEDITATION: This Sunday is about the spreading of the Word of God… shepherding mankind. Also it combines that with the 'peace' of prayer. Jesus sees a crowd that need his teaching, so he gets down to work, but it's interesting that beforehand, he brought his apostles to a deserted place to be by themselves. That was in order to get something to eat etc, but makes me think of how working with Christ on the mission also needs times spent in private personal prayer. Decent preaching needs decent prayer. It's as you pray that God inspires what He wants a missionary to preach, and what he wants from every Christian. It says that Jesus' heart was moved when he saw the crowd in need. We're all in danger of doing our Christian duty with a cold heart just fulfilling rules and regulations. That includes the job of 'preachers' (and, I suppose, of writers of e-mails!). Our eventual long-lasting joy will come from having done it all with a heart - with love. In the second reading Paul asks that the spreading of the Good News be to everyone (without drawing barriers between Jew and Gentile etc). I can't be sure that I will always have the heart to love well, so that's why I will always try to attend mass to listen to what God is teaching and to take communion in the hope that I can then live in communion with his love… that we all can… Jew and Gentile! ........Dara. 14th Sunday: Ez 2:2-5. 2 Cor 12:7-10. Mk 6:1-6. - The Gospel this weekend is this: Mk 6:1-6. He departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They said, "Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! 3 Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" and they took offense at him. 4 Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house." 5 So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith. He went around to the villages in the vicinity teaching. - The first reading is this: Ez 2:2-5. As the vision spoke to me, spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard the one who was speaking 3 say to me: Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, rebels who have rebelled against me; they and their fathers have revolted against me to this very day. 4 Hard of face and obstinate of heart are they to whom I am sending you. But you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD! 5 And whether they heed or resist--for they are a rebellious house--they shall know that a prophet has been among them. - The second reading is this: 2 Cor 12:7-10. So that I might not become too elated, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated. 8 Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, 9 but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. 10 Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong. * - MEDITATION: The Gospel this Sunday is of the rejection of Jesus by his own towns-folk in Nazareth. The first reading is of Ezekiel saying “the Spirit is upon me” (similar to Jesus’ quote of Isaiah in the same synagogue in Lk 4). The second is of Paul writing that he’s content with weaknesses. It says here (Gospel of Mark) that Jesus simply 'began to teach', although in the Gospel of Luke, it says that he criticises the people and they try to throw him off a cliff! (Lk 4:16-30). The first reading is of the call of Ezekiel to preach to his people and that also involves criticising. In other words, it's a risky business! But if it's what God wants to say, then it's for good reason! I like the verb 'aportar' in Spanish which means 'to give a helpful correction'. That's different to a cold outright 'criticism' which would be just like an insult. But what moves Christ is love. A good doctor has to tell the truth and Jesus is a very good one! Jesus begins reading chapter 42 of Isaiah saying "the Spirit is upon me", and that chapter goes on to say what for: to heal the sick and free prisoners etc.. Jesus certainly went about putting that into practice. He escaped being thrown over the cliff, but ended up being crucified! He still goes through that. But of course, I don't mean that he 'ends up' crucified, but rather that he goes through it on his way to Resurrection. He wants to be resurrected in our hearts now. And of course he goes through all the trouble voluntarily, because he wants to show us that even if problems come our way as we allow the Spirit to move us in loving, it's well worth it. The Gospel doesn't end today saying that Jesus 'washed his hands' and gave up but that he moved on to other villages and kept preaching. He ended up having Pilate 'wash his hands' as Jesus got condemned. Fortunately, he has arrived at our 'village' today. Will we appreciate what he wants to say? Of course, that appreciation begins with listening and reading and giving time to a little contemplating. Think of what Jesus might like to say in your own personal 'synagogue' today! And thank him for the way he keeps trying to guide mankind, even if it means 'sticking his neck out' and getting nailed to a cross and still getting ignored by many! I like what Paul writes: ‘it’s when I’m weak that I’m strong’. If you’re ill then you can do less for yourself and you have to ask for help and that needs humility and I think that that humility actually makes you a stronger person. Christ shows us that… carrying a cross and then rising from the dead. My MS cross is very light but I’ll try to take that ‘train’ of Christ! .................Dara. - - En ESPAÑOL: - 14º Domingo: Ez 2:2-5, 2°Cor 12:7-10, Mc 6:1-6. El Evangelio de este Domingo habla del rechazo de Jesús por la gente de su propio pueblo en Nazarea. La primera lectura es de Ezequiel escribiendo “El Espíritu está sobre mí” (como lee Jesús de Isaías en la sinagoga en Lc 4). La segunda es de Pablo escribiendo que está contento aún con debilidades. Dice aquí (Evangelio de Marcos) simplemente que ‘Jesús empezó a enseñar’, aunque el Evangelio de Lucas dice que él criticó algunas cosas de la gente y ¡ellos intentaron echarle por un barranco! (Lc 4:16-30). La primera lectura es de la llamada de Ezequiel a predicar a su gente y aquello incluye criticarles. Es decir, ¡es una tarea arriesgada! Pero si es lo que Dios quiere comunicar, entonces es para el bien. Me gusta el verbo ‘aportar’ en español. Es distinto a una ‘crítica’ fría que sería como ‘insulto’. Pero la motivación constante de Cristo es el amor. Un buen médico debe decir siempre la verdad al paciente, y Jesús es uno muy bueno. Empieza leyendo el capítulo 42 de Isaías diciendo “El Espíritu de Dios está sobre mí”, y el capítulo sigue: ‘para curar enfermos y liberar cautivos’ etc... Lo cierto es que Jesús lo cumplió fielmente. Evitó ser tirado por el barranco y ¡llegó a ser crucificado! Sigue así hoy. No acabó crucificado, sino pasó por allí en su camino hacia la Resurrección. Quiere resucitar en nuestros corazones hoy. Y, claro, lo aguanta voluntariamente, porque quiere mostrarnos que aunque vengan problemas al dejarnos ser llevados por el Espíritu por caminos de entrega generosa, vale bien la pena. No dice hoy que Jesús ‘se lavó las manos’ y abandonó su misión, sino que fue a otros pueblos y continuó predicando. Acabó ante Pilatos que se lavó las manos ante la condenación Jesús. Gracias a Dios, ha llegado hasta nuestro ‘pueblo’ hoy. ¿Le acogeremos? Tal acogida significa escuchar y leer y pasar un poco de tiempo contemplando. ¡Piensa en lo que le gustaría a Jesús decir en nuestra ‘sinagoga’ personal hoy! Y démosle gracias por seguir guiando a la humanidad, aunque ¡no es fácil aguantar la cruz y aguantar estar ignorado toda vía por mucha gente! Me gusta como Pablo escribe ‘es cuando estoy débil que estoy fuerte’. Si estas infirmo entonces puedes hacer menos por ti mismo y tienes que pedir ayuda y eso necesita humildad y creo que tal humildad de hecho te hace mucho más fuerte. Cristo nos muestra esto… cargando una cruz y después resucitando de la muerte. La cruz de mi esclerosis múltiple es muy ligero pero ¡voy a intentar tomar ‘el tren’ de Cristo! .............. Dara. |
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