Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 1, 2021

Jesus is our sustenance, no human food or shelter can compare

John 6:24–35

Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.

When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

“Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Music Meditations

• “I Am the Bread of Life” (by John Michael Talbot) [YouTube]
• “One Bread, One Body” (by John Michel Talbot) [YouTube}
• “El Pan de la Vida” (by Eleazar Cortés) [YouTube}

Opening Prayer

Lord, our hearts are restless until they rest in you. We are always trying to satisfy some inner need, looking for love in all the wrong places, searching for food that cannot truly nourish my soul. Help me to quiet my heart and my mind to hear what you say to me this day about trusting in you, and about being attentive to the hungers in those around me.

Companions for the Journey

From Living Space, a service of the Irish Jesuits, 2021:

Last Sunday we switched from reading Mark’s gospel to that of John. Today we continue with the 6th chapter of John on Jesus as the Bread of Life. In last Sunday’s gospel we saw how excited the people were after Jesus had fed them with just a few loaves and fish. They were so excited that they wanted to make him king. ”This really is the prophet who is to come into the world”, they cry. Their being fed with bread reminds them of Moses who fed the people with manna (described in today’s First Reading) as well as an expression of the expected coming of the Messiah-King. But Jesus had fled to the mountains. He could have used this occasion to exploit the situation and further his own mission but he rejected it outright as a temptation. He was indeed their Messiah-King but not in this way. The disciples, too, have been packed off in a boat in case they got the wrong ideas and tried to take advantage of Jesus’ popularity. They also had to learn the kind of king their Master was.

When did you come here?

The people now set off to Capernaum on the other side of the lake looking for Jesus. After finding him they asked, “When did you come here?” It is one of those ironic questions that John loves. A seemingly innocent and simple question which actually touches on the real origins and identity of Jesus. Jesus tells them they are looking for him not because they have seen signs but because they had got a lot of bread to eat. They did not realize that the feeding itself was a spectacular sign pointing to something much deeper than the material bread they enjoyed.

It was a sign of an altogether different kind of food, a different kind of nourishment on a different level entirely. A food that endures forever and this is the real food that Jesus has come to offer. But they still have not grasped what he is saying to them.

What must we do, they asked, to get this bread of life? The answer was simple and straightforward: “You must believe in the one God has sent.” That is all and it is everything: to believe IN Jesus, that is, to commit oneself totally and unconditionally to his Way. To believe in a person is to make an investment of one’s whole self. It is an act of faith, of trust and a letting go. It is much more than just accepting what a person says as being true. But the people are still not satisfied. They ask for a sign which would give them a reason for believing in Jesus. They cite the example of the manna that Moses had fed the people with over their 40 years in the desert.

Jesus, the new manna

To this request Jesus replies:
First, the manna came from God, not Moses.
Second, the real bread that comes from God is not material, it comes directly from God and it is life-giving.
”Oh, let’s have some of that bread,” Jesus’ listeners cried, hearing only the literal meaning of his words. (It reminds us of the Samaritan woman by the well of Jacob who asked Jesus for the water of life after which she would never be thirsty again.) Jesus then answers simply: “I AM the Bread of Life.” This is much more than a statement of fact; the phrase “I AM” is the name of God given to Moses at the burning bush. It is the first of seven ‘I AM’ statements uttered by Jesus in John’s gospel, all pointing to his divine origin.
The others are:
I AM the Light of the World (8:12, 9:5)
I AM the Gate (10:7,9)
I AM the Good Shepherd (10:11,14)
I AM the Resurrection and the Life (11:25)
I AM the Way: the Truth and the Life (14:6)
I AM the Vine (15:1,5).

Now, however, we need to ask: How is Jesus bread and how are we to get it? By going to Jesus, by becoming his close companion (one who shares bread from the Latin ‘cum’=with and ‘panis’=bread) and follower. “Who comes to me will never be hungry.” By believing in Jesus, by an unconditional and total giving of self to him. “Who believes in me will never thirst.”

But how does Jesus nourish us and be our food and drink?

1. By giving us his Word in the Scriptures. In this way he feeds our minds and hearts, enriches and gives meaning and direction to our lives. The Word of God in the scriptures is really food and, in so far as the Bible is unknown to us, we are being starved of food that we really need.
2. Through his Church: through the fellowship and mutual support we get through our involvement and participation in a Christian community.
3. Through every loving and nourishing experience coming to us through people, books, radio, TV, the world of nature – in short, through everything which enriches and gives more meaning and understanding in our lives, increases our feeling of being loved and of self-worth.
4. Through the Eucharist, the sign by which we celebrate God’s love shown to us through the life, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and where we give thanks for all the nourishing ways by which God, through Jesus, comes into our daily lives.

The fact that we are indeed being fed and nourished is shown by the way we live our lives and share what we have received with others who are still hungry for life and meaning. As the letter to the Ephesians says in today’s Second Reading: “Your mind must be renewed by a spiritual revolution so that you can put on the new self that has been created in God’s way, in the goodness and holiness of the truth.”

This is exactly what happens when we have been fed by the Bread of Life.

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never die

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

• Is my basic orientation once of scarcity (there is never enough; others have way more than I do; someone might take from me what I have)?
  In what areas of my life is this scarcity felt—in my material life, in my emotional life, in my spiritual life?
  Where did this attitude come from?
• What is my deepest hunger or my most urgent thirst?
• What do I need to do to have that hunger satisfied?
• What is a mentality of abundance?
  In what areas do I need to cultivate this mentality?
  What has helped me to do so?
  When has God given to me in abundance?
• Is it true that people turn to God mostly when they want some temporal gift or favor instead of turning to God in love and friendship?
  Do they see God as some sort of personal “fixer” who grants them material success or health, or happiness?
  Do we?
• What do I want from Jesus?
  Do I sometimes miss what Jesus is actually offering, because I think I want something very different to make me happy?
• What sort of bread is Jesus for me?
• How does the throw-away, consumerist society we inhabit encourage more and more acquisition, more and more waste, and keep us from investing in what is lasting and not a passing fad?
• What physical hunger in the world are we being called to address?
• What can we in the parish do to address the physical hungers of our struggling brothers and sisters?
  What can I, as an individual do to address these hungers?
• Which comes first: the physical needs of people for food, for freedom, for understanding, or the spiritual needs of people for a faith that sustains them?
  Do people need both?
• Which image moves me more: Jesus as the bread of life, or Eucharist as the body and blood of Jesus? Why?
• How important is the Eucharist in my life?
  How important is Jesus in my life?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

Adapted from “First Impressions” 2021, a service of the Southern Dominican Province:

God hears us in whatever wilderness or desert place we find ourselves now. God hears even the longings we don’t name: our hunger for truth and goodness; our hunger for meaningful relationships or healed relationships; our hunger for holiness and grace; our hunger to make a difference for the good and not just be someone who is passing through life. I take a few minutes to reflect on what I long for, to reflect on hungers I did not know I had. When I say “Give us this day our daily bread”, what, exactly, am I asking God to give me?

God continues to perform signs for us and feeds us in surprising ways—do I get it?... a surprise gesture of kindness from a friend, or even a stranger: a job that turns out just right for me; a word of forgiveness I have not earned, but which I received nevertheless. Or, the moment out of the blue, when I stop to appreciate my life, and the lives of those around me, and I realize it is good to be alive—do I get it?

I reflect on the gifts that I have received in my successes and failures, my joy and grief, my loss and discovery. Do I realize that these gifts are God’s presence in my life? Do I realize that Jesus is present in the bread of the Eucharist and deep in my heart always? I pray the Lord’s prayer as an act of faith/trust in God’s goodness and care for me and for the world:
Our Father who art in heaven, holy is your name
Your kingdom is here and
I want to do your will on earth as it is done in heaven
You give us this day, our daily bread
And you forgive us our sins as we forgive the sins of others
You lead us not into temptation, but you deliver us from evil.
Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory. Amen.

Poetic Reflection:

Mary Oliver expresses one way of viewing the Bread of Life:

“The Vast Ocean Begins Just Outside Our Church: The Eucharist”

Something has happened
To the bread
And the wine.

They have been blessed.
What now?
The body leans forward

To receive the gift
From the priest’s hand,
Then the chalice.

They are something else now
From what they were
Before this began.

I want
To see Jesus,
Maybe in the clouds

Or on the shore,
Just walking,
Beautiful man

And clearly
Someone else
Besides.

On the hard days
I ask myself
If I ever will.

Also there are times
My body whispers to me
That I have.

Closing Prayer

From Sacred Space 2021:

Help us, Lord, when we are limited by our past. When we know we have been blessed, help us to stay before you in trust, aware of how little we deserve, but ready to receive your grace in new ways.

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 25, 2021

We need to have trust that God will provide; but we need to contribute what we can to the effort

John 6:1–15

After this, Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near.

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?” He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.

One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” 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.

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.

When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.

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.” Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

Music Meditations

• “Table of Plenty” (by Dan Schutte; sung by John Michael Talbot) [YouTube]
• “Though the Mountains May Fall” (Dan Schutte) [YouTube]
• “Feed My Sheep” (Patrick Riley) [YouTube] (folksong style)
• “Amazing Grace” (sung by Catholic Community at Stanford “virtual” choir) [YouTube]

Opening Prayer

Lord, you came to give us life, and life in abundance. Help me to learn from this story just how much you care for me and for all the ordinary events of my life. Help me to know that you understand when I am lonely or hungry. Help me to understand loneliness and hunger in others, especially those I am thinking of right now… You can work through my inadequacies and can do wonders with me as your willing helper.

Companions for the Journey

From “First Impressions” 2003, by Jude Siciliano

The past three weeks we had been hearing sequential readings from Mark. Beginning today, till almost the end of the summer, we will have gospel selections from John 6. In his gospel, John narrates only seven miraculous acts by Jesus and he names them—”signs.” He sees these signs as a special revelation about Jesus and in each, the believer is brought close to the all-powerful and resurrected Lord. We not only witness a miraculous deed performed by Jesus, but through the sign we are invited to step closer for a more thorough reflection on what it says about Jesus. The signs John narrates help those with eyes of faith to see—to believe in Jesus in the ways each sign reveals him to us.

Today we have the sign of the multiplication. In subsequent weeks we will hear the additional reflections on this sign John provides to help us come to faith in Jesus as the Bread of Life and Wisdom sent down from God. John is not a casual writer; through his narration, with its multi-layered symbolism, we come to see more and more about who Jesus is. Remember what John said towards the end of his gospel, where he states his purpose for writing quite clearly, “Jesus performed many other signs as well, signs not recorded here, in the presence of his disciples. But these have been recorded to help you believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, so that through this faith, you may have life in his name” (20:30-31). We now focus on one of these signs so that in “seeing” it we might grow in faith. A large crowd has sought Jesus out. Unlike the Synoptic gospels, John doesn’t say that Jesus expresses pity for the hungry crowd, or that they are like lost sheep without a shepherd. Instead, Jesus opens with a question to Philip about where “we” will get enough food for the approaching crowd. John tells us quite plainly that Jesus is “testing” his disciples. The story has us focus on how the disciples will respond to this test and what Jesus’ own response will be. Of course we too are being “tested” as we apply the story to our lives.

Which gives us pause to ask, what’s the test for us? Is it that we too must face the many needs of family, friends, church, world and that we feel overwhelmed or “crowded” by them? How shall we feed them? Is the test the questions that are put before us when we realize that for the really important issues and areas of our lives we do not have enough “bread”? The story today shows both the disciples and Jesus looking at the same needs. The disciples don’t exaggerate the problem; they evaluate their meager resources and what will be required of them and then express incredulity, “how are we going to feed them?” They are not blind or indifferent to the needs and they seem to want to address them, but just can’t figure out how they will do it. It is just too much for them. Jesus is also looking at the same hungers and he takes charge. Doing the work Jesus has calls us to do does not always seem possible. Listen to Andrew’s comment when he reports the little they have, “What is that among so many?” Andrew and the disciples are realistic enough. But they have not factored in the One who is looking with them at the problem and what he may have in mind. We look around at our world and it has enormous hungers for peace, community, meaning and wholeness. We, who do so many good and varied ministries, both as ordained and lay people, wonder if we have what it takes to make a difference, to touch the hearts, minds and wills of our neighbors, to improve their lives and the life of the world. A tall order indeed! “Where can we buy enough food…”, to have that kind of impact? We can’t. But we don’t have to do it on our own; Jesus looks with us and knows “what he [is] going to do” through us to feed the crowds.

Early in the story we learn that, “the feast of Passover was near.” That is an important detail that helps us understand the meaning of this sign. Believers hearing this detail are nudged by the mention of the Passover to make links: it was at the Passover meal that Jesus ate with his disciples. During the meal he told them about his death. While the Synoptic used Eucharistic language to describe the multiplication miracle, John draws out the meaning of this sign with a long discourse about Jesus’ giving his flesh and blood. In the next weeks we will hear John inviting us to look beyond the bread that was given the crowds and see the Bread of Life that is really being offered to feed us. The crowds want bread, an immediate satisfaction for empty stomachs. John is saying that Jesus is going to satisfy their still deeper hungers. Moses provided bread for the Israelites in the desert—day by day. But it only satisfied the people’s hungers for a while. Then they would be hungry again. While John will elaborate in subsequent weeks, he has already opened a door and invited us to “see.”

The crowds don’t get what is really happening. They see a powerful work, but not the meaning of the sign that just happened. They got their bellies full, but their spirits are still hungry. They don’t see that Jesus is the very bread that can feed them so that the will never be hungry again. What does it take to fill us up? What bread do we reach out for and does it hold true and lasting value for us? Will that bread be with us through life’s difficult journeys or will it run out and not be bread at all—just cotton candy? The appetite that drives people towards other, less substantial, breads—status, property, the latest gadgets, etc., is insatiable. Yet, when what we thought we wanted is possessed, we eventually still want more, or want a more up-to-date version. We are what we eat. If we hunger for and try to satisfy ourselves with food that doesn’t nourish, we will soon realize we are still hungry and we are unfulfilled people.

When we have a sleepless night, what is on our mind? What are the middle-of-the night ghosts that we don’t like to think about during the daylight, the areas where our lives are askew and energies misplaced? Those concerns and hungers for direction are the places where we need the true bread. We need nourishment that goes down deep to the place where we set our priorities; we need the bread to direct us. We want a food that will help keep us focused on what is really important and lasting. If that is what we want and if we are what we eat, then it makes sense to eat the Bread of Life, Jesus. We aren’t just seeking his comforting presence. He has more to offer. John tells us that the people call him “the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.” And prophet he is. His life is to be the pattern we follow in our lives, for we too are called upon to feed others. The way we can feed them is to act in the world in ways that clearly identify us with Jesus. To make room for the bread that Jesus offers—we must starve judging and feed on kindness; starve indifference and feed on compassion; starve isolation and feed on community; starve selfishness and feed on generosity. The old self must go hungry and the life of Jesus must feed and expand our spirits. Now at our Eucharist we are like the hungry crowd. But we haven’t come here for momentary satisfaction. We have been present to the sign John narrates for us. We know there is only one true and lasting nourishment and we have come to receive it, the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ.

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

• What is your first reaction when you face a challenging or what seems to be an impossible situation?
• When I pray, do I expect God to “fix” my life, or do I ask for strength, courage, patience or creativity to deal with an issue myself?
• Do I focus on the enormity of the task of helping make a situation better and simply give up in despair?
• Do I take my concerns to someone else, expecting them to solve the problem, while I remain passive?
• How much of our prayer is looking for some sign of God’s power in our life, the life of someone we know, or in the world?
• Do we really believe we ourselves have enough wisdom, power, strength and courage to make a change in people’s lives, because God has given these things to us?
• How much of our prayer is thanking God for what has been given to us in opportunity, talent, loved ones, and beauty?
• How much of our prayer asks that we have the wisdom and courage to engage others as Jesus did?
• In a culture of consumerism, when do we ever have enough to stop clutching at our possessions (wealth, talent, fame,) in order to give some of it away simply because we have something others do not?
• Who has fed me in one way or another throughout my life?
  Have I been aware of their generosity or did I simply expect it as my due?
• What is the role of individual generosity in this story of the loaves and fishes? How generous am I?
• Who is my brother? Who is my sister? Who is not???
• Do we identify with those in need (like the people Jesus fed), or do we see them as “other”?
• From Fr. Jude Siciliano, O.P.:
  Do we celebrate Eucharist as a way to get away from the problems of the world, or as a way to deepen our oneness with all of creation?
  What hungers are we experiencing as we gather around the Eucharistic table this Sunday?
  Who are the hungry we are called by Christ to feed? Where? How?
  Where does our culture’s “rugged individualism” (where the strongest survive, and the race goes to the swift) fit in with our obligations to the poor?
  In concern for the poor, sociologists have found that Catholics are no better than their non-Catholic counterparts—what does that say about us and our religious beliefs?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:

John’s gospel is all about the extravagance of God, and God’s desire that we have life more abundantly… Look at the generous amount of wine at the wedding feast of Cana… It was greater in amount, but also greater in quality than anyone expected. In this story (one which is told in all four gospels), what was left over was more than they began with. I think of the ways in which Jesus’ generosity showed up in so many events of his ministry. I think of the ways in which Jesus’ generosity has touched my life. Another name for such generosity might be “grace”. Grace is also present in the down times and the failures—the times we learn about ourselves and our capacity for growth and forgiveness. Compose a letter to God, reflecting on all the ways you have been graced in your life, through good situations and through difficult ones. Be sure to express your gratitude….

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination:

I place myself in the events of this story.

First, I imagine that I am one of the crowd that has followed Jesus. Am I male or female? I try to remember why I decided to come here, to this remote location so far from home. Did I come alone, curious about all the chatter surrounding this enigmatic man, or did I come or with family or friends because we thought the adventure would be fun? I try to remember what it was about Jesus that impels me to stay longer and longer in his presence, until my hunger reminds me how stupid it was to neglect to bring something to eat, or watch the time. As the crowd gets a little restless, I try to decide what to do. I am fascinated by this man, but I am aware that I am very, very hungry. There seems to be a conversation among Jesus and several of his close associates, who look a little worried. And when I am told, along with the rest of the crowd, to recline on the ground as if a meal were coming, do I hesitate a bit and look around to see what others are doing? How surprised am I when Jesus is given a few loaves and couple of fish, says a prayer and begins distributing the food? Where did it all come from? Was it all magic? Did others in the crowd have food, and moved by the generosity of the little boy who gave his lunch to Jesus, shared what they had with those around them? What is my response to the sudden meal produced from virtually nothing? Do I grab what I can or wait for others to take what they need? Do I tidy up afterwards? Do I look at Jesus with new eyes?

Or maybe I am one of Jesus’ close companions. What is my reaction when I see the numbers who have followed Jesus to this remote location? Am I starting to get worried about the hunger and need of this pretty big crowd who are so enthralled with Jesus? What do I think of Jesus question about buying food for everyone? I start to panic a little, but somehow, I know Jesus will have a solution. It is kind of laughable that his solution is to take a little boy’s lunch and assume it will feed everyone. How surprised am I when it actually does feed everyone? Does this tell me anything about God’s generosity, or about placing my trust in God’s ultimate goodness? Do I look at Jesus with new eyes?

Perhaps I am that little child with the meager lunch. Did my mom give me a little meal to take with me as I spent the day out of doors and away from chores for once? My friends and I spot a crowd of people, many from my village, many of whom seem to be gathered around a guy named Jesus who is preaching to them. Even though we don’t understand everything he is talking about, we decide to hang around and see if anything interesting happens. While I am sitting there, I absent-mindedly look in the little package my mom gave me. It smells a teeny bit as I open the sack, and that is when one of this guy’s close followers asks if I would give it to him to give to Jesus. I hold out my little offering, but what am I thinking? Am I afraid I am being taken advantage of? Am I embarrassed by how little I have to give, knowing it will never be enough? Do I feel honored that I could contribute in some way to this experience? How do I feel when I see what an extravagant feast has resulted from my generosity? Do I look at Jesus with new eyes?

In my own 21st century life, what are the lessons I can learn from this story? What does it tell me about trust, about being aware of the needs of others, about the possibilities that open up when I open my eyes and my heart to others? Do I really believe that God has my best interests at heart; do I believe in a God who says: “I will never forget you; I will hold you in the palm of my hand”? do I believe that what gifts I have are good enough for God, and good enough to make a difference? Is there any action I can take to somehow make life better for a hungry little child who had no breakfast because there was no food in the house, or make life better for a mother trying to work and learn a new language? Can I make life a little better for a college student far from home and lonely, or an older person in a nursing home whom no one ever visits? Can I see the people around me with new eyes? Can I be more generous with my time, my talents, and my treasure?

Poetic Reflection:

Can you see the connection between the gospel stories of the loaves and fishes, the Last Supper and this reflection on the Eucharist by Rev. Ed Ingebretsen, S.J.? (“Gather the People” from Psalms of the Still Country)

What return can we make
for all the Lord has done in our lives?
We bring bread, wine, our clay dishes
and our clay feet
to this altar
and we pray that we may here
make a beginning—
that somehow in our days
we can begin to see the promises
the Lord has made us.

The promises do not always
glow with obvious light, or
overwhelm us by their obvious truth.
No matter what anyone says,
it is difficult to understand an invisible God
and belief is not always
the easy way out.

So we gather the people
and we tell the story again
and we break the bread
and in the memory of the one
who saves us,
we eat and drink
and we pray and we believe.

We gather, we pray, we eat.
These things are for human beings.
God has no need of them.
Yet he himself gathered the people,
prayed, broke bread
and gave it to his friends.

And so the invisible God became
visible
and lives with us.

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style:

There is a wonderful Ignatian reflection by Michael Kennedy S.J, in Eyes on Jesus (Crossroads Publishing), a series of reflections on various gospel stories as imagined through the experiences of the young people of Delores Mission, one of the poorest parishes in Los Angeles county. It is called multiplication, from p.182 to p.190, and it alone is worth the price of the book.

Closing Prayer

Jesus, you teach me that whatever I have is enough. I ask for the generosity to give of myself, to risk rejection and even failure in your name, because I am not called to be perfect, or wonderful; I am called to be faithful to your word.

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 18, 2021

Jesus' compassion for those who need his help; balancing personal rest with the needs of others

Mark 6:30–34

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.

But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

Music Meditations

• “Come to Me, All Who Are Weary” (composed by Dan Schutte) [YouTube]
• “In Christ Alone” (sung by Travis Cottrell) [YouTube]
• “Shepherd Me O God” (composed by Marty Haugen) [YouTube]

Opening Prayer

Lord, there are times when I want to get away from the crowds, when I feel oppressed by company. There are other times when I just wish that somebody knew that I exist; I can have too much of aloneness. If I can reach you in prayer, and know that you are more central to me than my own thoughts, I feel at peace, as the apostles must have felt.

Companions for the Journey

From “First Impressions” 2018, a service of the Southern Dominican Province

When you read, or hear, in Mark’s gospel that Jesus is planning a quiet retreat for himself or his disciples, you can be sure their rest is going to be interrupted by the needs of the people. Mark is a busy gospel and that’s what happens in today’s passage. The apostles return from the preaching and healing ministry Jesus had sent them on -- remember last week’s gospel (6: 7-13)? Today we are told that they, “gathered together with Jesus,” the way sheep gather with their shepherd, and that they made a report of their preaching mission. Jesus invites them to come apart with him to “a deserted place and rest awhile.” But Mark’s is not a gospel for resting, there is much to do; there are many needy people. It sounds like it was written yesterday, a modern gospel for modern disciples who have too many pressing needs, too limited energies, too many distractions, too much confusion about what’s really important and what’s just busy work that distracts us from our calling. Yes, “calling,” whether we are full time paid ministers, church volunteers, or people leading very busy and demanding lives -- the kind Jesus and his disciples lead in Mark’s gospel. If any of the above describes your life, then Mark is the gospel for you.

Jesus had sent the apostles out to do the very things he was doing, teaching, healing and driving out demons. In this action-filled gospel one event follows quickly upon another. We can sense the rush of activity and can understand the need Jesus and his apostles have for rest and regrouping. I wonder if Jesus not only wanted to give his disciples a chance to rest, but also to remind them about all that discipleship would entail – not just enthusiastic acceptance by the multitudes, but the cross, pain and sacrifice of true discipleship. If the disciples don’t include the cross in their understanding of ministry they will fail as Jesus’ followers. At first, that’s what happens, because when Jesus meets his cross, they scatter. Mark was writing for a community that was facing the cross of persecution and his gospel is trying to show that early church and us, should not measure ourselves by worldly standards of success and failure. Maybe that is why Jesus is trying to pull his disciples away from the popularity spotlight -- to instruct them more fully on discipleship.

Maybe we too have to go against the tides of rush and busyness to evaluate our call to follow Jesus and the consequences it has on our lives. Even those of us who are already involved in church, or public service, must ask ourselves if there are people we are neglecting and other needs to address. Are there people or services we must attend to that might not be as noticed, or as lauded as what we are now doing -- but might be where we are being called to live out our discipleship? There are those of us who sense we are ministering in the right places and should continue doing so, whether at home, the public market place, or at our church. Nevertheless, Jesus is the shepherd who tends to the needs of disciples and calls us, now and then, to rest. He takes his flock to a “deserted place,” where they won’t be distracted and will be able to focus on the food he wants to give them – his presence and his word. As he is doing for us at every Eucharist. He sees that we need to gather around our Shepherd. He wants to give us what we must have to continue as his disciples. For some we may need more time to focus, reflect and be nourished. Surely our parish offers periods of retreat, renewal and input. And for those who can manage to get away, there are retreat houses and spirituality centers. There are various modern “deserted places,” where Jesus would be with us to help us gather our scattered spirits. Jesus sees the needy “vast crowd” and, as their shepherd, he decides to feed them. First, he will teach them, because their spirits need the food he has for them. Then he will give them food for their bodies. He immediately spots their more severe hungers for, “they were like sheep without a shepherd and he began to teach them many things.” Mark is showing us that Jesus is more than sufficient for us. You can sense the chaos and “lostness” of the people, they are a crowd – a leaderless and directionless crowd. They need a shepherd who can teach and direct them; bring order and vision to their lives. Jesus’ compassion is frequently stirred by a person’s physical condition, because they are blind, deaf, crippled, etc. But this crowd needs something even more important than a physical cure; they need to know and be with Jesus. Have you ever been with someone seriously ill and been moved by their calm faith? I wonder how they can seem so trusting in such dire straits? It is obvious their faith has another source, other than themselves. You sense that Jesus has taken notice of them, the way he did the crowd, “his heart was moved with pity for them....” You realize the sick person has been taught by Christ himself, given food in a “deserted place” that no one else could provide under the circumstances.

Jesus sees the vast and needy crowd and his first reaction isn’t annoyance at having the quiet break he planned for himself and his disciples interrupted. Instead, Mark tells us, when Jesus sees the crowd, “his heart was moved with pity for them.” Usually we don’t like the world “pity.” It sounds so condescending. When we really are annoyed with someone, a way of telling them how disgusted and disappointed we are is to say, “I pity you.” But we know, from Jesus’ subsequent care for the people, that his pity isn’t condescending. It is more a deep feeling of concern, like the kind that moves us to act on another’s behalf. We see or hear of another’s pain and we feel pity or compassion and decide to do something for them. This exchange between someone’s need and our response transcends the usual barriers that often separate humans: race, gender, nationality, economics, etc. When we feel pity for another, we are united with God whose compassion goes out to all God has created -- humans and the very earth itself.

Throughout Mark’s gospel those following Jesus are usually called “disciples.” But in today’s passage they are called “apostles.” It is the only time in the gospel that Mark uses this title. It’s a new name for them and suggests a new relationship with Jesus. The Shepherd is preparing “apostles,” then and now, those to be sent in his name to teach and act as he did.

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

• How do we create some more human and quiet spaces in our lives in the midst of the “din” we inhabit?
  Has this “din” gotten worse over the years?
• Does our reliance on gadgets to keep us connected to the larger world at all times ever inhibit our connection with those closest to us?
• What do we do about too many pressing needs, too many distractions, too little time, and sometimes too little energy?
• When I look at the people I encounter, are there any that “move me to compassion”?
  In the list of priorities, where do my needs fit in with the needs of others--and where do the needs of family members or work obligations interfere with the needs of the larger community?
  How important is it to me to attend to those who are not my family or friends, but who need some help?
  When do I feel I might have the time to do this?
• Why do we need to regroup our energies now and then?
  What do we do to get rest and nourishment for ourselves?
  What interferes with that?
• What is the role of prayer in providing you and me a respite or a rest?
• What are some of the “costs” of following Jesus?
  Do we think Jesus understands how difficult it sometimes is?
  What in this gospel reveals that?
• Mark 6:35ff. follows this passage with the story of the feeding of the five thousand (the loaves and fishes story). Where did that leave Jesus and the disciples in their quest for rest and relaxation?
  Where does that leave us as disciples of Jesus?
• What group or groups of people in our current day are like “sheep without a shepherd”?
  What would Jesus try to do for them?
  What do we try to do?
  What comes first: spiritual care or temporal care?
• Can we list the places and circumstances where ours is a “shepherding” role?
• There is a difference difference between being a disciple of Jesus and an apostle--disciple is one who engages in learning at the feet of the master; apostle means one who is sent out. Which are you?
• Which wisdom guides our most important decisions: the world’s or Jesus’?
• To what sources does the search for wisdom and guidance take me?
• If Jesus’ actions were motivated by love and love alone, what are my actions motivated by?

Meditations

Poetic Reflection:

In this poem, the late Denise Levertov captures how difficult it is for us to calm ourselves and to be in presence of the peace, quiet and comfort that is God:

“Flickering Mind”

Lord, not you
it is I who am absent.
At first
belief was a joy I kept in secret,
stealing alone
into sacred places:
a quick glance, and away—and back,
circling.
I have long since uttered your name
but now
I elude your presence.
I stop
to think about you, and my mind
at once
like a minnow darts away,
darts
into the shadows, into gleams that fret
unceasing over
the river’s purling and passing.
Not for one second
will my self hold still, but wanders
anywhere,
everywhere it can turn. Not you,
it is I am absent.
You are the stream, the fish, the light,
the pulsing shadow.
You the unchanging presence, in whom all
moves and changes.
How can I focus my flickering, perceive
at the fountain’s heart
the sapphire I know is there?

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

Adapted from Sacred Space, a service of the Irish Jesuits:

This is a gospel story for people busy caring for others. Jesus’ peace and quiet was disturbed by the crowds who needed him, but there were times when he just had to get away…

This is an image of many parents and people in helping profession, or those caring for a family member at home. We need rest and time to recharge the energy and love of the heart. But at times the needs of others take over. What we sometimes forget is that if we do not take care of ourselves, we lose the capacity for patience, the energy for interaction and a healthy perspective about just what we are doing and need to do. We lose our joy. Have I ever felt that time for myself was undeserved, and had to be reserved for a time when no one needed me? When I went too long without a respite, some down time, what was the result? Where does prayer fit into the equation?

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:

Prayer time is an answer to Jesus invitation to come away and rest. Jesus invites me to come away from the distractions and busyness of my life and go into a quiet space where I can be with him. Jesus always listens to me and wants me to share my hopes, my disappointments, my successes, my failures, my dreams and my broken dreams… Try to journal for about 15 minutes each day this week, speaking from your heart, and letting Jesus just be with you. Rest in him.

Closing Prayer

Lord, there are so many in my life who are needy and wanting my care and concern. [Take time to think of particular people and raise prayers for them.] Help me to be patient; help me to be attentive to those around me. But at other times, Jesus, help me to discipline myself to go to a quiet space in my heart where I may find you waiting. Help me to drop the mask, reflect on my life, and reflect on your love and concern for me, because you love me.

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 11, 2021

Like the twelve apostles, we are sent out to spread the message of Jesus and trust in his care.

Mark 6:7–13

Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.

These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”

They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

Music Meditations

• “Fan Into Flame” (John Michael Talbot) [YouTube]
• “The Summons” (John L. Bell) [YouTube]

Opening Prayer

You have called us Lord, to carry on your work and to spread your message. Help us to see where we may be needed, to comfort, to proclaim, to witness. Give us courage and give us the right attitude to understand that what we do in your name is for you and by you, and not for and by ourselves.

Companions for the Journey

From “First Impressions”, a service of the Southern Dominican Province, 2012:

In last Sunday’s gospel Mark focused on Jesus’ rejection in his own hometown community. In response to their hostile reaction Jesus said, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” This week Jesus sends the Twelve out to perform prophetic deeds and speak prophetic words.

Today’s gospel follows immediately upon last week’s. Mark is making a point: just as Jesus was rejected, so too, those sent in his name should expect the same treatment. When rejected as Jesus seems to expect they will be, they are to “… leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.” In other words, we should not be surprised when our words or deeds in Jesus’ name meet rejection—Jesus expected that to happen.

The sending of apostles did not end when Jesus sent out the Twelve, or on the last pages of the four Gospels. We too have been summoned to advance the reign of God, to act and speak in the spirit of Jesus. Jesus’ recommendations to his disciples about taking nothing “but a walking stick, no food, no sack, no money in their belts,” certainly cuts me out of the picture—as I pack a sandwich and magazines for the plane and cram my suitcase with books, sneakers, jacket, etc. Still, I think I understand something of what he’s asking. Is my quest for still more possessions and the latest laptop distracting me from my mission as one sent to the world? How am I telling the story of Jesus to the world by my words and example? What must I leave behind, or change in my daily life, so that I can more effectively witness to Jesus? More basically, does the way I live contradict the name of “Christian” that I bear?

Those are personal questions, but there are more general ones to think about. There are plenty of “demons” we need to cast out of our society. Think about the addictions of power, money, sex, drugs, materialism, exploitation of our environment, trafficking, etc. which possess us more and more. We say we are against them, yet our government makes cuts into programs for the poor, sick, addicted, in education, help for single parents, environmental protection, etc. The history of our church shows that it is not exempt from “demons” either—greed, sexism, power grabbing, alliances with corrupt governments, intellectual oppression, neglect of the poor, cover-ups of sexual predators, etc.

Jesus sends us to be prophets, to call the world to repentance; the immediate world we occupy, as well as the larger worlds we are part of. He wants us to change our behavior and also to drive out the demons that would destroy and lessen us as a people. Today we gather to be nourished by Word and Sacrament so we can go forth strengthened to be prophets to the world Jesus has entrusted to us.

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

He instructed them to take nothing for their journey but a walking stick

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

• Who have been prophetic voices for us in our own lives? Were they the most theological, the holiest, or the most educated? How come Jesus does not always pick the “best and the brightest” for his team of prophets?
  How powerful was their message?
• How might the experience of people who have gone through disasters like personal displacement affect how they may hear this gospel text?
• From Jude Siciliano, O.P.:
  Where and to whom is Jesus sending you now?
  How are you telling the story of Jesus to the world by your words and example?
• What is the role of preparation in the mission Christ is sending us on?
  How do we personally prepare?
• Is our culture, with its quest for still more possessions and the latest laptop distracting each of us from our mission as one sent to the world?
  What “things” do I think I need to go through life?
  What reassurances do I think I need to go through life?
  What “baggage” do I have to unload to live out Christ’s mission?
  What must I leave behind, or change in my daily life, so that I can more effectively witness to Jesus?
  What is Jesus asking me to risk?
• Have I ever had to rely on the generosity of others for my survival?
  Did it help my mission or hinder it?
• How would I respond to a person who wanted me to do something but left me no real time for my personal needs?
  Have I ever responded to the needs of strangers that left me a bit vulnerable?
  Have I and my message ever been rejected?
  Where does Jesus fit into the above scenarios?
• Jesus sends us to be prophets, to call the world to repentance; the immediate world we occupy, as well as the larger worlds we are part of. Have I ever had an experience of “rejection” when trying to talk to someone about changing their own life? How did I react?
• What “slights” and “insults” do I have to shake off to make my heart free to do God’s work, whatever it is?
• It would seem from this gospel that Jesus wants us to change our behavior and also to drive out the demons that would destroy and lessen us as a people:
  There are plenty of “demons” we need to cast out of our society. What are some of them?
• The history of our church shows that it is not exempt from “demons” either
  Which ones do we own up to?
  Which ones are we inclined to make excuses for or ignore altogether?
• This is a gospel about radical dependence on God. How is this message counter-cultural?
  Do I really believe Jesus is with me now and always?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Examen:

Adapted from Love: A Guide for Prayer, p.9:

The Examen of consciousness is the instrument by which we discover how God has been present to us and how we have responded to his presence throughout the day. St Ignatius believed this practice was so important that, in the event it was impossible to have a formal prayer period, it would sustain one’s vital link with God. The Examen of consciousness is not to be confused with the examination of conscience in which penitents are concerned with their failures. It is, rather, an exploration of how God is present within the events, circumstances and feelings of our daily lives.

Here is an excerpt from the dialogue that could take place at the end of each day. Your written response could be included in your prayer journal:

You have been present in my life today. Be near, as I now reflect on:

• Your presence in the events of today
• Your presence in the feelings I have experienced today
• Your call to me
• My response to you

What follows is a deeply private Examen for use during this week, reflecting on the gospel for the coming Sunday:

• Do I think of myself as an “apostle?”
• Does the way I live contradict or enhance the name of “Christian” that I bear?
• What do I need to change?

A Meditation in the Franciscan Style/Action:

Dom Helder Camera, the Brazilian bishop and advocate for social justice on behalf of the poor said: “Watch how you live. Your lives may be the only gospels your listeners will ever encounter.” So I consider:

• Have I ever distorted the gospel by my actions?
• Where can I improve?
• I evaluate which of my possessions I no longer really need or am not using or wearing. What can I donate to a local thrift shop?
• What can I do this week to spread the gospel of hope and compassion to those around me?
• What can I do to help those trying to emulate the early apostles, (for example, those running the Catholic Worker House in Redwood city or the Rosie Rendu Center in East Palo Alto)?

Poetic Reflection:

This poetic meditation is from Fr. Michael Kennedy, written in 2006:

“Farewell Boogie”
(15th Sunday Ordinary Time)

There are
Many things that
Can lead us to be reluctant
In following the mission given
Us by a spouse or an employer
Or by a best friend so we try
To fulfill the task as soon
As possible and also as
Completely as we can
Since we really do
Not want to fail
Someone who is
That close
To us

But we also
Know that the harder
The task the higher the
Failure rate so we decide
Internally just exactly how
We will prepare for the inevitable
Disappointment that is sure to come
So we will say out loud that failure is
Possible but we will try as best we can
Implying clearly that the failure
Will be the fault of the one
Giving the mission
But our effort will
Be courageous
Anyway

And when Jesus
Gives orders to His
Followers He also makes a
Point to tell them they should
Not be offensive or aggressive
To those who do doubt their
Preaching but rather should
Just move on in a kind of

Gentle farewell
Boogie

Closing Prayer

I want to believe the psalmist, Lord, when he says
“The Lord himself will give his benefits; our land will yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him, and prepare the way of his steps.”
Lord, help me to see your kindness, help me bring your message to others of that kindness, and grant all of us the grace of your salvation.

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 4, 2021

What damage lack of understanding does, either to me or by me

Mark 6:1–6

Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples.

When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing?

Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.”

He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.

He was amazed at their lack of faith.

Music Meditations

• “Open My Eyes, Lord” (by Jesse Manibusan) [YouTube]
• “10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)” (by Matt Redman) [YouTube]
• “Lead Me Lord” (by Basil Valdez) [YouTube]

Opening Prayer

Reflection on Psalm 123:4,5:

“Have mercy on us Lord, have mercy on us, for we are filled with contempt; our souls are more than sated with the mockery of the arrogant, with the contempt of the proud…” Lord, save us from ourselves, from our cynicism about the motives of others, and our lack of faith in the goodness and kindness of others. May we use your example of rejection by your friends and family to increase our patience and understanding of these closest to us—to avoid dismissing them and their ideas out of hand, and to avoid giving up when we are not always appreciated by those closest to us.

Companions for the Journey

From “First Impressions”, a service of the Southern Dominican Province:

Most people are not very knowledgeable about Israel’s history, nor can they name the great kings who ruled and misruled. But, I bet even these non-Bible readers can name at least a few of the prophets. The prophets have made their mark on the formation of God’s people through the centuries, right up to the present time. Today’s first reading narrates the call of the great prophet Ezekiel. Four times he tells about the occasions when God called him. All of these accounts tell of how God is sending him to preach to the hardhearted and rebellious Israelites. On our own we humans are not up to the important, and sometimes, life-threatening task of prophesying. But God’s call to Ezekiel and to the other prophets always includes help—big help!—the gift of God’s Spirit. Ezekiel tells with wonder of the moment when God gifted him: “the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet.” He’s not just talking about standing upright, is he? A prophet in any age, including our own, also needs the same life-giving and fortifying spirit Ezekiel received—to stand us up on our feet. When we are called upon to speak up for: the rights of others, conformity to God’s law and comfort for the afflicted, we need help, lest our own spirit shrink from the task. Being a prophet, even in the confines of our homes, workplace, church community, or civil setting, is a risky and, some would say, a foolish business. People don’t like to change their ways of acting and thinking and they don’t like the one calling them to make those changes.

Which takes us to today’s gospel. As I drive around our Texas roads and highways I see bumper stickers that say, “My boss is a Jewish carpenter”; church bulletin boards read, “Jesus saves!” Large billboards along the roads invoke the name of Jesus and make promises to those who believe in him. People all know something about Jesus; his reputation for cures, and his wise sayings. Statues and paintings depict him in both private and public places. It seems good that the one who was sent from God and was God-in-flesh is so much a part of our lives. We have many reminders of him. But there is a way he can be everywhere, but nowhere. Familiarity can breathe indifference. He can be so present that he just fits comfortably into the background of our lives, like wallpaper, our washing machine, the McDonald’s just a few blocks away, and our evening newscaster. We can say, as the people did in his native place, “Oh sure, we know Jesus. He’s one of us. He has been around for years.” In our “native place,” we have lots on our minds that take up our every waking moment. There is a danger that we miss Jesus’ among us, because he so familiar to us, so much part of the furnishings of our lives—and we have other things on our minds. Perhaps today’s gospel will open our eyes to what we are missing—whom we are missing. Notice the parallels to our own lives. Jesus returns to a place where people are very familiar with him. (“Sisters” and “brothers” may have been his cousins in the close knit community in which he was raised.) They know his trade, he’s the carpenter. They know he has done mighty deeds and is noted for his wisdom. Before he left to go preaching he was part of the local scene, someone they would have spoken with daily. Maybe he even repaired a roof, or made a chair for them. They probably even liked him.

But they weren’t willing to take the important next step—beyond familiarity, beyond knowing the facts about him. They weren’t willing to believe that, despite his most ordinary appearances and his, up till then, most ordinary life, that in Jesus, God had entered their lives. God was there ready to perform powerful deeds on their behalf, willing to share a wisdom with them they could not achieve on their own. What a difference it would have made had they accepted what he was bringing to them! They would have seen themselves and one another, as God-loved. They would have treated each other differently, the way Jesus treated people. They might have changed their priorities and not measured themselves, or others, by the size of their homes, property, or their standing in the community. Nothing would have been the same for them, because they would have known God, by knowing God in Jesus.

Maybe we can look again at the familiar billboard signs by the roadside—“Jesus saves”—and ask “From what?” Saves us from going down blind alleys. Saves us from aimlessness. Saves us from guilt and self-incrimination. Saves us from missing our God, who comes in the most everyday and ordinary ways to us—those familiar faces in our own “native place.”

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

He was amazed their lack of faith.

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

• From Paul Gallagher, OFM:
  Mark seems to indicate that Jesus’ ability was affected by the lack of acceptance of the people. How do you understand this aspect of the text? What does it suggest about how God is working in your life, your community and your world today?
  Do you get any insights from the fact that people, who knew Jesus and his family best, were not able to see in him anything beyond what they already knew?
• Is there a real danger in “missing” Jesus because he and his story are so familiar to us that we fail to see what he is really telling us and mirroring for us?
• Today, how do we rediscover Jesus in such a way that we hear his teaching with new ears, witness his mighty deeds with new eyes, and experience him with a new heart?
• Mark seems to indicate that Jesus’ ability was affected by the lack of acceptance of the people.
  Do you think this is an accurate reading of what went in with Jesus in this instance?
  Can something like this happen in our own lives
• Who are the people that you hold in esteem?
  Do they have that position because of their talents? Because of what they have accomplished? Because you know their family?
• Are there places in your life where people are performing well but are still not held in esteem?
  Has this ever been the case in your life? What does this gospel suggest to you?
• Among those you hold in esteem, are there people who have behaviors sometimes contrary to the socially accepted norms?
  How is your perception of these people similar to the people of Nazareth described in the text? How is it different?
• Have you ever felt that family and friends ridiculed you for some of the things that you have pursued?
  What effect did that have on you at the time?
  What did that experience teach you about yourself?
• Some people say it is harder to be a practicing Christian in their own homes among family members, than in their workplace or among their friends. Why would this be so? (—Paul Gallagher, OFM and Nancy Greenfield)
• Have I ever not said or not done what was right because I was afraid how others react?
  When have I had to do what I thought was right and found even those closest to me did not support me?
• What “mighty deed” do I need in my life right now?
  Dare I ask from my faith for the next “mighty deed” Jesus can do for me? A more lively faith? Resolution of some conflict? Better listening skills? Less anxiety about the future, Etc.?
  Do I have faith enough to ask?
  From Jude Siciliano, O.P.: What must I do to make some room for Jesus to work a “mighty deed?”
• What can I do to avoid a belittling of the accomplishments of someone close to me because I am the tiniest bit jealous of what that person has achieved? What can I do to be more tolerant in my own circle of family and friends?
• From Paul Gallagher, OFM:
  I wonder who, in our parish, are those prophets trying to get a word from God to us? Are they the ones who: challenge our poorly prepared liturgies; complain about the preaching; insist on reaching out to the newcomers who make the regulars uncomfortable; ask why we aren’t making better use of the internet to reach people; visit the sick and speak words of comfort to them; diligently prepare and proclaim the scripture readings at our services, etc?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Dominican Style:

The Dominicans are known as the Order of Preachers. However, this reflection on how each of us is called to preach is worth praying about: A preaching student once wrote this for herself; she gave Father Jude, O.P., permission to share it. Write your own statement of how you want to preach as Jesus did.

Ministry Statement

As a preacher, I choose to respond affirmatively to God’s call
to proclaim the Good News with my entire being.
I trust that the people of God will assist me in this process.
I would like to be a preacher that is in touch with self, God and others
that listens attentively, even to the silence
that speaks words of comfort when needed
that gives voice to the needs of the voiceless
that studies, prays, and lives God’s Word
that simply tries to walk the talk
Or as Micah says it, that acts justly, loves tenderly and walks humbly with God
that dies gratefully and confidently having known and shared the love of God.
To be this kind of preacher I will need to
Prepare
Practice
Persevere
Put heads together
Pray
Place trust in self, God and others
Preach
Play
Peer creatively into the book of life
Paint with living words on the canvas of life.

—Jan Dworschak (Jan does ministry and preaching in the San Francisco area.)

A Meditation in the Franciscan Style/Action:

Adapted from Songs of Life: Psalm Meditations from the Catholic Community at Stanford (2004):

I make an inventory of the gifts and talents that I possess. Realizing that my gifts and talents are not given to me for my benefit alone, I resolve to give freely something of myself to someone else this week. It could be help to someone who is struggling with anxiety, visiting someone who is ill or lonely. It could be a trip home to visit with a family member who is lonely, but difficult to take. In deciding what to use my particular talents for, I choose generosity of spirit, forgiveness and kindness over retaliation and envy.

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:

Adapted from “First Impressions”, a service of the Southern Dominican Province:

In Jesus’ Mediterranean world, a son was expected to follow in his father’s footsteps—but not go beyond them. If a boy’s father was a carpenter, then the son was to be one as well—but nothing more. When the people in the synagogue heard Jesus’ teaching that Sabbath they recognized his wisdom and were on the verge of applauding him, but they didn’t. After all, he was the carpenter, how could he be anything more? Did you notice the off-handed insult? They call Jesus Mary’s son, not Joseph’s. The son would be identified by his father, so they are suggesting some doubts about the identity of Jesus’ father. The crowd is not very receptive to a local boy who seems to have gone beyond the expected limits. Jesus brings them up short by telling them that it takes outsiders to see what the locals refuse to see. It is hard to be rejected by the people who know us the best. The people’s rejection of Jesus limited his ability to perform powerful deeds among them. Their lack of faith means Jesus will leave that place.

Some people say it is harder to be a practicing Christian in their own homes among family members, than in their workplace or among their friends. “My kids won’t listen to me.” “My brothers and sisters think I am a religious nut.” “My wife refuses to come to church with me.”—and so it goes. “A prophet is not without honor except in his/her native place.” We are reminded of Ezekiel. If prophets, whether in the civic or domestic arena, can expect hard times and even rejection, then we need to implore God for the gift of the Spirit, to “set” us on our feet, so we can live faithful lives in our land of exile—and more—so we can sustain other exiles in their search for God and their desire to do God’s will. Take some time this week to talk to Jesus about this.

Poetic Reflection:

Father Michael Kennedy, S.J., delivers an interesting take on today’s gospel story:

“Our Astonishment Arouses Anger”
(14th Sunday Ordinary time)

People-watching is
Not only fun it is wonderfully
Informative if you take in the
Environment surrounding those
Who are being observed for their
Behavior can be directly affected
By the whole scene and not just
By the internal engine
Moving the people
Across the screen
Of the watcher

It is especially
Interesting when someone
Known by others nearby is easily
Dismissed as not being extraordinary
Enough to be considered someone
To be honored or believed as if He
Is more than just common and
Soon His motives are
Suspect and seen to
Be an attempt to be
Bigger than His
Carpenter jeans

But the reaction of
The people in His hometown
Is not unusual at all for we seem
To always doubt that miracles and
Divine activity could ever come
From the utterly common thing
Or Person and it is a way of not
Accepting the Truth if we will
Not admit that Grace enfleshes
The simple ordinary every day
And we often miss it as we
Let our shallow awe not
Turn to faith but we see
That our astonishment
Arouses anger

Closing Prayer

From “Sacred Space”, a service of the Irish Jesuits:

Lord, I pray that I may recognize your presence in the ordinary encounters of my day, and notice the ways through which you desire to nourish me and give me life, because you are present in all things. Help me to see the depths in each of those I encounter, those I think I know very well, that only you can glimpse. Help me to be open to others.