The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/080315.cfm) reminds me how much God loves me and the nourishment he gives is complete.
Jesus was close to John the Baptist, that’s why it hurt him when he was killed. He withdrew to a deserted place to be by himself, to pray and mourn the death of John the Baptist. However, when people followed him, he did not turn them away. He gave up his original plan for himself and accommodated the people – to put them first than his own personal needs. That’s how much God loves us.
The gospel further tells us one of the more famous story – Jesus feeding thousands. We see Jesus feeding the people, not just physically when he multiplied food for them, but first, spiritually, which was the primary food he gave them, even before the physical food. Then when it was late and dark already, Christ gave them physical food for their bodies.
God loves us so much that he thinks of all our needs. He gives us not only spiritual nourishment, but also physical nourishment.
Love is the reason God sent his only Son to save us from our sins. Love should also be our primary reason for living – to spread God’s love to each other. As Jesus put others before his need to show us his love, we too should think of others and not just focus on our needs. Our needs and concerns should not be an excuse to shut people away. We should love others despite our personal concerns, just like Jesus did. And one way of loving one another is to care and share what we have with one another – which what other people said about the gospel, that the miracle is not Jesus multiplying food, but the real miracle is the hearts of the people were changed and the shared food with each other because of love.
May we always be reminded of God’s great love and complete nourishment, and be ready and willing to be like this to others.
Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another week. Thank you for the reminder that you norish not only our body but our spirit as well. Lord, I ask that you be with me in a special way today. Help me always be reminded to nourish not only my body, but more importantly, my spirit as well. Lord, it is easy to know and be reminded when my body is weak, when I am hungry, but not as easy to detect spiritual hunger…so I ask you Lord that you disturb me, wake me up and give me warnings when my spirit is running low, when I am spiritually hungry as well. May I be sensitive and respond to it. And as I am nourished, may I never forget to share you to others. May I never forget to love others especially despite my own concerns, just as I receive love from you. Amen
Blessed week!
In Christ,
-g-
Ps
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August 3, 2015
Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 407
Reading 1 Nm 11:4b-15
The children of Israel lamented,
“Would that we had meat for food!
We remember the fish we used to eat without cost in Egypt,
and the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks,
the onions, and the garlic.
But now we are famished;
we see nothing before us but this manna.”
Manna was like coriander seed and had the color of resin.
When they had gone about and gathered it up,
the people would grind it between millstones or pound it in a mortar,
then cook it in a pot and make it into loaves,
which tasted like cakes made with oil.
At night, when the dew fell upon the camp, the manna also fell.
When Moses heard the people, family after family,
crying at the entrance of their tents,
so that the LORD became very angry, he was grieved.
“Why do you treat your servant so badly?” Moses asked the LORD.
“Why are you so displeased with me
that you burden me with all this people?
Was it I who conceived all this people?
Or was it I who gave them birth,
that you tell me to carry them at my bosom,
like a foster father carrying an infant,
to the land you have promised under oath to their fathers?
Where can I get meat to give to all this people?
For they are crying to me,
‘Give us meat for our food.’
I cannot carry all this people by myself,
for they are too heavy for me.
If this is the way you will deal with me,
then please do me the favor of killing me at once,
so that I need no longer face this distress.”
Responsorial Psalm PS 81:12-13, 14-15, 16-17
R. (2a) Sing with joy to God our help.
“My people heard not my voice,
and Israel obeyed me not;
So I gave them up to the hardness of their hearts;
they walked according to their own counsels.”
R. Sing with joy to God our help.
“If only my people would hear me,
and Israel walk in my ways,
Quickly would I humble their enemies;
against their foes I would turn my hand.”
R. Sing with joy to God our help.
“Those who hated the LORD would seek to flatter me,
but their fate would endure forever,
While Israel I would feed with the best of wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would fill them.”
R. Sing with joy to God our help.
Alleluia Mt 4:4
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
One does not live on bread alone, but by every
word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Mt 14:13-21
When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist,
he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.
The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already late;
dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages
and buy food for themselves.”
He said to them, “There is no need for them to go away;
give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”
Then he said, “Bring them here to me,”
and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples,
who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied,
and they picked up the fragments left over–
twelve wicker baskets full.
Those who ate were about five thousand men,
not counting women and children.
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