"Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted." (Jn 6:12)
READING OF THE DAY
First reading from the Second Book of Kings
2 Kgs 4:42-44
A man came from Baal-shalishah bringing to Elisha, the man of God,
twenty barley loaves made from the firstfruits,
and fresh grain in the ear.
Elisha said, "Give it to the people to eat."
But his servant objected,
"How can I set this before a hundred people?"
Elisha insisted, "Give it to the people to eat."
"For thus says the LORD,
'They shall eat and there shall be some left over.'"
And when they had eaten, there was some left over,
as the LORD had said.
Second reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians
Eph 4:1-6
Brothers and sisters:
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace:
one body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to John
Jn 6:1-15
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.
SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Jn 6:1-15
THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
Dear People of God,
Today's Word of God, God the Father reveals to all humanity that: God the Father is all-powerful, He can do all things, He turns nothing into something, from evil into good.
People must know how to honor the power of the Supreme God the Father through humility, self-abasement and submission before His authority; Then they will realize their fragile, weak and sinful nature. And so, people will practice the path of love, trust, and have the heart to worship the Supreme God the Father.
As in the Old Testament, God the Father has demonstrated His power on the prophets. Through the prophet Elijah, God performed a miracle so that “the jar of flour did not run out and the jug of oil did not run dry” to save the poor widow, her son, and the prophet Elijah (see 1 Kings 17:10-16). In the first reading, God, through the prophet Elisha, transformed twenty barley loaves and some grain for hundreds of people to eat and still had leftovers. During the time of Jesus Christ, He demonstrated His power for humanity to see with their own eyes, when He multiplied bread to feed the people. This is the way God the Father wants people to know: that people must live in a spirit of gratitude, love for God, submission and awe before His majestic countenance. Because there is no greater love than the love of God the Father. People must know one thing: God the Father nourishes people everywhere, at all times. Moreover, He also sacrificed Himself to save humans and give them eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Today's Word of God, through the image of Jesus Christ, loving and caring for humans when they encounter difficulties. God calls people to run to God at all times, in all places and in all circumstances. He will bestow all blessings, He will give the best things to nourish the bodies and souls of people. What God wants people is: to worry about seeking the Kingdom of Heaven, which is the ultimate goal of humanity.
God's multiplication of loaves to feed the people is the way God the Father wants to tell people: God the Father loves humanity, He wants humanity to return to Him, so He can love, care for; so He can protect both bodies and souls, and keep people from hunger, from death and from Satan's imprisonment. Be wise, awake, stand up and abandon the path of sin, return to God the Father, not only to enjoy eternal life in the future, but even in the present; He will always preserve, care for, and protect from the control of Satan and his followers.
In today's Word of God, God the Father calls us to trust the power and mercy of God the Father, who is willing to love and forgive. God the Father always opens his Heart to await for us to return to reconcile with Him, to reconcile with our brothers and sisters. His arms are always open to embrace all His children and bring them to Heaven so they can become closer to the Most High Trinity.
Thanks be to God. Amen
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