042 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings
Cycle B 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time2 Kings 4:42-44; Psalm 145; Ephesians 4:1-6; John 6:1:15
Homily Theme
Hunger
As we meditate the Liturgy of the Word this week, let us contemplate our need of food. In the first reading from the book of Kings, Elisha feeds the crowd with twenty-five barley loaves. In the Gospel story Jesus feeds a vast multitude with five barley loaves and two fish. In both cases hungry people are fed with a surplus of food left over. In the psalm response we will be reminded that the Lord feeds us and answers all our needs. Jesus supplies the crowd with a miraculous multiplication of bread and fish because He knows they need to be fed. He is concerned about their physical welfare. He knows that they hunger without food.
Try to imagine going several days without any food of any kind. There are millions of people in the world today who don’t have to imagine it they know what it feels like. They are starving and they need to be fed. Do you know of any such people who are starving here in our own nation? I do. They are those who never pray and worship God. They have hunger pains and they don’t know why they have them. We all know somebody like that. It could b somebody in your own family or among your friends. The great Saint Augustine tells us. You have made us for yourself Oh God and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.
The majority of people today do not pray daily to feed their souls. That is why there is so much crime and suffering among the people. They turn to God only when there is some tragedy: then they hunger for justice.
St. Mother Teresa was aware of the need for the people to be fed. She is well known for her care of the poorest of the poor. Now that she is with God in heaven her religious sisters continue to devote their entire energies to feed and assist the poorest of the poor. Mother Teresa reminded her sisters ‘let the people eat you up they need to be fed. Before .Mother Teresa said those now famous words, Jesus commanded it in John 6: He commanded us to eat Him up in a Holy Meal called the Mass. Without this meal we are the real the starving poor and we are they poorest of the poor also The vast majority of Catholics no longer come to Mass to receive the Eucharist. God in His infinite Mercy waits for us to come to receive Him in the Holy Eucharist that is why He shed His blood on the cross for each one of us. He loves each one of us and waits for us to come to be fed by Him. Will you bring a lost sheep to Mass with you next week who needs to be fed?
Invite him or her to go to confession also.
A Merciful Jesus will be waiting to satisfy their real hunger