Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: 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.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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The multiplication of the loaves is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels. Why did it make such an impression upon the disciples?

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The answer can be lengthy – too much for a short, morning reflection. But here’s just one reason why.

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The multiplication of the loaves reveals two different reactions to human need. 

When the disciples see the large crowd, they realize just how many are tired and hungry. Overwhelmed, they try to dismiss them. “Send them away,” they say to Jesus, as if they don’t have enough to make a difference.

That tired, hungry crowd is symbolic of our world at large. 

Often when we turn on the news (or even look around at our own community), we see people suffering from long food lines, empty bank accounts, hatred or discrimination.

Like the disciples, we can be tempted to close our eyes or change the channel, subconsciously thinking, “send them away,” as if one person cannot make a difference.

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But Jesus leads us to a different perspective. He urges us to recognize the crowd, then to do something about it. 

Take what little we have – five loaves and two fish – and start feeding.

Somehow, it will be more than enough; by grace, even one person can do more for God than they ever thought possible.

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If we all had a proactive attitude, if we pitched in to solving the world’s problems, then we’d not only feed five thousand for a day; we’d feed them for a lifetime.

Who, then, is one person I can feed, either with bread or with love?

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“Give them some food yourselves,” Jesus says.

It’s what Christians do.

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Image credits: (1) Medium (2) Heralds of the Gospel Magazine (3) Tasting Table

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Acts: 5: 27-33

When the court officers had brought the Apostles in
and made them stand before the Sanhedrin,
the high priest questioned them,
“We gave you strict orders did we not,
to stop teaching in that name.
Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching
and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
But Peter and the Apostles said in reply,
“We must obey God rather than men. 
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,
though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.
God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior
to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
We are witnesses of these things,
as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”

When they heard this,
they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death.

The Word of the Lord

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Roughly a thousand years ago, Poland became a Christian nation when the king converted to Catholicism. To this day, his conversion is sometimes referred to as, “the Baptism of Poland.”

However, a century later, the religious renaissance Poland was experiencing came to a crawl, as a violent and corrupt king – Bolesław II – took power.

Shortly thereafter, the local Archbishop, Saint Stanislaus, publicly rebuked and excommunicated the king for his immorality. Like the king, Stanislaus came from great wealth. But after his parents died, he gave his entire fortune to the poor and was ordained a Catholic priest.

Enraged by the public embarrassment, King Bolesław ordered his troops to put Saint Stanislaus to death, but they refused. So, the king decided to kill the saintly pastor himself while Stanislaus was celebrating Mass.

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Throughout the history of the Church, there are countless stories like this – stories of heroic courage which we first see unfolding in our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

Much like Stanislaus, the Apostles believed in the truth of the resurrection – but they actually saw and touched the Risen Lord.

Convinced that Christ had conquered death, the Apostles preached throughout Jerusalem and beyond, knowing what their fate would be – death in this world, but eternal life in the next.

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How do we emulate such courage? Or what risks do we take to share our faith?

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On this feast of Saint Stanislaus, may he intercede for us that we, too, might offer ourselves entirely for Christ and his people.

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Image credits: (1) VividComm, WordPress (2) Daily Theology (3) faithsharer.com

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Acts 5:17-26

The high priest rose up and all his companions,
that is, the party of the Sadducees,
and, filled with jealousy,
laid hands upon the Apostles and put them in the public jail.
But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison,
led them out, and said,
“Go and take your place in the temple area,
and tell the people everything about this life.”
When they heard this,
they went to the temple early in the morning and taught.
When the high priest and his companions arrived,
they convened the Sanhedrin,
the full senate of the children of Israel,
and sent to the jail to have them brought in.
But the court officers who went did not find them in the prison,
so they came back and reported,
“We found the jail securely locked
and the guards stationed outside the doors,
but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”
When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report,
they were at a loss about them,
as to what this would come to.
Then someone came in and reported to them,
“The men whom you put in prison are in the temple area
and are teaching the people.”
Then the captain and the court officers went and brought them,
but without force,
because they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

The Word of the Lord.

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If you want to understand God, then look at nature.

There’s an invisible, persistent force in nature that is determined to thrive. Even in the harshest circumstances, life can be found.

I’ve seen trees growing on the side of a mountain face; flowers blossoming in tiny cracks on a sidewalk; cacti standing tall in the desert heat.

Nature never gives up. Wherever life is possible, growth springs up.

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The same idea is true with God. Wherever there is a heart open to faith, God shows up. The Spirit will not be stopped until disciples are made of “all nations.”

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In our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, the Sadducees have had the Apostles arrested for a second time. 

They thought this budding religious movement would’ve been squashed after they nailed Jesus to a tree. But reports are circulating that he’s been raised from the dead.

Making matters “worse,” the Apostles have somehow broken out of prison and are back in the Temple area preaching in Christ’s name, converting crowds by the thousands!

In spite of their best efforts, the Sadducees cannot prevent the Spirit from spreading the Good News. Before the first generation of Christians leaves this world, they will spread the Gospel message into Europe, to the far corners of the Middle East, and beyond.

Wherever belief is possible, God shows up.

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The same is true today. The Holy Spirit is determined to work through us, to make disciples in our homes, in our parish, and in the broader community. We don’t have to be perfect – only willing.

Like the Apostles, in what ways do we share our faith with others?

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God’s Spirit is like a force of nature, causing growth wherever it is possible. May he use our words and actions for his glory today.

Come, Holy Spirit!

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Image credits: (1) QuoteFancy (2) Reddit (3) Saint Peter Preaching in Jerusalem, Charles-Francois Pierson