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Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 22, 2024 — Year B
Readings: Wis 2:12, 17-20 / Ps 54 / Jas 3:16-4:3 / Mk 9:30-37
by Rev. Mr. Mark De La Hunt, Permanent Deacon
If you want to see a total mental meltdown, tell a toddler, “No.” YouTube is full of entertaining toddler tantrums. Where do they learn that behavior? Parents do not train them to do that. Truth is, we are all born that way. King David, in Psalm 51, wrote, “I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.” (Ps 51:5) You could say he is speaking of original sin. And no, I know toddlers cannot sin, for they are not at the age of reason. This is just an analogy. However, for those who are not baptized and not raised to know and love God and neighbor, the toddler tantrum syndrome continues into adulthood.
In the first reading, you see what I am talking about. “The wicked say: Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us; he sets himself against our doings.” (Wis 2:12) Adults do not like being told “no” any more than a toddler does. How many have left the Catholic Church because she binds and loosens in accordance with Jesus’ commands and with His authority? Many have left the Church because she says no to any marriage that is not between one man and one woman. Many others have left because of the Church saying no to divorce, to contraception and abortion, or even to capital punishment. To those people, the Catholic Church and her faithful children are “obnoxious.”
Just like those people in the first reading, those who view the Church as obnoxious, want to put us to the test. The LA Dodgers organization and Paris Olympic committee put us to the test, using cross-dressing men to belittle our consecrated religious sisters, the apostles, and Jesus, the Son of God, who died that they may be saved and that the poor may be given the good news. How can you not love Jesus?!
Today’s psalm shows us how to respond, “…haughty men have risen up against [us]…they set not God before their eyes. Behold, God is my helper…Freely will I offer You sacrifice; I will praise your name, O Lord, for its goodness.” (Ps 54:3,6) This is the Mass! We keep going to Mass to offer up the perfect sacrifice in a sacrament of thanksgiving, lifting our voices in praise by singing with the choir. The Mass inoculates us against the madness outside these walls. It heals our minds and hearts and helps us reset, emptying ourselves of resentment and anger towards “those who test us,” so that our Lord can fill us with His compassion and love.
In the second reading, the apostle James describes people behaving badly and helps us understand why. He writes, “Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice.” (Jas 3:16) He asks: “Where do wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make war within your members?” (Jas 4:1) Then he tells them what they do not want to hear. “You ask [God] for [things] but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” (Jas 4:3) No doubt, James’s words are obnoxious to many, maybe even to us in our low moments.
This brings us to the gospel, where Jesus, as always, shows us the way out of our mess. He coyly asks a question that He already knows the answer to. “What were you arguing about on the way?” (Mk 9:33) The apostles remain silent, and it is not hard to imagine them staring at their feet, too embarrassed to tell the Lord that they had been talking about who was the greatest. Their egos are an example of one of the passions James said are at war inside our hearts and minds.
This is something to stop and ponder! If we, who like the Twelve, walk with Jesus in our life, still fall to our passions on occasion, then surely those who do not walk with Jesus are absolutely enslaved by theirs. If you cannot say no to your passions, then you are bound and must obey a cruel master.
Jesus sits down (the typical posture of a teacher back then), calls the Twelve to Him, and says to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” (Mk 9:35 / Healy 185) To drive home the point, He puts His arms around a child.
The meaning of this action is better understood if we understand the original language and historical context. In Aramaic and Greek, the word for child can also mean servant. Children back then were “nonpersons who had no legal rights.” (Healy 186) Jesus was doing more than showing affection for the child. Dr. Mary Healy, a leading Catholic biblical scholar said, “He was teaching His disciples to have a whole new esteem for and responsibility toward those who seem the most helpless and inconsequential.” (Healy 186)
Regarding this lowly child, Jesus says, “Whoever receives one child such as this in My name, receives Me.” (Mk 9:37) Mary Healy opens up the astounding meaning of Jesus’ words. She wrote, “To receive a little one is to accept, lovingly serve, and care for those who most need it and cannot repay it. To receive “in Jesus’ name” is to welcome such a person for the sake of Jesus…This implies that Jesus identifies with those who are most insignificant in the eyes of the world – so much so that He Himself is mysteriously present wherever they are welcomed.” (Healy 186) Our active love for those in need, in response to Jesus’ grace, neutralizes those destructive passions James warns us about, both our personal passions and the passions that are out of control in some of those we serve.
So how do we engage those who see us as obnoxious, because we love and follow Jesus? Here are three steps that flow from today’s readings. And they are in proper order.
How do these three steps bring those who see us as obnoxious into the family of God? Those three steps, brothers and sisters, are how the Catholic Church flourished under the persecution of pagan Rome and eventually displaced paganism with Christianity. Those pagans thought Christians were obnoxious because their very way of living made pagans feel guilty. Nevertheless, they were in time brought into the Church family by the Good News of the Gospel.
The good news is love, and love conquerors all, even death. This is the “wisdom from above” that James spoke of. He said this wisdom is “first of all pure.” (Jas 3:17).” What is pure and from above? Love is pure and from above; thus, Matthew wrote, “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God,” who is above. (Mt 5: 8)
Here is a closing analogy to sum this up. When, in purity of heart, a parent gives a toddler what it is often crying for, their loving attention, they fill its emotional fuel tank, and the toddler becomes peaceful (Dr. Campbell). So too, when we lovingly care for those in society who are most in need, it is seen by those testing us with toddler-like tantrums. And they are attracted to this pure love, for in it, they see what they truly seek in their fruitless, angry, and exhausting pursuit of their passions. They see the peaceful presence of Jesus, who is Love.
Remember these things when Father gives us the final blessing, and I tell you to, “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.” Amen.
CITATIONS
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Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 15, 2024 — Year B
Readings: Is 50:5-9a / Ps 116 / Jas 2:14-18 / Mk 8:27-35
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor
This Sunday’s readings show us how to live our faith, regardless of how the world is treating us. The readings then reveal to us how to put our faith into action and how our faith can give us the strength to carry the cross in our lives, not to suffer, but to be a symbol of love.
In the first reading, from the prophet Isaiah, we hear the suffering servant. He speaks about his suffering and persecution but remains obedient to the Lord. He relies on God’s assistance while others attack him and hurl abuse at him. This passage refers to Christ as the eventual suffering servant, yet this passage also teaches us a lesson. The example of Isaiah shows us in our lives today, as we are exposed to situations when we are limited in our opportunities, misjudged, or even persecuted for our beliefs, like the suffering servant, that we should have faith in God and remain committed to Him even in times of suffering.
Most of us have heard the poem, or listened to the song version, Footprints in the Sand. But allow me to read it to you today.
Footprints in the Sand.
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints; other times there was only one.
During the low periods of my life,
I could see only one set of footprints.
So, I said to the Lord,
“You promised me, Lord,
that You would walk with me always.
Why, when I have needed you most, have you not been there for me?”
The Lord replied, “The times when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child,
are when I carried you.”
It may seem that in our difficult times, we only see our footsteps, as if we are walking alone, and no one is helping us. But in fact, it isn’t even our footsteps, but the Lord’s. He’s been carrying us all along. Whenever we go through some challenges in our lives, we can be assured that Jesus has gone through this path before us. And that He still walks with us today.
The second reading, from James, highlights that faith without works is pointless. James also teaches us that faith without works is dead, which means that we need to engage the world with our faith. Even if we claim that we have faith, it is useless if we do not feed the hungry. He gives us the illustration of a brother or sister who is hungry or poorly clothed, and, instead of feeding them or dressing them, one will just say to them, “Go in peace, and keep warm and well fed.”
Today there is so much suffering: poverty, loneliness, lack of faith, and we cannot remain passive. Jesus is asking us to be His arms and legs; to extend a hand and help our fellow brothers and sisters. Thus, taking up our cross means living out the faith that can be seen to be real and active as it is expressed in love for the neighbor.
In today’s gospel, Jesus asks his disciples a pivotal question. The question, “Who do you say that I am?” is the very question of our Christian faith. Indeed, it is not a matter that just Peter and the disciples have to answer. It is a question Jesus poses to each one of us. The question, Who do you say that I am? determines how we live, what we do, and most importantly, how we relate to God.
Peter confidently replies, “You are the Christ.” But when Jesus tells the disciples that being the Christ involves suffering, rejection, and death, Peter rebukes Him. Everyone seems to have their own image of the Messiah. It is not what they expected. Jesus’ response struck Peter with these stern words: “Get behind me, Satan. For you are not thinking as God does, but as human beings do.” This is the message that Jesus wants to convey to His disciples, as well as to all of us who follow Him.
The cross: It means self-sacrifice; picking up one’s cross and following Him. The cross is closely connected to our identity as Christians. It is not just a tool of pain and agony, but also a sign of love, sacrifice, and triumph. Jesus was not forced to bear the cross, but He chose to do so because of our salvation, and to adopt us as God’s sons and daughters. But equally as important is the call to take up our own cross by Jesus.
We can ask ourselves: “What does it mean for me to bear my cross today?” The cross can come in different shapes and sizes in our daily lives. It could be a challenging friendship, a disease, a family’s financial problem, or the things that one has to give up for the family. It is, for example, defending what we believe in or helping others when it is not very comfortable to do so. In whatever form we find ourselves, the cross calls for faith and the assurance that Christ is with us.
According to St. Thomas Aquinas, to love is to will the good of the other. Taking up our cross means living this truth; choosing to love in the face of need, choosing the good of others over our own comfort, and trusting in God’s providence.
Today our Church compels us to be people of faith and to live it in concrete ways. Let us ask ourselves the question that Jesus asked: Who do you say that I am? Do we really acknowledge Him as the Christ, the one who came to suffer, die, and rise for us? If we do, then we’re being asked to follow Him and to carry our own crosses. It may include forgiving, when one feels that forgiving others is difficult; serving others and defending the truth, even if it comes at a personal loss. It means bringing the spirit of the Lord into every decision and action we take in our lives in order to become witnesses of the love of Christ.
In the world that we live in today, it is very tempting to think like Peter in our gospel, who wants an easy and comfortable life with Christ but without the price of the cross. But Jesus wants more from us. He calls us to deny ourselves, to embrace the cross, and to find true life in Him.
As we continue our Mass today, let us reflect on how we can live out our faith more fully. How can we take up our crosses with greater love and trust? How can we put our faith into action, by serving those around us? May the grace of the Eucharist strengthen us to follow Christ more closely, to love as He loves, and to carry our crosses with courage and hope.
KEEP READINGTwenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 8, 2024 — Year B
Readings: Is 35:4-7a / Ps 146 / Jas 2:1-5 / Mk 7:31-37
by Bishop Barry Knestout, Guest Celebrant
You can listen to Bishop Knestout’s homily at the livestream of the Mass:
The homily begins at the 35:37 mark.
KEEP READINGTwenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 1, 2024 — Year B
Readings: Dt 4:1-2, 6-8 / Ps 15 / Jas 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27 / Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor
In today’s readings, we are invited to reflect on the essence of true faith and how we live it out in our daily lives. The common thread running through these scriptures is the call to authenticity: living out our faith not merely through external observances but from a place of deep inner conviction and transformation.
In our first reading, we embrace the wisdom of God’s law. Moses emphasizes the importance of observing God’s commandments. These laws are not just rules to follow. They are a source of wisdom and a means of maintaining a close relationship with God. Moses reminds the Israelites that, by living according to God’s statutes, they demonstrate their closeness to God and their wisdom to the nations.
We can observe that nowadays secular values often dominate. We are called to uphold the wisdom of God’s teachings. These commandments are not burdens but guides to living a life that reflects God’s love and justice. We must ask ourselves: Do we see God’s laws as mere restrictions, or do we recognize them as a pathway to true freedom and wisdom? By living according to these teachings, we become witnesses to God’s presence in the world. Showing others the beauty of a life lived in harmony with divine wisdom.
James, in our second reading, reminds us that every good gift comes from God and that we are to respond to these gifts by being doers of the word. It is not enough to listen to the teachings of Christ. We must put them into practice. James gives us a clear image of what this looks like: caring for those in need and keeping ourselves pure from the corrupting influences of the world.
In a world where it is easy to hear the word without allowing it to transform our lives, James challenges us to live out our faith in concrete actions. Being Christians is not about what we say or even what we believe in our hearts. It is about what we do. How do we care for the marginalized, the vulnerable, and those in need? Are we willing to live out our faith in ways that might be uncomfortable or challenging? This reading encourages us to look at our lives and ask, are we truly living as doers of the word? Or have we become complacent, content with merely hearing and not acting?
In today’s gospel, we see a confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees over the issue of ritual purity. The Pharisees, along with some Scribes, questioned Jesus why His disciples eat with unwashed hands, which, according to Jewish tradition made them unclean.
Jesus’ response goes beyond the surface of the ritual and delves into the heart of what true purity and holiness are about. His words challenge us to reflect on the authenticity of our faith and the motivations behind our religious practices.
There is a story about an old Jewish rabbi who was in a Roman prison. Rabbi Akiba was on a minimal ration of good and water. It was just enough for him to survive. One of the rabbi’s students asked the warden if he could bring in more water for the rabbi. The warden agreed. As time passed, the rabbi grew weaker and weaker. Finally, it became necessary to call a doctor. The old man’s problem was diagnosed as dehydration.
The doctor’s report confused prison officials. They could not understand how the rabbi could be dehydrated. He already had enough supply of water to drink. The guard was told to watch the old man closely to see what he was doing with his water. It was then that the mystery was solved. The guards discovered that the rabbi was using almost all his water to perform religious ritual washings before he prayed and before he ate. As a result, he had little water left to drink.
In the heart of the matter, in the gospel, Jesus challenges the Pharisees and Scribes who focus on external rituals while neglecting the more important matters of the heart. Jesus makes it clear that true defilement not from external sources but from within, from the evil thoughts and desires that reside in the heart. This teaching cuts to the core of what it means to live a life of faith. It is not about appearances but about the purity of our intentions and actions.
Rabbi Akiba’s story helps us to understand today’s gospel. It helps us to understand also why the Jewish leaders are surprised when they see Jesus’ disciples eat without performing the ritual of washing, which they are accustomed to do before eating their meal. The Lord uses their criticism to point out what is essential, and this essential is the heart of morality. The heart of morality is no other than the heart of a person.
The Pharisees and Scribes were known for their strict observance of the law, particularly the external rituals that were meant to signify cleanliness and holiness. However, Jesus exposes the danger of adhering to rituals without understanding their true purpose. The problem wasn’t the washing of hands itself but the elevation of the tradition above the commandment of God. Jesus quotes Isaiah saying, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. In vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.”
This warning is not just for the Pharisees but for all of us. We must ask ourselves, are our religious practices, our prayers, our Mass attendance, our acts of charity done out of genuine love for God and neighbor? Or have they become mere routine, empty of meaning? We need to be vigilant that our external expressions of faith are always rooted in a heart that seeks to love and serve God.
Jesus’ message in today’s gospel calls us to authentic faith and worship. God desires a relationship with us that goes beyond mere observance of the rules. He wants our hearts. Authentic worship is not just about what we do or say but about who we are in the depths of our being. It’s about the heart transformed by God’s love, a heart that seeks to love God and neighbor with sincerity and humility.
The readings for this Sunday challenge us to move beyond superficial expressions of faith and to embrace a deeper, more authentic relationship with God. By observing God’s commandments, being doers of the word, and focusing on the purity of our hearts, we can live out our faith in a way that truly honors God and reflects His love to the world.
As we go about our lives, let us remember that true faith is lived out in actions that flow from a heart transformed by God’s love. Let us commit to being people who not only hear the word, but embody it, allowing our faith to be a source of life, wisdom, and grace in a world that so desperately needs it.
May Jesus Christ be praised.
KEEP READINGTwenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 25, 2024 — Year B
Readings: Jos 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b / Ps 34 / Eph 5:21-32 / Jn 6:60-69
by Rev. Mr. Mark De La Hunt, Permanent Deacon
The Holy Spirit rewrote my homily this morning. He has never done that before. He wrote this homily on Saturday morning in two hours and forty-five minutes, when it normally takes me twelve hours over the course of a month. I am sharing that with you, because I am guessing the Holy Spirit did this because He knew people were going to come to Mass this weekend needing to be healed of something or needing to have their life reordered in a way that was not going to happen with my first homily. He reoriented my homily to be more about testimony, sacraments, and life than about scripture and apologetics (i.e., defense of the faith).
The Holy Spirit highlighted five verses from today’s gospel on John 6. As I pondered them, I saw them as a summary of our life with the Holy Trinity.
(By the way, guess what the verse is for “They returned to their former way of life”? It is 66, as in Jn 6:66. This was not a clever writing technique by the apostle, John. The Bible did not come with chapters and verses; they were added hundreds of years later by the Catholic Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.)
If the Holy Spirit guided the numbering of the verses, then verse 66 must be important to us. What does it mean to return to our former way of life? For the Jews that day, it meant returning to a life where death was final, and where some religious rituals had become corrupted: things like getting a bill of divorce for practically any reason and stopping financial assistance for aging parents by dedicating that money to the temple (Mt 15:3-6).
Similarly, before Jesus came and established the Catholic Church, the former way of life in Rome and Europe was one of worshipping creation, what we call pantheism and paganism. They also worshipped manmade idols that represented many gods. Under these beliefs, the strong dominated the weak. Men dominated women. The wealthy dominated the poor and abandoned the sick when plagues came through. Wealthy men received an education, not the poor and not women. Sex was an act of domination, not love. Infanticide was common, especially if the baby was female (Hahn 75).
The horror show I just described is why Joshua and the Israelites in the first reading chose the one true God over the many gods of their neighbors. Their neighbors’ many gods demanded sacrifice of them (including of babies for the god Baal). Their one true God, whom we know as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, sacrificed Himself for our good.
As crazy as the former way of life in Rome and Europe sounds, many of those horrors are happening again as more and more people turn away from the one true God. Infanticide was common in China when their atheist (no god) government forced the one-child policy on their people. Tragically, infanticide happens in our country too. Also, in our country, the young and the strong can legally kill the old and the sick under the sinisterly named movement “Death with Dignity.” Domination and degradation of women is everywhere and is glorified. Education is trending down, especially for the poor. Marriage is being redefined to be “anything goes,” while traditional families are struggling to survive. Even our fundamental identity as men and women is being redefined and worse, becoming undefined.
The world is moving from order to disorder. One God brings order to the world. Many gods or no-god brings the world disorder or chaos. This is true for the world as a whole, for governments, and for us in our personal life. Even authentic religions that have been around since before Jesus have significant disorder, such as no hope of an eternal life with no more pain and no more tears. These ancient religions often have no respect and love for the poor and weak either. Mother Teresa was once asked by Jansenist priests in India to care for one of their sick priests, because their religion forbade them to do so.
Ok. That is a lot, and it can be disturbing and rob us of our peace. Let’s turn away from the darkness now and focus on the Light. If we want order and sanity and peace in our lives, we must center them on Jesus, the one true God. How do we center on Him? First, we center our life on Him in the Eucharist.
Henri de Lubac, a French priest and prominent theologian, said it this way, “If we are to grow in love and holiness, we must make the Eucharist the center of our lives, because in doing so, we make Christ the center of our lives. If we receive Christ worthily in the Eucharist and worship Him in Eucharistic adoration, He will fill us with His grace and enlarge our hearts to love and serve more perfectly (Martin 131).”
Here is a story about Jesus in the flesh, in the Eucharist bringing order and sanity and peace into the life of a seventeen-year-old boy, right here in Holy Name of Mary about fifteen years ago. He was a tall altar server who towered over Fr. Sal (inside joke). He participated in parish faith formation, youth group mission trips, DYC, and diocesan retreats. But he found his life to be a struggle and confusing, especially the tension between teenage hormones and Catholic teaching. Know what I mean teenagers, and twenty somethings, and thirty somethings, etc.?
He came to church on Wednesday evening for confession, and afterwards walked into the nave to pray his Fr. Sal penance of one Our Father and One Hail Mary in thanksgiving for God’s forgiveness. On Wednesday’s there is also Adoration, so Jesus’ body in the Eucharist was on the altar in the monstrance.
The young man bowed down his head in prayer, but then heard a Voice say, “Noah, look up. I am right here.” He blew it off as being his own thought and kept his head bowed down. The Voice came again, tenderly, “Noah, look up. I am right here.” Noah told me that at that moment, he went from knowing about God to knowing God deep down, as a loving Father who is merciful and who is with him and for him. This was especially poignant, since Noah had just come out of Confession.
By the way, what Noah experienced could be described as an awakening of the Holy Spirit’s gift of knowledge noted in Isaiah 11, which we all received in the Sacrament of Confirmation. It had been dormant, but Jesus in the Eucharist sent the Holy Spirit to Noah to fan it into flame. In a way, Noah had experienced a theophany.
I asked Noah to explain the Voice. He said it was not a sound, and it was not a thought. I asked him how he knew it was not a thought. He went on to describe it with the same phrase that the woman in my Eucharist story from my last homily used (It is as if the Holy Spirit is at work here 😉). Remember how the smell of candles by the monstrance brought her back to her grandma’s house and her grandma’s hug and a feeling of safety? She told me that the feelings were “even more intense than when grandma was alive?” Noah told me that the Voice was “more intense” than a thought. And the Voice did not come as thoughts do; it did not feel like his thought. It came from outside, not from within.
This is how the Holy Spirit moves through the Body of Christ. He speaks to all of us and even uses the same words like “more intense.” Noah and that woman do not know each other and have never met.
Noah and that woman, though, know their answer to Jesus’ question, “Do you also want to leave [Me]?” They and all of us, say with Peter, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life -this is My body…this is My blood.” If the homilies are boring, or the music is lifeless, or the people in the pews next to us are cold, we still come faithfully for Mass and for Adoration. In other words, we come for Jesus in the flesh.
We don’t just have a personal relationship with Jesus; we have an intimate relationship with Him. Because it is not just spiritual, but is also physical (flesh and blood) in the Eucharist, it is “more intense” than a personal relationship! That is why today’s second reading is about marriage, the most intimate and intense relationship two human beings can have. In the marital embrace, one man and one woman give themselves to each other mind, body, and soul, withholding nothing including their fertility. This becoming one in the flesh in marriage is a sign of the Eucharist.
At Holy Communion, Jesus, the groom, waits for His bride (us) at the altar and consummates that relationship by entering into us: body, soul, and divinity. The entirety of scripture from Genesis to Revelation builds up to the Eucharist here on earth that we may be at the Wedding Supper of the Lamb at Mass and in heaven when we are born to eternal life. John saw this in a vision and wrote about it in the book of Revelation.
Before their wedding day, the bride and groom go to Confession to empty their soul of disordered things, so that there is room for all the grace and order God desires to pour into their newly married life. So too, we should go to Confession regularly to make room in our soul for all the grace and order our Groom desires to give to us in the Eucharist.
If you have not been to Confession in a long time, you need to go. You are in spiritual danger. People do not just wake up one day and commit mortal sin, wrecking their life and the lives of others. This happens after a thousand small bad decisions or venial sins are committed but not confessed. Confession opens our eyes to our sinfulness, blots out those sins, and protects us from making a terrible mistake.
Here are a few takeaways.
To increase your centeredness on Jesus in the Eucharist, sign up for the next Holy Name of Mary all-night adoration. It begins every fourth Saturday of the month, starting at 7 PM. Or go to adoration at Holy Name of Mary on Wednesdays between 10 AM and 6:45 PM. If you show up at 5 PM, like Noah in the story, you can go to Confession while you are there, to make as much room in your soul as possible for all the grace Jesus wants to give you. Stay a little longer, and you can even go to Mass at 7 PM, scoring a Catholic hat trick (hockey reference) of grace with these three encounters with Jesus.
If, after all I have shared, you still struggle to see Jesus in the Eucharist, or you start to struggle months from now, then turn to His mother. She always leads us to her Son. Let’s turn to her help now.
Mother Mary, you first held baby Jesus in the town of Bethlehem, which means house of bread, and placed Him in a manger where animals go for sustenance. When we come forward for Holy Communion today, share with us what you saw when you first looked upon your Son in the Eucharist and share with us the joy you experienced at carrying Him again in your body. Amen.
Citations
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 18, 2024 — Year B
Readings: Prv 9:1-6 / Ps 34 / Eph 5:15-20 / Jn 6:51-58
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor
In today’s readings we are invited to a feast: a feast of wisdom, a feast of the spirit, and most profoundly, a feast of light itself in the Eucharist. The theme running through the scriptures is nourishment: not just physical but spiritual, and the choices we make in seeking what truly sustains us.
Our first reading opens with the image of Wisdom, personified as a woman who has prepared a great banquet. She calls out to the simple, the unwise, inviting them to leave behind their foolish ways and dine at her table. This invitation is an echo of something deeper, an invitation to a life that is not merely about survival, but about living with purpose, intention, and understanding.
In his letter to the Ephesians, Saint Paul warns us to live wisely, to make the most of our time, and to be filled with the Spirit rather than indulging in things that dull our senses or lead us astray. This call to wisdom is a call to discernment, to constantly seek what is good, true, and life giving.
Then we come to our gospel from John, where Jesus offers us the ultimate sustenance, Himself. “I am the bread that came down from Heaven,” He says. Here, Jesus is not just offering us wisdom or spiritual insight; He is offering us His very self.
The Eucharist, this Bread of Life, is not a symbol, it is Christ Himself we receive to nourish our souls. When Jesus speaks of giving His flesh for the life of the world, He’s not talking about a symbolic gesture, He’s pointing directly to the Eucharist, the sacrament in which we participate in His sacrifice, and receive His very body and blood. This is not merely a ritual or a remembrance, but a true encounter with Christ himself.
Through the Eucharist, we are invited to share in the divine life to be united intimately with Jesus. The words of Jesus, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life,” reminds us that the Eucharist is not a one-time event; it is a continuous invitation to live in communion with Him. Each time we receive the Eucharist, we are nourished spiritually, strengthened in our faith, and reminded of our call to live as disciples.
This passage also challenges us to reflect on the mystery of the Eucharist. How often do we approach the altar with full awareness of the incredible gift we are about to receive? Do we truly understand that in the Eucharist, we are not just receiving bread and wine, but the very life of Christ? Saint Augustine once said, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you, O Lord.” This restlessness often drives us to seek fulfillment in all the wrong places through material wealth, fleeting pleasures, or the pursuit of success at the expense of our relationships. But today’s readings remind us that true fulfillment comes from feeding on the wisdom of God, living in the Spirit, and most importantly, receiving the bread of life in the Eucharist.
Let me share with you the inspiring story of a young Italian woman who exemplified what it means to live wisely and in the Spirit. Chiara faced immense challenges during her life, including the loss of two children shortly after their births. Despite these hardships, Chiara and her husband Enrico continued to trust in God’s plan. When Chiara became pregnant with her third child, she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. Choosing to postpone her treatment to protect her unborn son, she lived her final months fully aware of the consequences but filled with peace and joy in the Lord. She often said, “We are born to die, but we die to be born again into eternal life.”
Chiara died at noon on June 13, 2012, after she said her goodbyes to her family and friends. One by one, she told everyone, “I love you.” On July 2, 2018, her beatification process was opened in Rome, naming Chiara Corbella Petrillo as a servant of God.
Chiara’s life is a testament to living out the wisdom of God, even in the face of suffering. She chose the bread of life over everything else, prioritizing her spiritual nourishment and trusting completely in God’s love. Her story challenges us to examine our own lives and the choices we make. Are we living wisely, making the most of the time we have, and seeking the true sustenance that only Christ can provide? In our modern world we are constantly tempted by things that offer temporary satisfaction but leave us spiritually hungry. But like Chiara, we are called to seek what sustains us.
When we prioritize our spiritual nourishment by spending time in prayer, immersing ourselves in scripture, and regularly participating in the Eucharist, we align ourselves with the wisdom of God.
There are a lot of distractions nowadays. It is easy to neglect our spiritual lives. Just as we need physical food to sustain our bodies, we need spiritual nourishment to sustain our souls. This means making time for prayer, reading scripture, and participating in the Eucharist regularly. Let us set aside specific times each day for prayer and reflection. Attend mass, not just on Sundays, but also during the week, when possible, to receive the Eucharist more frequently.
Our readings today also invite us to partake in the banquet of wisdom, which means seeking God’s guidance in our daily decisions. Wisdom is not just about knowledge; it is about applying that knowledge in a way that leads to a good and virtuous life. Before making decisions, especially significant ones, let us pause to pray and ask for God’s wisdom. Let us reflect on whether our choices are leading us closer to God or away from Him. Today, let us ask ourselves, what am I feeding my soul? Am I seeking the bread of life that He offers eternal nourishment? Or am I filling myself with things that leave me empty? Let us turn to the wisdom of the Church, the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the living presence of Christ in the Eucharist to nourish and sustain us on our journey of faith.
Jesus reminds us that true satisfaction comes from a deeper source. The Eucharist is the food that sustains us on our spiritual journey, giving us the grace to overcome the challenges of life and remain faithful to His teachings.
As we continue our Mass today, let us approach the Eucharist with a heart full of gratitude and reverence, recognizing the profound love that God has for each of us. Let us allow this encounter with Christ to transform us so that we may become living witnesses of His presence in the world. Let us recognize the true value of the Eucharist and live each day with the wisdom and intention that leads us to eternal life. By integrating these teachings into our lives, we become more attuned to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, making choices that lead us to live fully in the presence of God, nourished by His wisdom and the Bread of Life.
May Jesus Christ be praised.
KEEP READINGSolemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
August 15, 2024 — Year B
Readings: Rv 11:19A; 12:1-6A, 10AB / Ps 45 / 1 Cor 15:20-27 / Lk 1:39-56
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary into heaven. The Church teaches us that Mary is assumed into heaven, body and soul. Because of this doctrine, or dogma, many of our brothers and sisters say, “Oh, that’s just made up by the Church leaders.” But let us realize that this is a product of deep prayer and reflection.
Sometimes they will tell us, “You Catholics equate Mary to God.” “You treat her like God.” Or, “You exalt Mary too much.”
Let us not forget what St. Maximilian Kolbe advised us. He said, “Do not be afraid to love Mary too much, because you can never love her more than Jesus did.” In fact, it is not us, nor the Church leaders, who exalted Mary too much first. It is the scripture. While not in our gospel today, there is a passage in the same book and chapter: Luke 1:28. The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and said, “Hail Mary – rejoice Mary — you are full of grace.” Mary, as the new Eve, is full of grace, not sin. That was the angel who said that, and not any Church leaders. The scripture, recorded scripture, stated that Mary, as the new Eve, is full of grace.
Because of Eve’s disobedience to God’s will, sin and death entered the world. But when Mary obeyed God’s will, heaven became wide open again. That’s the difference between the new Eve and the old Eve. When Mary came, it opened heaven again. When Mary came, it was not sin and death that entered the world, but rather salvation and eternal life that become our destination while we are here on earth.
That’s why, from the very beginning, even in our first reading for today, in the Book of Revelation, it says, “God’s temple in heaven was open and the ark of His covenant could be seen in the temple.” The ark of the covenant that was mentioned here is Mary herself. Mary is the ark, and Jesus is the new covenant. That covenant is based on that ark. God put His son, Jesus, in her womb. That’s why when we pray the litany, “the ark of the covenant” refers to Mary.
That’s why from the very beginning of the conception of Mary, the Immaculate Conception, she was already preserved from the contagion of original sin. Mary was sinless. That’s why Mary never experienced death. What is the effect of sin? Death. That’s why Mary never experienced death. And this is the feast that we celebrate today: Mary’s Assumption into heaven, body and soul.
But what can we learn from our gospel today, as we celebrate feast of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven? There were two important things of which Mary showed us great examples.
First, Mary was a person who was willing to look after the needs of others. When Mary heard that she would conceive Jesus, and she learned that Elizabeth was also pregnant, do you know what Mary did? She went in haste to Judah. That was a long and difficult journey, because she traveled almost one hundred miles. Nobody told Mary to go to Elizabeth. The angel didn’t say, “Go to visit your cousin, Elizabeth, because she needs your help.” Mary was one of those people who not only knows how to help, but is able to anticipate the needs of others. That’s the lesson that we can learn from the Blessed Virgin Mary.
I know that many of us are willing to help others. The problem is that we may wait until we are asked. The sad thing is that sometimes we wait until they beg us to help them. Sadly, sometimes we only offer our help when it is too late: when a person is dead, or their life is ruined. That’s when we finally offer help.
The lesson we can learn from our gospel today is that we need to be like Mary, who knows how to anticipate the needs of her brothers and sisters. We need to be proactive. We need to always see the needs of others. That is the essence of “our brother’s keeper.” If we are our brother’s or our sister’s keeper, then we don’t wait until they ask us to help them. Go ahead, if you see there is a need; just help others.
That’s the lesson we can learn from Mary. She doesn’t wait for her cousin to ask her, “Mary, please come and help me.” She just sees the need and goes in haste to help Elizabeth.
The second thing we can learn from our gospel today is, as Mary showed us, in everything that we receive or achieve in this life, we give praise, glory, and honor to God. In our gospel, Mary was being praised, and not only in our gospel, but also in the first chapter of St. Luke. Mary was praised by the angel and by Elizabeth. The angel praised Mary saying, “Mary, rejoice, for you are full of grace.”
Elizabeth continues, saying, “Blessed are you among women. Among all the women, you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. How does this happen that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the fruit in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”
What was Mary’s response when she heard those words?
Did she say, “I told you that you would praise me”? I told you that you would treat me as the greatest among all women”? Is that what Mary said? No. Mary remained very humble in her response. Mary knew from the very beginning that everything that happened in her life was due to the actions of God. That’s why Mary responded by saying, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord. Not because I am great, but because the Lord has done great things for me.” That is the Blessed Virgin Mary. She never exalted herself. For all the successes that she had, she always gave praise and honor to the Lord.
Many of you may have watched the Olympics. I don’t watch TV that much, but I did see some clips on social media. There were ceremonies for those who received gold. You may admire or idolize many of those contestants. But sometimes, if you look at them, it’s a sad reality in life. I don’t admire many of those who seek gold. Why? Because during those times in the ceremonies when they are given the chance to speak, yes, they thank those people who have helped them. They thank their coaches, their trainers, and all the people who supported them. But very few of them thank God. Very few of them realize that they didn’t receive those medals without God’s grace and help. They forget the One who gave them their strength, their skills, their abilities, their intelligence. It’s all coming from God. The source of all that is God alone.
It’s sad, because they are given the opportunity; they’re given the platform to speak and to spread the love that the Lord has given them, their faith in God. That’s their opportunity to spread the Word. But they don’t do it.
Again, in our gospel today, Mary knew very well that all that she had came from God. All the glory, all the praises that the angel, and her cousin, and other people gave her, she directed all of them to the Lord. She knew very well that everything she received in this life was due to God’s actions. Mary never took any of the blessings she received to herself. She never accepted anything for her own. She always gave praise to the Father.
So again, today, we thank the Blessed Virgin Mary, who set us a Christian example. We ask for her intercession to accompany us on our journey to heaven. Yes, we have some difficulties and struggles in life. Let us imitate Mary who always saw and anticipated the needs of others. Whenever we receive blessings, like Mary, we need to give all the praise and glory to the Father. In fact, many of the popes have said that the fastest and the easiest, and the surest way to get close to Jesus is through Mary.
KEEP READINGNineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 11, 2024 — Year B
Readings: 1 Kgs 19:4-8 / Ps 34 / Eph 4:30-5:2 / Jn 6:41-51
by Rev. Mr. Mark De La Hunt, Permanent Deacon
Here we are in week three of our personal Eucharistic Revival on John Chapter 6. The Eucharist, Holy Communion, Bread of Angels is the source of Christian faith and unity. In honor of this, Father Nixon and I have been alternating preaching. Father preaches on John 6 again on the 18th, and then I will preach on the last passage on August 25.
Remember that we are doing this as our little part of the three-year-long Revival in the United States. As part of your personal Eucharistic Revival, you can go to YouTube and type in EWTN Eucharistic Congress and listen to all the great Catholic speakers that were there. Keep reading and reflecting on John Chapter 6 and try to spend some time in Adoration before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
Today I will focus on how Jesus responds to His followers’ disbelief in the Eucharist by using even stronger words, “I AM the living bread…whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh (Jn 6: 51).” Next week, Fr. Nixon will preach on how Jesus’ followers began to argue among themselves over this teaching. His disciples asked, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat (Jn 6:52)?” Jesus answered them, “…my flesh is true food and, my blood is true drink (Jn 6:55).” And keep in mind that when families and Christians reject Jesus’ teaching on the Eucharist because it does not align with their personal beliefs, unity is lost. On Sunday, August 25, I will preach on the sad news that because of this teaching, “many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him (Jn 6:66).”
The Eucharistic Congress’s invitation had these words, “Come and find Joy, Healing, Hope, Peace, Unity, Meaning, Revival.” Those gifts have been true for me personally, and I know from conversations with some of you, they have been true for others too. However, globally, we do not experience unity as Christians. Here is a story about the Eucharist that a parishioner from Holy Name of Mary shared with my wife and me over dinner one evening and that illustrates the rift in Christian unity around the Eucharist. That lack of unity is why Christians, who are not in full communion with the Church Jesus Christ founded, cannot receive the Eucharist.
She grew up in a rural evangelical faith community, learned about the Lord, and was given the gift of faith. However, the children at that church were taught from an infamous tract called the “Death Cookie” that mocks the Catholic belief in the Eucharist. They were also taught to not associate with Catholics and to avoid their teachings.
One of the teachings they rejected was baptism by sprinkling of water on the head. They believed it had to be only by full immersion. This woman’s grandmother, due to her great fear of water, was never baptized. The leaders of this small rural church were not aware that the first Christians, during the time of the apostles, wrote about the acceptable practice of baptism by sprinkling, in a writing called the Didache. As God would have it, our friend began to date a Catholic boy in high school who told her and her grandmother about baptism by sprinkling water on the head.
Later, her grandmother became ill and was close to death in a hospital. She asked for a Catholic priest to baptize her. However, her family could not bring themselves to let the priest in the room, and the grandmother died without being baptized. This traumatized our friend, and she began to question what she had been taught. She loved her grandmother so much. She told us, “Whenever I went to visit Grandma, she always had non-paraffin candles burning, and she would envelope me in a hug. I always felt safe at Grandma’s.” More on this story later. And, yes, it has a Eucharistically-remarkable ending.
I want to take a moment to explain the lack of Christian unity around the Eucharist. Not to disparage other Christian churches, but to help us to avoid teaching that does not come from the apostles, and to better understand why non-Catholic Christians cannot receive Holy Communion in a Catholic church.
Many non-Catholic Christians have communion services in obedience to Jesus’ command to “[d]o this in memory of me (Lk 22:19-20).” But to my knowledge none believes in Jesus’ substantive presence in the bread (His flesh) and wine (His blood), what the Church calls transubstantiation, except for the Eastern Orthodox who have unbroken apostolic succession, same as the Roman Catholic Church.
Some of you may think the Anglican/Episcopalian Church teaches transubstantiation, but it does not. From their Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, Article 28 reads, “Transubstantiation (or the change of the substance of bread and wine) in the Supper of the Lord, cannot be proved by Holy Writ, but is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture…and hath given occasion to many superstitions. The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was not by Christ’s ordinance reserved, carried about, lifted up, or worshipped.”
Anglicans/Episcopalians, Lutherans, and Presbyterians have similar beliefs about the Eucharist, namely what is called consubstantiation. That is, they believe the presence of Christ is “with, in, or under” the bread and wine. Methodists might say it is a spiritual presence. All four of those Protestant traditions use the term “real presence,” but they mean spiritual. Some Christians believe Eucharist is simply a fellowship meal to thank God, and some think the bread and wine are purely symbols of Christ’s body and blood. And there are still more variations of Eucharistic beliefs. However, only one of these beliefs can be the truth. The truth is not a something, it is a Someone, Jesus. He said, “I am the truth.” He said the bread is His flesh, and He is God, and what God says is (Barron 503).
Back to the gospel, what did Jesus say? “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world (John 6: 51). One Presbyterian apologist (someone who is defending their beliefs) wrote that Jesus couldn’t be speaking literally because the Last Supper had not yet happened. Notice Jesus’ verb tense though, “The bread that I WILL give…” It is future tense. Jesus was telling the crowd what he was GOING to do at the Last Supper.
Many of you may have discussed your faith with Protestant family and friends, and that is a wonderful thing. Keep doing this, and remember that you are on sacred ground when you do so. These conversations should be approached with love, patience, and humility.
If you have done this, then you have likely heard them start the conversation with, “We can only discuss this from scripture.” Why do they say this? After all, the New Testament was not definitively declared until the year 382. A lot of history occurred before that time. What were the Christians doing during those nearly four hundred years? They were passing on what the apostles taught them, and what they passed on regarding the Eucharist is exactly what we believe. Here are three quotes during those 382 years from Bishop Barron’s Word on Fire Bible on the Gospels.
St. Ignatius of Antioch was born two years after Jesus was crucified, and he was taught by the Apostle John who wrote John Chapter 6. Ignatius wrote, “Come together in common through grace, individually, in one faith, and in Jesus Christ…In this way you will obey the bishop and the presbytery (priesthood) with an undivided mind, breaking one and the same bread, which is the medicine of immortality and the antidote to prevent us from dying, enabling us to live forever in Jesus Christ (Ignatius’s Epistle to Ephesians / Jn 6:50-53).”
St. Justin Martyr was eight years old when St. Ignatius died. In his defense of the faith, he wrote, “We call this food Eucharist…Not as common bread nor common drink do we receive these; but since Jesus Christ our Savior was made incarnate by the word of God and had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so too…the food which has been made into the Eucharist…is both the flesh and the blood of that incarnated Jesus (Justin’s First Apology / Jn 6:55).”
The teaching that Jesus gave to John that was passed on to Ignatius and Justin did not die with them. St. Gregory of Nyssa, a bishop, was alive in 382 when the twenty-seven books of the New Testament were confirmed by a gathering of Catholic bishops. He wrote, “The bread again is at first common bread; but when the mystery sanctifies it, it is called and actually becomes the Body of Christ (Gregory On the Baptism of Christ / Jn 6:55).”
Brothers and sisters, our belief in the Eucharist can be proven from scripture AND history, so be at peace about it and give thanks for it. And by the way, studying the writings of the early Church Fathers is what led the great Anglican priest and theologian, John Henry Newman into full communion with the Catholic Church. He is now called St. John Henry Newman.
Back to our Eucharist story. The whole situation around her grandmother’s not being baptized caused her to question what her church taught. Still, she had no intention of becoming Catholic. But she did pepper her boyfriend’s priest with questions about Catholic teachings. Father patiently answered these questions over the course of a year, but she made it clear she had no intention of becoming Catholic. One evening Father asked her, “What exactly is it you want?” Still, she was non-committal.
That evening, however, Father felt moved to do something new. He said, “Follow me,” and he led her through the parish hallways to the narthex. She could see people inside the nave, kneeling in prayer and a decorative gold stand on an altar with the Eucharist held in it. She had never stepped foot inside a Catholic Church. And yet, here she was with a Catholic priest, about to lead her in there while people prayed before the “death cookie.” From Father’s year of teaching, she knew Catholics believed that the bread was truly Jesus in the flesh, so she knew why people were kneeling in prayer, but this went against everything she had been taught growing up. You can imagine how uncomfortable she was feeling.
Still, she followed Father inside and accepted his invitation to kneel and pray. It was then that she came to believe in Jesus in the Eucharist as taught by Him, John, Ignatius, Justin, and Gregory! The Holy Spirit moved in a powerful way.
The smell of the candles burning before the monstrance brought her back to her grandmother’s home, where she smelled Grandma’s candles burning, felt again her grandmother’s hug, and was overcome by the feeling of safety she always felt there. This is grace, but Jesus is so generous. Not only did she experience these comforting things, but she said the feelings were even more intense than they were when Grandma was alive.
Her grandmother, with her desire for baptism, had led her granddaughter to adoration that night. I can just imagine Grandma, baptized by desire (a Catholic teaching), adoring Christ before the heavenly altar, a vision John wrote about in the book of Revelation, and her granddaughter adoring Him before that Catholic altar where heaven and earth touch (CCC 1259; Rev 8). God is so good.
I thought about our friend when I prayed over today’s Psalm 34, “When the afflicted [woman] cried out, the Lord heard, and from all [her] distress He saved [her] (Ps 34: 6).” He does the same for each of us every Eucharist. We bring all this baggage and sin to the altar with us, and, in the Eucharist, Jesus takes it away. *
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning with Jesus, John, Ignatius, Justin, and Gregory, and is now with you and me and Father, and ever shall be world without end. Amen.
*The Eucharist removes venial sins, but mortal sin must be removed through the sacrament of Confession.
Citations
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 28, 2024 — Year B
Readings: 2 Kgs 4:42-44 / Ps 145 / Eph 4: 1-6 / Jn 6: 1-15
by Rev. Mr. Mark De La Hunt, Permanent Deacon
Today is the first of five Sundays dedicated to the sixth chapter of John’s gospel, which is Jesus’ teaching on the Eucharist. To place a greater emphasis on the Eucharist, which is the source and summit of the Catholic faith, Father Nixon and I will alternate preaching over these five Sundays. This is our way of participating in the Eucharistic Revival that the United States Catholic Church is in the midst of.
The big moment of the Eucharistic Revival occurred July 17-21, in Indianapolis, Indiana, the first National Eucharistic Congress in eighty-three years. Tens of thousands of on-fire Catholics gathered there to “encounter the living Jesus Christ, be healed and unified by His Real Presence, and to be sent out “for the life of the world (Revival).”
The prophets of our time gathered with them, Bishop Barron, Fr. Mike Schmitz, Sr. Miriam, James Heidland, Fr. Josh Johnson, Matt Maher, Bishop Andrew Cozzens, Jackie Angel, Sr. Josephine Garrett, Fr. Boniface Hicks, Jonathan Roumie, and Deacon Larry Oney and Fr. Dave Pivonka who led tent revivals at HNM, and many of your other favorites. Leading up to the Eucharistic Congress, four Eucharistic processions, walking with Jesus in the Eucharist from the north, south, east, and west collectively processed 6,500 miles to Indianapolis. Their procession paths formed the shape of a cross, blessing our entire nation.
I am challenging all of you to make this Sunday and the next four a personal Eucharistic Revival. Read and pray over John 6 while asking the Holy Spirit to reveal what the Eucharist means for your life. My license plate, by the way, is John6, because it is so essential to our faith, to bringing people to Jesus in His Catholic Church, and to His making all Christians one in His body again, as He intended from the beginning and as it was for over 1,500 years. Here is a trailer for John 6.
Ok, you have seen the trailer, now you are ready to start streaming Episode One, today’s gospel. Once I have spoken about the theology, I will share a local Eucharist story related to today’s gospel and wrap up with how to apply the theology and the story to your life.
Notice what Jesus did with the five barley loaves that the boy had. John wrote, “Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them (Jn 6:11).” Matthew recalled the same miracle this way, “Taking the five loaves…and looking up to heaven, [Jesus] gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to His disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people (Mt 14: 19).”
Matthew emphasized the priesthood with the disciples distributing the bread to the people. By the way, Luke and Mark also emphasized the priesthood. However, John, in his profoundly Eucharistic chapter 6, emphasizes that the bread comes from Jesus by having Him give it to the people.
One more detail that ties the passage to the Eucharist when we look at the spiritual meaning. What did Jesus ask them to do when all had eaten? “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted (Jn 6:12).” What does Father have me do after all of you have eaten the Bread of Life? He has me gather all the leftover Eucharist and place it in the Tabernacle to feed others during the week. And as for the fragments and crumbs, I meticulously wipe them out of the bowls, into the chalice with water and any drops of Jesus’ precious blood that are left as well. Then I consume them “so that nothing [sacred] will be wasted.”
By the way, when the deacon is doing this, the priest quietly prays, “What has passed our lips as food, O Lord, may we possess in purity of heart, that what has been given to us in time may be our healing for eternity.”
That wraps up the theology of today’s gospel; here is the Eucharist story. As I reflected on the left-over fragments in the gospel, it evoked a memory of First Holy Communion at Holy Name of Mary this year. Father became ill during Mass, before consecrating the bread and wine. While he was being cared for, I led the congregation in praying the rosary. Once Father was safely on his way to the hospital, I went to the tabernacle and opened the ciborium while a parishioner finished leading the congregation in praying the rosary. The ciborium was about half full, and it is a small ciborium.
The church was beyond capacity with all the families, extended families, and friends of the First Holy Communicants. Accordingly, we told the congregation there was not enough Eucharist for everyone, and in my mind, I imagined that only the children, their immediate family and a few others would receive until we ran out. I gave the children and their families the Eucharistic bread and then began to give it to others, breaking the Eucharist to feed as many His Body as I could. It bears repeating that every pew was packed. The narthex and the cry room were full. People were standing, because all the extra chairs were used. Yet, after everyone was fed His body, like the scripture says, “some [was] left over (2 Kgs 4:44).” God is good.
Please don’t leave here and email the bishop that Deacon Mark said he multiplied the Eucharist like Elisha and Jesus multiplied bread. 😉 My point in sharing that story is that when we give what we have been given by Jesus, especially when we take a leap of childlike faith and give without prior warning and with no preparation, there is always enough of whatever we are giving. Jesus told St. Paul His grace is always enough. That is why he sent out his disciples with no money, no food, nor extra tunic (Mk 6:8-9).
Here is some guidance on what you can do with what the Holy Spirit has placed on your heart this morning. We go to Mass to receive the Eucharist, yes, but Mass isn’t just about getting. It is also about giving (Sri Podcast). During my training to be a deacon, it was made crystal clear that as wonderful as the grace is of preaching from the altar, it is what we do after we leave the altar that makes our preaching effective.
Dr. Sri, in his Revival podcast said it this way. Jesus didn’t hold anything back on the Cross. We are to be like Him. Don’t hold back in giving of yourself. Peter Kreeft, in his reflection on this gospel, wrote that “All spiritual goods…multiply when shared (Kreeft 606).” Love, hope, and joy come to mind. My personal experience is that material goods also tend to be enough when shared.
So, after coming to the altar to receive Jesus’s body and blood, you must go out into the world and give away whatever Jesus has given you. No matter how meager it is, be confident in giving it to whomever He asks. In doing so, you will know the joy and strengthening of your faith that comes from experiencing firsthand Jesus’ abundant grace. Amen.
Citations
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 21, 2024 — Year B
Readings: Jer 23:1-6 / Ps 23 / Eph 2:13-18 / Mk 6:30-34
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor
We find a common theme of leadership, compassion, and unity in our readings today. Each passage presents a different aspect of God’s relationship with His people, highlighting the desire for their care, peace and guidance.
Our first reading gives a stern warning to the shepherds who failed in their duties. The leaders of Israel tasked with guiding and protecting the people have instead led them astray, yet this passage is also filled with hope. God promises to gather His scattered flock and raise up new shepherds who will care for them. This prophecy ultimately points to the coming of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd who will lead His people with justice and righteousness.
Paul speaks of the profound unity brought about by Christ in his letter to the Ephesians. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has reconciled humanity with God and with each other. He has broken down the barriers that once separated Jews and Gentiles, creating one new humanity. This message is especially relevant today as we continue to face divisions within our own communities and the world at large. Those words remind us that true peace and unity can only be found in Christ.
In today’s gospel, we see Jesus welcoming back the apostles, who have been sent out on their mission. They were tired, having worked hard, and Jesus recognizes their need for rest. “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while,” He tells them. However, when they arrive at the deserted place, they find a large crowd waiting.
Despite His own need for rest, and the disciples’ weariness, Jesus is moved with compassion for the crowd. Because they were like sheep without a shepherd, He begins to teach them many things, attending to their spiritual hunger before anything else.
This scene highlights Jesus’ profound compassion and His role as the Good Shepherd, echoing the imagery from Jeremiah, where God promises to raise up a shepherd who will lead with justice and righteousness. Jesus exemplifies this shepherding by putting the needs of the people before His own, demonstrating the sacrificial love and care that characterizes His ministry. The rest and nourishment He offers are not just physical, but deeply spiritual, addressing the core needs of the human heart.
The connection to the second reading from Ephesians is also significant. Paul speaks of Jesus breaking down the dividing wall of hostility and making peace through His sacrifice. This peace is not just the absence of conflict, but a deep abiding presence of God’s love and grace, uniting us with God and with each other. Jesus as the Good Shepherd invites us into this peace, guiding us towards unity and reconciliation.
There was once a small town known for its high school basketball team. The team had an exceptional coach, Coach Thompson, who was deeply committed to his players. He wasn’t just concerned with their performance on the court, but also their well-being off it. He would often stay late to help them with their homework, listen to their personal struggles and offer guidance and support.
One season the team had a particularly grueling schedule. They practiced hard and played intense games almost every week. By mid-season, the players were exhausted. Coach Thompson decided to give them a break. “Let’s take a weekend off,” he said. “Rest, spend time with your families, and recharge.”
However, that weekend Coach Thompson received a call from one of his players, Jake, who was going through a tough time at home. His parents were fighting, and he felt lost and alone. Despite the need for his own rest, Coach Thompson didn’t hesitate. He drove to Jake’s house, took him out for a meal, and spent the day with him, listening and offering words of comfort.
Coach Thompson’s actions resonated deeply with the entire team. They saw how he lived out his commitment to their well-being, even at the expense of his own comfort. This compassion and selflessness not only strengthened their bond, but also inspired them to look out for each other, both on and off the court.
This story mirrors Jesus’ response to the crowd in today’s gospel. Just as Coach Thompson put his players’ needs before his own, Jesus prioritized the spiritual and emotional needs of the people, exemplifying the true Shepherd’s heart. Both coach Thompson and Jesus demonstrate the transformative power of compassion and sacrificial love, reminding us of our call to care for one another in our journeys.
Reflecting on these readings, we are called to examine our own roles as shepherds in our families, communities, and workplaces. How are we guiding those entrusted to our care? Are we living in compassion, justice, and righteousness as Christ exemplified?
In a world often marked with division and hostility, Paul’s message in Ephesians challenges us to be instruments of peace and reconciliation. We must strive to break down the walls that divide us, fostering unity through our common faith in Christ.
Finally, we learn from Jesus’ example in the gospel: Even in times of weariness, He prioritized the needs of others, teaching us the importance of compassion and selflessness. As followers of Christ, we are called to be attentive to the needs around us, offering guidance, support, and love, even when it demands personal sacrifice. May we take these lessons to heart, embodying the qualities of good shepherds in our daily lives and striving for the peace and unity that Christ has won for us.
May Jesus Christ be praised.
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