22nd Sunday - B (August 29, 2021)

God-With-Us

Readings

 

“For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the Lord, our God, is to us?”

 

These words from Deuteronomy proclaim our privilege of having the God who created the universe with us. 

 

In the Incarnation, the Second Person of the Trinity came to live among us.  He now remains with us in his Eucharist, the Sacraments, and in his words.

 

In our hearts, God is present as evident in the voice of the Holy Spirit guiding us to do good and avoid evil (ref. the Gospel).

 

Jesus also teaches us that he is present in our neighbors.  Moreover, as St. Paul reminds us Jesus’ teaching that we serve Him when we “care for orphans and widows in their affliction.” (2^nd Reading).

 

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21st Sunday - B (August 22, 2021)

 

“We have come to believe”

John 6: 60-69

 

Like Peter, we believe that Jesus has the words of eternal life. 

 

At the same time, Peter’s words “We have come to believe” remind us that faith is a journey.  Like Peter and the rest of the Twelve, there are times our faith is strong, other times, we falter. 

 

To grow in faith, we must give Jesus time to speak to us.  We must give him space to speak to us in our hearts.  We must give ourselves time to listen to Jesus in prayer and silence, and to read and reflect on his words in Scriptures.

 

In the age of explosion of information, with smart phones, social media, text message, etc., we probably need to be even more intentional in this important aspect of our communication with Jesus so as to live by his words of eternal life.  

 

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Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 15, 2021)

 

“In Haste”

Luke 1: 39 - 56

Mary travels “in haste” to visit Elizabeth.

Immediately prior to this passage, the angel told Mary, “The Lord is with you.” 

Now, as Mary visits Elizabeth, she brings the Savior to Elizabeth and her son. 

The Lord is also with us, in his words and in his Eucharist.

May we travel in haste to bring Him to our brothers and sisters.  

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19th Sunday - B (August 8, 2021)

 

John 6: 41-51

 

How often do I begin a sentence with “I”?

 

Even in our relationship with God, we’d say, “I pray, I go to church, etc.”

 

Jesus reminds us that it is God who draws us to God to share with us God’s life, eternal life.

 

18th Sunday - B (August 1, 2021)

 

“You Are Looking For Me Because…”

John 6: 24-35

 

Jesus tells the crowd, “You are looking for me not because you saw signs
but because you ate the loaves and were filled.”

 

Jesus’ words prompted me to ask, “Why do I look for Jesus?” 

 

Do I go to God only when I need or want something? 

 

And ultimately, God invites me to believe in Jesus for who he is, the One sent by God, not because I can get something out of it.   

 

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17th Sunday - B (July 25, 2021)

 

Our Five Loaves of Barley Bread

John 6: 1-15

 

At the time of Jesus, barley bread, unlike wheat bread, was the bread of people who were poor [1].  And there were only 5 loaves for a crowd of 5 thousand people.

 

What matter is the attitude – the attitude of Jesus.  Jesus noticed the hunger of the people.  Nobody asked or suggested that he gave the crowd food.   It was Jesus who took the initiative to feed them. 

 

“Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them” to the people.  These three actions are the very actions Jesus would do when he gives us the Eucharist, the gift of himself – the gift of God’s life and love. 

 

The number of people and their needs are so great.  We might not have much.  Five barley loaves might be all we have.  With Jesus’ attitude and united with him in his gift of his Eucharist, our five barley loaves can satisfy the hungers of people. 

 

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[1] John Petty, www.progressiveinvolvement.com

16th Sunday - B (July 18, 2021)

 

Jesus’ Heart Was Moved with Pity

Mark 6: 30-34

 

When Jesus “saw the vast crowd, [who] were like sheep without a shepherd,” “his heart was moved with pity for them.”

 

Mark’s description of Jesus’ response conveys the sense that it was heartbreaking or gut-wrenching [1] for Jesus seeing the people and their situation. 

 

So is Jesus when each of us and any one of God’s children suffer in anyway.   

 

And may we imitate Jesus’ compassionate heart when our brothers and sisters suffer. 

 

[1] John Petty, www.progressiveinvolvement.com

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