23-Jul-2006
Dear Friend,
We talk of successful people as go-getters in life. They are out to get as
much as they can from every opportunity that life has to offer. But can the
purpose of life be getting as much as possible? Can my life be focused on I,
me, myself and my needs? For that matter, are we seeking God for ourselves and
our own ends, or for sharing His blessings with others? Faith challenges us to
give rather than receive. Have an enjoyable weekend just giving! Fr. Jude
Sunday Reflections: Seventeenth Sunday of the Year Seeking Jesus for our
needs! 30-Jul-2006
Readings: 2 Kings 4:42-44; Ephesians 4:1-6;
John 6:1-15;
Todays first reading speaks of the prophet Elisha, who lived in the ninth
century B.C. and was the successor of the mighty prophet Elijah. Todays Elisha
story takes place during a time of famine. The people brought some food for the
prophet, the man of God, but the prophet directs the food to be given to the
people instead. There are a huge number of people and so his servant hesitates
to take the meager food to the people. The food used is bread and the servant
protests that the task is impossible, yet the prophet insists and so a large
number of people are fed with a small amount of food and in fact food is left
over. The miraculous food, which the prophet Elisha gave to hungry people, was
a sign of Gods concern for his people. The bread in question was the bread of
the first-fruits, which was meant to be offered to God. But instead of offering
it to God, Elisha gave it to the people. The leftovers stress Gods generosity.
Discovering ones own riches I lived on the shady side of the road and
watched my neighbours gardens across the way reveling in the sunshine. I felt
I was poor and from door to door went in my hunger. The more they gave me from
their careless abundance the more I became aware of my beggars bowl. Till one
morning I awoke from my sleep at the sudden opening of my door and you came and
asked for alms. In despair I broke open the lid of my chest and was startled
into finding my own wealth.
Rabindranath Tagore
In the second reading from Paul to the Ephesians, Paul pleads with the
Ephesians to live a life in keeping with the Gospel, placing special emphasis
on the need for unity and harmony. We have to do everything possible to
preserve the unity of spirit among us by our words and or deeds. Paul further
emphasizes that there is one body and one spirit; there is one Lord and one
faith and one baptism, and one God and Father of us all, through all and within
all. This oneness of faith should lead us to share all we have with others so
that we might witness to our faith in action.
Do it now!
There was a rich man who complained to his friend thus: The people do not
like me. They say I am very stingy and greedy, but I have made my will. I have
willed the entire property to a charitable institution. The friend replied,
Have you heard of the story of the pig and the cow? A pig came to the cow and
complained: People speak so well of you and your friendliness. It is true that
you give milk. But they profit from me much more. They have meat and sausages
of different types. Even my feet and hands they eat. Still nobody loves me as
they love you. For everybody I am a pig, nothing more. Why? The cow reflected
and said, Perhaps it is because I give while I am alive, you give, or rather
it is taken away, after you are dead! -Is it not folly to postpone the good
we can do here and now for later?
Anonymous
In today's gospel from John we see people going after Jesus, crowds follow him,
but what is their motive? Are they truly seeking what he has to offer: wisdom?
grace? Gods ways?, or are they seeking their own ulterior ends? John tells us
that that the crowds were huge about five thousand men, with perhaps double
the number of women and children. It is Jesus who says to Phillip: What are we
going to do? How are we going to feed them? Jesus knew what he was going to do
but he said this to test his disciples. Phillip with his calculating mind is
working out the solution: You just buy the food, but where are you going to
get so much food in this place? Just one piece of bread for each one would
probably cost hundred of denarii. How are we going to manage? Andrew, with a
practical bent of mind suggests that there is a solution; a boy with five
loaves of bread and two fishes. But what use of is that for this large crowd?
Jesus immediately responds to the suggestion of Andrew, he is ready to take
the little that is offered by the boy and work with it. He is not asking for
huge resources beyond our means but he seeks generous people who are ready to
share the little that they have. Jesus had asked his disciples to divide and
share the bread with the multitude and as they broke bread and shared, more and
more was available until everyone had enough and even more than enough. Jesus
then said, Please collect the leftovers and they collected twelve baskets
full, and Jesus must have given them to the little boy; after all it was his
bread and his fish that made it all possible. Why was Jesus interested in the
leftovers? Wasnt the big happening all that mattered? Jesus is also the God of
small things! He worked with the small boys generosity, with a small resource
available and now he is interested in the small left overs that still remain;
every small detail counts in Gods eyes! The
leftovers also remind us of Gods generosity. He is not stingy and calculating
in his gifts he gives us more than we need. He enjoys giving abundantly and we
can never out do God in his generosity, every little offering we make is
abundantly rewarded.
Generosity of heart!
A priest celebrating Mass in a Dublin parish and preaching on todays gospel
referred to the miracle of the loaves and fishes as a miracle of generosity. He
pointed out the generosity of the boy who was willing to share what he had and
then there was the generosity of Jesus himself, who not only fed the people but
saw that each one had more than enough and to spare. The priest left the altar
at the end of Mass happy in the belief that he had preached a good sermon. As
he was unvesting in the sacristy an elderly woman came to enquire if anyone had
left in a shopping bag. She said she had brought it to church with her, but now
couldnt find it. The sacristan gave her the bad news: no one had left a bag
there. The priest was expecting her to say: What kind of a person would steal
from another person in the house of God? or some such thing. But she said no
such thing. Without a trace of anger or bitterness, she said simply, Maybe the
person who took it needs it more than I
do. What was in the bag? the priest asked. Two loaves of bread. the woman
replied. Her answer delighted the priest. But it also humbled him, because he
knew that in her position he would not have been so generous in his response to
the theft of his property. He was also humbled for another reason. He was
preaching generosity; this woman was practicing it. Hers was generosity of
heart.
Flor McCarthy, in 'New Sunday & Holy Day Liturgies'
"The fact of life is that Jesus needs what we can bring to him. We may not
have much to bring but he needs what we have. Little is always much in the
hands of Christ. Understood this way, the miracle of the multiplication of
loaves and fish has meaning for today. The miracle continues through us every
time we give ourselves in faith to the Lord. He takes our limited resources,
blesses them, multiplies them and distributes them to his people, and
paradoxically, we still find more than left over for ourselves either in
psychic satisfaction, a sense of fulfillment or inner peace. The right question
to ask of the Lord is not, Where shall we find this or that? Instead, we
should ask, What is it I have that you want to multiply? A. Cylwicki
May I realize that the measure of love is to give without measure!!
Fr. Jude Botelho
www.netforlife.net
PS. The stories, incidents and anecdotes used in the reflections have been
collected over the years from books as well as from sources over the net and
from e-mails received. Every effort is made to acknowledge authors whenever
possible. If you send in stories or illustrations I would be grateful if you
could quote the source as well so that they can be acknowledged if used in
these reflections. These reflections are also available on my web site
www.netforlife.net Thank you.
Fr. Jude Botelhowww.NetForLife.net
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