August 2, 2021Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

2021년 8월 2일 연중 제18주간 월요일

오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp 

제1독서

<저 혼자서는 이 백성을 안고 갈 수 없습니다.>

민수기. 11,4ㄴ-15
그 무렵 이스라엘 자손들이 4 말하였다.
“누가 우리에게 고기를 먹여 줄까?
5 우리가 이집트 땅에서 공짜로 먹던 생선이며,
오이와 수박과 부추와 파와 마늘이 생각나는구나.
6 이제 우리 기운은 떨어지는데, 보이는 것은 이 만나뿐, 아무것도 없구나.”
7 만나는 고수 씨앗과 비슷하고 그 빛깔은 브델리움 같았다.
8 백성은 돌아다니며 그것을 거두어서, 맷돌에 갈거나 절구에 빻아
냄비에다 구워 과자를 만들었다.
그 맛은 기름과자 맛과 같았다.
9 밤에 이슬이 진영 위로 내리면, 만나도 함께 내리곤 하였다.
10 모세는 백성이 씨족끼리 저마다 제 천막 어귀에 앉아 우는 소리를 들었다.
주님께서 대단히 진노하셨다. 모세에게도 그것이 언짢았다.
11 그래서 모세가 주님께 여쭈었다.
“어찌하여 당신의 이 종을 괴롭히십니까?
어찌하여 제가 당신의 눈 밖에 나서, 이 온 백성을 저에게 짐으로 지우십니까?
12 제가 이 온 백성을 배기라도 하였습니까? 제가 그들을 낳기라도 하였습니까?
그런데 어째서 당신께서는 그들 조상들에게 맹세하신 땅으로,
유모가 젖먹이를 안고 가듯, 그들을 제 품에 안고 가라 하십니까?
13 백성은 울면서 ‘먹을 고기를 우리에게 주시오.’ 하지만,
이 온 백성에게 줄 고기를 제가 어디서 구할 수 있겠습니까?
14 저 혼자서는 이 온 백성을 안고 갈 수 없습니다.
저에게는 너무나 무겁습니다.
15 저에게 이렇게 하셔야겠다면, 제발 저를 죽여 주십시오.
제가 당신의 눈에 든다면, 제가 이 불행을 보지 않게 해 주십시오.”
 

복음

<예수님께서 하늘을 우러러 찬미를 드리신 다음 빵을 떼어 제자들에게 주시니 제자들이 그것을 군중에게 나누어 주었다.>

마태오 14,13-21
그때에 세례자 요한의 죽음에 관한 소식을 13 들으신 예수님께서는

배를 타시고 따로 외딴곳으로 물러가셨다.
그러나 여러 고을에서 그 소문을 듣고 군중이 육로로 그분을 따라나섰다.
14 예수님께서는 배에서 내리시어 많은 군중을 보시고 가엾은 마음이 드시어,
그들 가운데에 있는 병자들을 고쳐 주셨다.
15 저녁때가 되자 제자들이 예수님께 다가와 말하였다.
“여기는 외딴곳이고 시간도 이미 지났습니다.
그러니 군중을 돌려보내시어, 마을로 가서 스스로 먹을거리를 사게 하십시오.”
16 예수님께서 “그들을 보낼 필요가 없다.
너희가 그들에게 먹을 것을 주어라.” 하고 이르시니,
17 제자들이 “저희는 여기 빵 다섯 개와 물고기 두 마리밖에 가진 것이 없습니다.”
하고 말하였다.
18 예수님께서는 “그것들을 이리 가져오너라.” 하시고는,
19 군중에게 풀밭에 자리를 잡으라고 지시하셨다.
그리고 빵 다섯 개와 물고기 두 마리를 손에 들고
하늘을 우러러 찬미를 드리신 다음 빵을 떼어 제자들에게 주시니,
제자들이 그것을 군중에게 나누어 주었다.
20 사람들은 모두 배불리 먹었다.
그리고 남은 조각을 모으니 열두 광주리에 가득 찼다.
21 먹은 사람은 여자들과 아이들 외에 남자만도 오천 명가량이었다.

August 2, 2021

Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time 

Daily Readings — Audio

Daily Reflections — Video

http://www.usccb.org/bible/ 

Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass 

Reading 1

Nm 11:4b-15
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.”

 

Responsorial Psalm

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.

 

Gospel

Mt 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.  

http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

 Today’s readings provide different reactions to stressful and difficult situations.  Life is full of these challenges that constantly test us.  Can we grow in faith and persevere through them?  Or do we resort to complaints and recriminations, possibly aided by hagiographic recollections that do not reflect reality?  Sadly, the answer for us is yes -- we are capable of all these reactions.  What can we learn from them?

In the first reading, Moses is weary of his people’s complaints about their living conditions during their flight from Egypt.  They can remember only sweetness and light about their former life – a land with fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, and garlic.  Add some wine and you have the start of a beautiful Mediterranean meal!  But then there was the slavery and oppression from which they had prayed for deliverance for hundreds of years.  What about that, folks?  They are “famished” but apparently eating pretty well every day with food that comes from the very hand of God.

Moses’ prayers are remarkably candid.  He subtly reminds God of His duty as the progenitor of this people, and he complains about the responsibility foisted upon him as the leader of this people.  He refers to himself as an unwilling foster father carrying around a child not his own.  What is one to do about this burden – bear up under it?  Or die first?  Poor Moses.  But one cannot help but smile when reading his complaints.  We have all been there in our own way.  Our humanity is brittle and we are prone to break down from time to time.  Or as we say in our house, sometimes we blow a gasket. 

The gospel shows us that our Lord is not just a type of savior like Moses but the Savior of the World.  The death of his cousin, John the Baptist, hit Jesus hard.  He withdrew for a time of prayer and reflection, but the needy people still found him.  Instead of telling them to go home and give him some space (which he probably needed), Jesus pities them and meets their needs.  

But note that Jesus decided to do a little outsourcing when it came to their need for food.  He told the disciples to “give them some food yourselves.”   The disciples rustled up some loaves and fishes, which were inadequate for the demand.  But Jesus showed himself to be the Lord of all creation through His work of miraculous multiplication.  In doing so, he allowed the disciples participate in the midst of that miracle, to sense this wonder, and to grow their faith.   

Lord, deliver us from petulance that makes us prone to complain, rather than to give thanks for the blessings we enjoy and to call to mind your faithfulness to us through past trials.  Help us to be patient with one another, especially when we blow a gasket.  Help us to also remember your love for us endures, even in those times when our brittleness reveals itself.  Teach us to bear up and to keep trusting you in the midst of life’s challenges – and to be on the lookout for fellow pilgrims who may need a boost during their journey.  Thanks be to God.

 http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp

 

CLOSING THE DEAL

“Give them something to eat yourselves.” —Matthew 14:16

Jesus has placed His disciples in a fantastic position. On one side is the human race, which continually grows hungry and has a daily need for food. On the other side is the Lord, Who has a continual desire to feed, nourish, and even satisfy hungry humanity (see Ps 81:11, 17; Mt 14:20). God has placed us, as His disciples, between Him and the rest of mankind, charging us with feeding His people (Mt 14:16; Jn 21:15ff). We are God’s middlemen, His ambassadors (2 Cor 5:20), charged with bringing the two parties together.

This is an ambassador’s dream: one party with an unceasing demand, and the other Party with an unlimited ability and unceasing desire to supply that demand (see Lk 22:15). In the business world, candidates would compete for this kind of job opportunity and would flock en masse to interview for it, even if tough conditions were involved. Most salespeople would eagerly tackle this challenge, aggressively finding creative ways to get the parties together. In the religious world, we don’t seem to respond as eagerly at this prospect of being God’s ambassadors.

Let’s ask the Lord to give us His heart, a heart moved with compassion for all people (Mt 14:14). He constantly desires to fill the mouths of hungry humanity with His Word and Eucharist (Ps 81:11), whether or not they appreciate Him. He will give us His heart for His people in such a way that we will find rest (Mt 11:29) rather than distress (Nm 11:15) in feeding them. “Go out now and take your place” (Acts 5:20) as God’s ambassadors.

Prayer:  Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart like unto Thine. Give me Your desire to feed Your loved ones (Jn 21:15).

Promise:  “All those present ate their fill.” —Mt 14:20

Praise:  St. Eusebius of Vercelli defended St. Athanasius and the Faith, and like him was exiled by the emperor.

 http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/

  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 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 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.

Psalm 145:8-9,15-18

8 The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The LORD is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.
15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand, you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The LORD is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings.
18 The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.

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)

 

 

More Homilies

August 5, 2019 Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time