17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (July 25, 2021)
John 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.
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Today’s video – https://youtu.be/vTe5k90WVOs
BASEBALL & SOFTBALL CAMP – Mike Sweeney Catholic Baseball & Softball Camp – July 27-28, 2021 – register here – https://www.catholicsportscamps.org/baseball-softball.html Mike Sweeney will be present the first day and Trevor Williams will be present for part of both days.
These people were hungry for something different in their lives. They probably had tried to fill the void in their hearts with many things, but everything left them dissatisfied. They saw Him curing the sick and they flocked to Him.
Jesus went up the mountain, which was a place of encounter with God. Mountains were places where heaven and earth meet. As we read this story of the multiplication of the loaves, keep in mind that Jesus is talking about the Mass. The Mass is the place of encounter with God, where heaven and earth meet.
It was the time of Passover, the great Jewish feast remembering God’s deliverance of the Jews from slavery in Egypt through the person of Moses. At Passover, they sacrificed an unblemished lamb, ate its flesh and put the blood of the lamb on the doorpost so that the angel of death would “pass over” their house. Jesus, the Lamb of God, would be sacrificed on Passover. He told us to eat His flesh and drink His blood at the Last Supper. This miracle of the loaves and fishes was a foreshadowing of the Mass, which re-presents Jesus’s passion, death, resurrection, and ascension. It is a deliverance from our slavery to sin.
Jesus saw the hunger in the eyes of the crowd, and He tried to engage His disciples to feed them. Jesus always has the desire to feed His people, but He wants to engage us in this process. Love always originates in Him, but He wants us to participate with Him in this saving mystery. He wants us to see with His eyes the needs of the people all around us.
Phillip did not understand how they could help so many people and wanted to send them away to find food for themselves. Andrew sees a boy with five loaves and two fish. It seemed like an impossible task to feed thousands with so little, but Jesus is teaching them and us an important lesson. Give Him everything we have, even if it is little, and He will multiply it and perform miracles with it.
Jesus could have miraculously created food out of nothing to feed the multitude, but He used the offerings of the people to feed them. At Mass, the priest, who acts in the person of Christ, receives the bread and wine from the people and offers them to God on the altar. Miraculously, through the power of the Holy Spirit, God changes the bread and wine into His own body and blood to feed the multitudes.
Jesus took the loaves and gave thanks. The verb St. John uses for “to give thanks” is “eucharisteo,” which is where we get the word Eucharist. The Mass is a time of giving thanks to God for all His gifts, His sustenance, and ultimately the sacrifice of His Son on the cross for our salvation.
After everyone had eaten, they filled twelve baskets with the bread that was left over. Not only did Jesus feed them, but He fed them so abundantly, there were leftovers for others to come. God’s love is super-abundant. There is no limit to His love. At Mass, we place the extra consecrated hosts in the tabernacle to feed the sick, the dying and anyone who could not attend the Mass. There is no one beyond the reach of God’s love and mercy.
They wanted to carry Jesus off to be their king. He was their King, but not the kind they expected or wanted. He would later show them what it meant to be part of His Kingdom. He would call them to lay down their lives for others, to serve and not be served, to be last instead of first. They were not ready for this message, which may still be true today.
Does my heart seek spiritual or material comfort?
Do I have a desire to go to Mass to thank God for all He has done for me?
Do I actively participate in the Mass, knowing that God is feeding my weary soul with the Eucharist?
Do I follow the King of Kings, or do I chase after the things of this world?
Have a blessed day!
Fr. Burke
https://www.dioceseofjoliet.org/layformation/ – Be Formed, retreats, pilgrimages, School of Spiritual Direction, Biblical Institute
https://frburke23.wordpress.com – Fr. Burke’s blog (register to receive emails)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOt-ntVKl9ko98Yd7uiuWOA?view_as=subscriber – Fr. Burke’s YouTube channel (homilies, prayer, exercise, classes)
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Prayer schedule for Sunday, July 25, 2021 (all times Central)
LEAD A DECADE OF THE ROSARY AND/OR CHAPLET: sign up
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7:30am –Holy Mass at Notre Dame Parish in Clarendon Hills with Fr. Burke, Fr. Mark preaching
9:30am –Holy Mass at Notre Dame Parish in Clarendon Hills with Fr. Mark
Live-streamed at https://www.notredameparish.org/
11:30am –Holy Mass at Notre Dame Parish in Clarendon Hills with Fr. Mark
12:00pm – Angelus & Rosary
Facebook Live (Game Changers FTS or Burke Masters) or
ZOOM – https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82149917174?pwd=MGErK1RKY2Z0djVvYVpDY3RWQ2FoZz09
ID: 821 4991 7174
Code: 962589
3:00pm – Divine Mercy Chaplet & Litany
Facebook Live (Game Changers FTS or Burke Masters) or
ZOOM – https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89935215828?pwd=cTRTY3hCdXltVlNSdW95UERsS090dz09
Meeting ID: 899 3521 5828
Passcode: 086798
God bless,
Fr. Burke
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XVII Domingo Ordinario (25 de julio 2021)
En aquel tiempo, Jesús se fue a la otra orilla del mar de Galilea o lago de Tiberíades. Lo seguía mucha gente, porque habían visto los signos que hacía curando a los enfermos. Jesús subió al monte y se sentó allí con sus discípulos.
Estaba cerca la Pascua, festividad de los judíos. Viendo Jesús que mucha gente lo seguía, le dijo a Felipe: “¿Cómo compraremos pan para que coman éstos?” Le hizo esta pregunta para ponerlo a prueba, pues él bien sabía lo que iba a hacer. Felipe le respondió: “Ni doscientos denarios de pan bastarían para que a cada uno le tocara un pedazo de pan”. Otro de sus discípulos, Andrés, el hermano de Simón Pedro, le dijo: “Aquí hay un muchacho que trae cinco panes de cebada y dos pescados. Pero, ¿qué es eso para tanta gente?” Jesús le respondió: “Díganle a la gente que se siente”. En aquel lugar había mucha hierba. Todos, pues, se sentaron ahí; y tan sólo los hombres eran unos cinco mil.
Enseguida tomó Jesús los panes, y después de dar gracias a Dios, se los fue repartiendo a los que se habían sentado a comer. Igualmente les fue dando de los pescados todo lo que quisieron. Después de que todos se saciaron, dijo a sus discípulos: “Recojan los pedazos sobrantes, para que no se desperdicien”. Los recogieron y con los pedazos que sobraron de los cinco panes llenaron doce canastos.
Entonces la gente, al ver el signo que Jesús había hecho, decía: “Éste es, en verdad, el profeta que habría de venir al mundo”. Pero Jesús, sabiendo que iban a llevárselo para proclamarlo rey, se retiró de nuevo a la montaña, él solo.
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Video de hoy – https://youtu.be/vTe5k90WVOs
CAMPAMENTO DE BÉISBOL Y SOFTBOL – Mike Sweeney Catholic Baseball & Softball Camp – Julio 27-28, 2021 – regístrese aquí – https://www.catholicsportscamps.org/baseball-softball.html Mike Sweeney estará presente el primer día y Trevor Williams estará presente durante parte de ambos días.
Estas personas estaban hambrientas de algo diferente en sus vidas. Probablemente trataron de llenar el vacío en sus corazones con muchas cosas, pero todo les dejó insatisfechos. Lo vieron curando a los enfermos y acudieron en masa a Él.
Jesús subió a la montaña, que era un lugar de encuentro con Dios. Las montañas eran lugares donde el cielo y la tierra se encuentran. Mientras leemos esta historia de la multiplicación de los panes, tenga en cuenta que Jesús está hablando de la Misa. La Misa es el lugar de encuentro con Dios, donde el cielo y la tierra se encuentran.
Era la época de la Pascua, la gran fiesta judía que recordaba la liberación de Dios de los judíos de la esclavitud en Egipto a través de la persona de Moisés. En la Pascua, sacrificaron un cordero sin mancha, comieron su carne y pusieron la sangre del cordero en el marco de la puerta para que el ángel de la muerte "pasara" por su casa. Jesús, el Cordero de Dios, sería sacrificado en la Pascua. Él nos dijo que comiéramos Su carne y bebiéramos Su sangre en la Última Cena. Este milagro de los panes y los peces fue un presagio de la misa, que representa la pasión, la muerte, la resurrección y la ascensión de Jesús. Es una liberación de nuestra esclavitud del pecado.
Jesús vio el hambre en los ojos de la multitud e intentó involucrar a sus discípulos para alimentarlos. Jesús siempre tiene el deseo de alimentar a su pueblo, pero quiere involucrarnos en este proceso. El amor siempre se origina en Él, pero quiere que participemos con Él en este misterio salvador. Él quiere que veamos con sus ojos las necesidades de las personas que nos rodean.
Phillip no entendía cómo podían ayudar a tanta gente y quería enviarlos a buscar comida por sí mismos. Andrew ve a un niño con cinco panes y dos peces. Parecía una tarea imposible alimentar a miles con tan poco, pero Jesús les está dando una importante lección a ellos y a nosotros. Dale todo lo que tenemos, incluso si es poco, y Él lo multiplicará y realizará milagros con él.
Jesús podría haber creado milagrosamente comida de la nada para alimentar a la multitud, pero usó las ofrendas de la gente para alimentarlos. En la misa, el sacerdote, que actúa en la persona de Cristo, recibe del pueblo el pan y el vino y se los ofrece a Dios en el altar. Milagrosamente, a través del poder del Espíritu Santo, Dios cambia el pan y el vino en Su propio cuerpo y sangre para alimentar a las multitudes.
Jesús tomó los panes y dio gracias. El verbo que San Juan usa para “dar gracias” es “eucharisteo”, que es donde obtenemos la palabra Eucaristía. La Misa es un tiempo de dar gracias a Dios por todos Sus dones, Su sustento, y finalmente el sacrificio de Su Hijo en la cruz para nuestra salvación.
Después de que todos hubieron comido, llenaron doce canastas con el pan sobrante. Jesús no solo los alimentó, sino que los alimentó con tanta abundancia, que quedaron sobras para que vengan otros. El amor de Dios es súper abundante. No hay límite para su amor. En la Misa, colocamos las hostias consagradas que sobran en el tabernáculo para alimentar a los enfermos, los moribundos y cualquiera que no pueda asistir a la Misa. No hay nadie más allá del alcance del amor y la misericordia de Dios.
Querían llevarse a Jesús para ser su rey. Él era su Rey, pero no del tipo que esperaban o querían. Más tarde les mostraría lo que significaba ser parte de Su Reino. Él los llamaría a dar sus vidas por otros, a servir y no ser servido, a ser el último en lugar de ser el primero. No estaban listos para este mensaje, que aún puede ser cierto hoy.
¿Mi corazón busca consuelo espiritual o material?
¿Tengo el deseo de ir a misa para agradecer a Dios por todo lo que ha hecho por mí?
¿Participo activamente en la Misa, sabiendo que Dios está alimentando mi alma cansada con la Eucaristía?
¿Sigo al Rey de Reyes o persigo las cosas de este mundo?
¡Tenga un día bendecido!
P. Burke
https://www.dioceseofjoliet.org/layformation/ – Be Formed, retreats, pilgrimages, School of Spiritual Direction, Biblical Institute
https://frburke23.wordpress.com – Fr. Burke’s blog (register to receive emails)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOt-ntVKl9ko98Yd7uiuWOA?view_as=subscriber – Fr. Burke’s YouTube channel (homilies, prayer, exercise, classes)
Fr. Burke Masters 