*MAIN POINTS FROM THE FIRST READING*
1. *COME*
Come to the water *all* who are thirsty, though you have
*no money*
You will have: *corn to eat, wine and milk to drink*
Why spend money and your wages on that *which is not
bread,* which *doesn't satisfy* you
2. *LISTEN*
When we *LISTEN,*
a.
we have *good things
to eat* ....
b.
*reach food to enjoy*
....
c.
*our soul will
live*
3. With you I will make an *EVERLASTING COVENANT* out of the
favour promised to David.
*MAIN POINTS FROM THE RESPONSORIAL PSALM*
1. You *open wide your hand* oh Lord and *grant our
desires* ( It means God is generous)
2. God is *kind* and full of *compassion* ... *slow to anger
abounding in love* (it mans God takes care of our spiritual needs)
3. How *good* is Lord *to all* (we are good only to those
whom we love, whom we like)
4. You give them *food* in due time (God takes care of our needs
both spiritual and physical)
5. He is *just* in all his ways *loving* in all his deeds
(we are *unjust* in our dealings but God is just)
*MAIN POINTS FROM THE SECOND READING*
1. *Nothing can come between US and love of Christ*.
No...
trouble,
worry,
persecution,
lack of food & clothes,
threats,
attacks,
neither death nor life,
no angel,
no Prince,
nothing that exists,
nothing still to come,
not any power,
height,
depth,
or created things...
Can separate us from the love of Chrit.
*MAIN POINTS FROM THE GOSPEL READING* OF TODAY (MATHEW)
1. John the Baptist dies. Jesus hears about it and
then
2. Jesus goes by boat to a lonely place.
3. People hear about Jesus' movement and they leave the
town and *go to meet Jesus on foot.*
4. Jesus sees a *large crowd*
5. The place is a *lonely place*
6. Time has slipped by. That means its evening.
7. Disciples ask Jesus to send the people away
8. Jesus said: *"no need to send them away, you
yourself give them something to eat"*
9. They had five loaves and two fish
10. Jesus said *"bring them here to me"*
He raised his eyes to heaven,
said the blessing
broke the bread
and distributed.
All ate as much as they wanted.
There were 12 baskets extra.
(This can remind us of 12 disciples, 12 Tribes of Israel)
5,000 people were fed, not counting women and children
*SAME PASSAGE FROM THE GOSPEL OF MARK*
Apostles return from their ministry.
They report Jesus what happened in their ministry
People were like sheep without a shepherd
Jesus begins to teach them
They needed to spend 200 silver coins to buy enough food for
people
1 silver coin is equal to one day wage of a rural worker
* SAME PASSAGE FROM THE GOSPEL OF LUKE*
Jesus goes to Bethsaida
He welcomes the people and speaks to them about the *kingdom
of God*
He *heals* the people who were sick.
Disciples talk about the *food and lodging for the people*
* SAME PASSAGE FROM THE GOSPEL OF JOHN*
Jesus goes to lake Galilee
People had *seen* Jesus and followed him
People had seen Jesus *healing* sick people
Jesus goes to a *hill, sits down there* (this is a lonely place)
It was time for Passover meal.
Jesus asked *Philip* as to where they could find enough food to
feed the people.
*Jesus tests Philip*, he exactly knew what he was to do.
Philip says *200 silver coin will not be enough* to buy
food for those people
*Andrew finds a boy* who has five loaves and two fish
Jesus tells *not to waste food*
They collect *12 baskets*
People think that *Jesus is a prophet*
They wanted to make him a *king.*
*POINTS FOR REFLECTION*
*1. "BRING THEM HERE TO ME"*
✓ *God is asking us to
be GENEROUS with what he has given to us*
a.
... life,
b.
talents,
c.
health,
d.
riches,
e.
capabilities,
f.
strength,
g.
knowledge,
h.
experience
As a seminarian, as an aspirant who is under formation, I am
asked to *bring my life to Jesus and SURRENDER* to him like the *boy* who
surrendered the *five loaves and two fish* and God is going to perform
miracles through me to feed so many people in my future ministry as a priest
and religious.
*2. GOD TAKES CARE OF SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT AS WELL AS OUR
PHYSICAL NOURISHMENT*
God nourishes us physically as well as spiritually.
in the first reading we are told *"come to the water ...eat
corn without money, wine and milk.... when we listen to him we will
have good things to eat... rich food to enjoy... and our soul will live"*
In the *Responsorial Psalm* we read *"you open wide your
hand, O Lord and grant our desires....you give them food in due time.
In the Second Reading we read *"nothing can separate us
from the love of CHRIST... even when we like food or clothing"*
In the *GOSPEL READING,* Jesus feeds the five thousand people
with *five loaves and two fish*
*2. SPIRITUAL
NOURISHMENT*
If you listen to me your *soul will live*
In *Responsorial Psalm* we read, *God is kind and full of
compassion slow to anger and abounding in love*
In the *Second Reading* we read *"nothing can come between
US and love of Christ"*
No....
trouble
worry
persecution
lack of food lack of clothing
threats
attacks,
death
life
angel
Prince
nothing that exists nothing still to come
no power
height
depth
or created things
can separate us from the love of Christ
In *Gospel Reading* Jesus is *teaching* the people, telling them
about the *kingdom of God* *healing* their sicknesses
3. God is *GENEROUS* with his gifts and blessings. We too are
asked to be generous
## 2 Cor 9: 6-8 God says, *God loves a cheerful giver*
## Lk 6: 38 *Give and it will be given to you, a good measure,
pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap, for the
measure you give will be the measure you get back"*
## Acts 20: 35 *there is more joy in giving than in receiving*
## 1 Tim 6:17-19 *" … to be rich in good works, to be
generous and ready to share"*
## Jn 3:16 *" For God so loved the world that he gave his
only son..."*
1. *When someone dies, we need to pray for that person
sincerely,* feel for that person like Jesus did for John the Baptist today.
2. *Jesus went to a lonely place* probably he might have prayed
for John the Baptist who had just died. He must have gone there to mourn for
him. We also need to spend time alone by ourselves like Jesus.
3. We must be eager to *GO to Jesus, go to the church, go to
confession, go for holy communion for SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT of our soul* like
the people of today went to see Jesus and hear from him.
4. God saw a large crowd and *he had compassion on
them.* Like Jesus we need to help people, be compassionate people.
5. Jesus *healed* the people who were sick. We too need to
*HEAL* the wounds of others no matter spiritual or physical wounds.
5. Like Jesus we need to *trust in God* even when situation
seems very bad. Jesus trusted in God even though they were in a *faraway place*
in a *lonely place* it was *late evening* *no food was there to buy* *no money
was there to buy food and eat* and yet he trusted in God and prayed and miracle
took place, 5,000 people were fed
6. Jesus said *"you give them something to eat don't simply
send them away"* many a times we want to avoid problem, avoid
people, we don't want to do something positive for the people who are around
us. Jesus is asking us today to do something by ourselves which is at our
disposal, the little that we can do. Very often we put the blame on others or
we give the work to somebody else and wash our hands off like Pontius Pilate
7. Jesus told them to collect the leftover food and they
collected 12 baskets. *We should not waste food especially at this time of
covid-19.* We need to share our food with others. We need to see how we are
able to help people in one way or the other.
