One another, Sunday19B

August 11, 2024

1Kings 19:4-8; Psalm 34 (33); Ephesians 4:30-5:2; John 6:41-51

The goodness of God has been revealed to us in so many ways: in the wonders of creation and in creation’s re-creation in the Risen Christ. With confidence, then, let us pray:

For our Church and parish family, that we may become a community of compassion and forgiveness: let us pray to the Lord.

For Pope N., Bishop N., Father N., and for all who serve the Church, that they may lead us in the way of love taught by Christ: let us pray to the Lord.

For the nations and governments of the world, that, in their laws and public policies, they may uphold the sacred character and dignity of every member of the human family: let us pray to the Lord.

For those who shelter the homeless, feed the hungry, and counsel the grieving and troubled, that God may teach us through their example: let us pray to the lord.

For those fighting to overcome illness or addiction, that Christ will be with them on their difficult journeys: let us pray to the Lord.

For the faithful who have died [especially _________], that the everlasting life of the Risen Christ: let us pray to the Lord.

For the prayers we now offer in the silence of our hearts [Pause...]: let us pray to the Lord.

Bread of heaven, Spirit of life, hear these prayers of ours. As you have become bred of us, make us bread for one another; as your Spirit enlivens us with your love and peace, make us be love and peace for one another. We offer these prayers in the name of the Jesus, the Bread of Heaven, the Risen Christ.

References

-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2024bj, August 11). Nineteenth Sunday in ordinary time. USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081124.cfm

-Cormier, J. (1995). Lord, Hear Our Prayer: Prayer of the Faithful for Sundays, Holy Days, and Ritual Masses.

The Word today, W19B

August 12 - August 17, 2024

Monday 12 August

St Jane Frances de Chantal, religious; St Muredach, bishop; St Attracta, virgin; St Lelia, virgin.

Ezekiel 1:2-5, 24-28 For the next two weeks, we hear from the extraordinary book of the prophet Ezekiel. Some of the most beguiling and upsetting passages in the Old Testament come from his pen. Our reading of Ezekiel begins today with the story of his calling as a prophet.

Matthew 17:22-27 Jesus’ own real freedom in relation to civil authorities is wittily reflected in this rather legendary story.

Tuesday 13 August

Sts Pontian, bishop of Rome, and Hippolytus, Priest, martyrs; St Fachtna, bishop

Ezekiel 2:8-3:4 In a very graphic way, the function or role of a prophet is illustrated. The prophet must ingest and digest the message and only then may he or she speak.

Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14 Familiarity can blunt our appreciation of biblical imagery. In this case, a child is as symbol of powerlessness rather than innocence. In the case of the shepherd, it against common sense to abandon ninety-nine is search of just one.

Wednesday 14 August

St Maximilian Kolbe, religious, priest, martyr.

Ezekiel 9:1-7, 10:18-22 Ezekiel lived at a time of tremendous unfaithfulness. The story we read today is not meant as a description of something which actually happened but rather a warning, even a threat that people should reform their lives. Ezekiel is always aware of God as mystery, greater than our words, our minds and our heart.

Matthew 18:15-20 In this Gospel we are overhearing practices developed in the community of Matthew, most likely centred in Antioch. What to do with people who “stray”? The procedure is in several stages, following common sensitivity and biblical precedent.

Thursday 15 August

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Apocalypse 11:19, 12:1-6, 10 This unusual reading is really about the motherhood of the church and the martyrdom of early Christians. By an accommodated interpretation, it is read for the feast.

1 Corinthians 15:20-26 Our text is really a good example of Christian apocalyptic. One of the concerns of apocalyptic writings was the sequence of the end or when we will see the total victory over death. Paul believed in this, but knew it was not yet.

Luke 1:39-56 The prayer of Mary can still cause surprise because it is not about having a baby but about social reversal or revolution. We overhear in these words the prayer of the Christian anawim YHWH or the poor of the Lord.

Friday 16 August

St Stephen of Hungary

Ezekiel 16:1-15, 60, 63 In the Old Testament, marriage symbolism is used frequently for God’s relationship with his people. Partly, this is because the word covenant and (marriage) bond are identical in Hebrew. In today’s reading, Ezekiel—never short of a word —exploits the metaphor to reawaken the people’s original love for God.

Matthew 19:3-12 This important passage goes back to Jesus himself. He upholds the ideal of life-long marriage.

Saturday 17 August

Our Lady of Knock.

Ezekiel 18:1-10,13, 30-32 If we listened carefully to this reading it is extraordinary. It move from the traditional collective and generational guilt to individual responsibility. It thus fits in with the Axial Age, observed by Karl Jaspers, when humanity underwent a change of consciousness.

Matthew 19:13-15 It might be reassuring that the disciples got in the way so early!! Jesus corrected them and received the little children. Perhaps today we still stand in need such re-orientation…

References

-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2024bj, August 11). Nineteenth Sunday in ordinary time. USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081124.cfm

-Sunday readings. (n.d.-s). Hearers of the Word. https://www.tarsus.ie/SundayReadings/

SOCL, Sunday19B

Sunday August 11, 2024

See

The concept of "eternal life" often brings to mind visions of an afterlife that may feel far-off and theoretical. However, the Gospel of John, in which the term is mentioned a total of seventeen times, provides a fresh and unique viewpoint on this matter. The ultimate mention of this phrase in John 17:2 hints at the idea that eternal life is not solely a future prospect but rather a profound quality of connection that commences in the here and now. This connection is characterized as unbreakable in Hebrews 7:16, suggesting that it surpasses the confines of our earthly lives and experiences.

Listen

1Kings 19:4-8; Psalm 34 (33); Ephesians 4:30-5:2; John 6:41-51

Reflect

(John 6:41-51)

-Jesus gave the disciples a share in his Faith is reasonable but we cannot reason our way into faith. We have to be ‘drawn by the Father’. We have to be ‘taught by God’. What opens your mind and heart to God’s message?

-One thing which closes our minds to what another is saying is when we label them disparagingly, as the Jews did to Jesus. Have you ever had the experience of being surprised by the wisdom of another when you laid aside your prejudices about her/him to listen to what s/ he was saying?

-‘No one has ever seen the Father except the one who is from God’. As Jesus put a human face on God and God’s love, so God’s love for us today is mediated through one another. How have other people been sacraments of God’s love for you?

-The way in which Jesus became a source of life for us was by giving himself. It is when we truly give ourselves that we can be life-giving to one another. If we do not give of ourselves, what do we have to offer? How have you discovered the importance of self-giving, in yourself or in others?

Pray

God our Father and provider, whose Son has given his flesh for the life of the world, sustain your pilgrim Church on its journey with the word of life and the bread of heaven. Draw us nearer to him in whose name we gather, that, following his way of sacrificial love, we may come to the banquet of eternal life. Grant this through your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

References

Taste and See the Goodness of the Lord