Jesus Feeds The Five Thousand

AUGUST 01, 2022, MONDAY

MEMORIAL OF SAINT ALPHONSUS DE LIGUORI, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH  (White)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 407

Reading 1 

JER 28:1-17

In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah,

in the fifth month of the fourth year,

the prophet Hananiah, son of Azzur, from Gibeon,

said to me in the house of the LORD

in the presence of the priests and all the people:

“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:

‘I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.

Within two years I will restore to this place

all the vessels of the temple of the LORD which Nebuchadnezzar,

king of Babylon, took away from this place to Babylon. 

And I will bring back to this place Jeconiah,

son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah,

and all the exiles of Judah who went to Babylon,’ says the LORD,

‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’”

The prophet Jeremiah answered the prophet Hananiah 

in the presence of the priests and all the people assembled

in the house of the LORD, and said:

Amen! thus may the LORD do!

May he fulfill the things you have prophesied

by bringing the vessels of the house of the LORD

and all the exiles back from Babylon to this place!

But now, listen to what I am about to state in your hearing

and the hearing of all the people.

From of old, the prophets who were before you and me prophesied

war, woe, and pestilence against many lands and mighty kingdoms.

But the prophet who prophesies peace

is recognized as truly sent by the LORD

only when his prophetic prediction is fulfilled.

Thereupon the prophet Hananiah took the yoke

from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it,

and said in the presence of all the people:

“Thus says the LORD: ‘Even so, within two years

I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,

from off the neck of all the nations.’”

At that, the prophet Jeremiah went away.

Some time after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke

from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah,

The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:

Go tell Hananiah this:  

Thus says the LORD:

By breaking a wooden yoke, you forge an iron yoke!

For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:

A yoke of iron I will place on the necks

of all these nations serving Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,

and they shall serve him; even the beasts of the field I give him.

To the prophet Hananiah the prophet Jeremiah said:

Hear this, Hananiah!

The LORD has not sent you,

and you have raised false confidence in this people.

For this, says the LORD, I will dispatch you from the face of the earth;

this very year you shall die,

because you have preached rebellion against the LORD.

That same year, in the seventh month, Hananiah the prophet died.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 119:29, 43, 79, 80, 95, 102

R. (68b) Lord, teach me your statutes.

Remove from me the way of falsehood,

and favor me with your law.

R. Lord, teach me your statutes.

Take not the word of truth from my mouth,

for in your ordinances is my hope.

R. Lord, teach me your statutes.

Let those turn to me who fear you

and acknowledge your decrees.

R. Lord, teach me your statutes.

Let my heart be perfect in your statutes,

that I be not put to shame.

R. Lord, teach me your statutes.

Sinners wait to destroy me,

but I pay heed to your decrees.

R. Lord, teach me your statutes.

From your ordinances I turn not away,

for you have instructed me.

R. Lord, teach me your statutes.

Alleluia 

MT 4:4

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

One does not live on bread alone,

but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

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.

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Now when Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves." Jesus said to them, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." They replied, "We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish." And he said, "Bring them here to me." Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was leftover of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

PRAYER:

Lord teach me to value what I have to offer, though it seems so small. Use me in the service of others, an extension of your compassion.

Jesus Feeds The Five Thousand

JANUARY 04, 2022, TUESDAY
TUESDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious (White)
CYCLE C - YEAR II
Lectionary: 213

Reading I
1 Jn 4:7-10

Beloved, let us love one another,

    because love is of God;

    everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.

Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.

In this way the love of God was revealed to us:

God sent his only-begotten Son into the world

    so that we might have life through him.

In this is love:

    not that we have loved God, but that he loved us

    and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.

Responsorial Psalm
72:1-2, 3-4, 7-8

R.    (see 11)  Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

O God, with your judgment endow the king,

    and with your justice, the king’s son;

He shall govern your people with justice

    and your afflicted ones with judgment.

R.    Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

The mountains shall yield peace for the people,

    and the hills justice.

He shall defend the afflicted among the people,

    save the children of the poor.

R.    Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Justice shall flower in his days,

    and profound peace, till the moon be no more.

May he rule from sea to sea,

    and from the River to the ends of the earth.

R.    Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Alleluia
Lk 4:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Lord has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor

and to proclaim liberty to captives.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mk 6:34-44

When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them,

for they were like sheep without a shepherd;

and he began to teach them many things. 

By now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said,

“This is a deserted place and it is already very late. 

Dismiss them so that they can go 

to the surrounding farms and villages

and buy themselves something to eat.” 

He said to them in reply,

“Give them some food yourselves.” 

But they said to him,

“Are we to buy two hundred days’ wages worth of food

and give it to them to eat?” 

He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?  Go and see.” 

And when they had found out they said,

“Five loaves and two fish.” 

So he gave orders to have them sit down in groups on the green grass. 

The people took their places in rows by hundreds and by fifties. 

Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, 

he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples

to set before the people;

he also divided the two fish among them all. 

They all ate and were satisfied. 

And they picked up twelve wicker baskets full of fragments

and what was left of the fish. 

Those who ate of the loaves were five thousand men.

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Their hopes were dashed when they found thousands there ahead of them. Out of compassion Jesus puts the people’s needs first. He calls on the Twelve to share their food, to serve these thousands and then to ensure no food is wasted. Serious lessons that with their hard hearts they were slow to take in.

The feeding of the five thousand speaks of the generosity of God and his kindness towards us. When God gives, he gives abundantly. He gives us more than we need for ourselves so that we can share with those who lack what they need.

PRAYER:

Jesus, you satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts. Fill me with gratitude for your blessings. Give me a generous heart that I may freely share what you have given to me.

Jesus Feeds The Five Thousand

August 02, 2021, Monday
Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
(Opt. Memorial) of Saint Peter Julian Eymard, Priest (White)
(Opt. Memorial) of Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, Bishop (White)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 407

Reading I
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.

Alleluia
Mt 4:4

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

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.

REFLECTION:

Now when Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves." Jesus said to them, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." They replied, "We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish." And he said, "Bring them here to me." Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

PRAYER:

Lord teach me to value what I have to offer, though it seems so small. Use me in the service of others, an extension of your compassion.