Jul-25 Liturgical Study Seventeenth Sunday

 

Seventeenth Sunday

Opening prayer

Lord open our eyes that we may see you in our brothers and sisters.

Lord open our ears that we may hear the cries of the hungry, the cold, the frightened, te oppressed

Lord open our hearts that we may love each other as you love us

Renew in us your Spirit Lord, free us and make us one in you

Amen.

2 Kings 4:42-44

​​The two books of Kings, which conclude Deuteronomy, present a 400 year historical period of ancient Israel and Judah, from the death of King David to the return from imprisonment in Babylon.

Both Elijah and Elisha were major prophets of the Old Testament testifying for Yahweh against the Canaanite God Baal. Elijah was told in a dream that Elisha, a mere farmer, was to be his successor. Elisha leaves his home and follows his mentor Elijah. He also watches as Elijah is taken up to heaven in a chariot. Elisha is connected with 5 miracles and symbolic acts concerned with food. 

For the first miracle, Elisha is able to give security to a widow in distress because she cannot pay her debts, thereby running the risk of her two sons being sold as slaves. Eisha multiplied her small jar of oil till it filled all the vessels needed to repay her debt (2 Kings 4:1-7). 

The second miracle concerns Elisha’s prophecy that a childless Shunammite couple who showed him great hospitality would have a child (4:8-17). 

The third miracle depicts the curing of an enemy army commander Naaman from leprosy (4:18-37). 

The next 2 miracles happen at a time of great scarcity and famine. In the fourth miracle, Elisha successfully detoxified a pot of stew that had been rendered poisonous, for his group of prophets (4:38-41). 

The fifth miracle is the subject of the first reading, and is about Elisha’s ability to feed a hundred people with what seems to be a scarce provision (4:42-44). Interestingly the offering of first fruits is made not to a priest/Levite but to Elisha. When ordinary people see insufficient, Elisha sees God's magnanimity.

Psalm 145

Psalm 145, titled, "A praise of David", is indeed a monumental psalm of praise, summarizing all that David had learned about God during a long lifetime of following his command. In Jewish practice this psalm is recited twice in the morning and once in the evening service. The Talmud commends all who repeat it three times a day as having a share in the world to come.

Ephesians 4:1-6

Ephesus at the time of Christ was a bustling port city where the Aegean Sea met the estuary of the river Kaystros. Today the ruins are located near the western shores of modern-day Turkey near Izmir. 

According to one tradition linked to the 19th century visions of Anne Catherine Emmerich, a bedridden Augustinian nun in Germany, Mary went to a place near Ephesus under the protection of the apostle John,  and stayed there until she was assumed into heaven. Another tradition holds that Mother Mary lived her life out in Jerusalem.

In Ephesians 1-3, St Paul has stressed upon the reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles, divided in their social and religious beliefs but equal in the eyes of God brought to salvation by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Chapter 4, St Paul goes on to stress the "oneness" of this faith. He uses the word "one" no less than seven times. The Church of Christ, today likewise is fractured and divided. What can each of us take away from St Paul's letter to the Ephesians, if he were talking to us today for all to believe in one and the same God.

John 6:1-15

The miracle of the 5 loaves and 2 fish to feed the 5,000+ followers is found in all four Gospels. The 3 synoptic Gospels: Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:30-44, and Luke 9:10-17 mention it as a singular event

But John uses a series of miracles as signs to establish that Jesus is indeed the Messiah. 

The first sign was when Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding at Cana (2:21). The second was when Jesus healed the official’s son from a fever in Capernaum (4:46). The third was when Jesus healed the lame man by the pool in Bethesda (5:5). 

By now large crowds were following Jesus looking for signs to see if Jesus was the King promised to lead Israel to glory. For some, the miracles demanded that Jesus be made King. For Jesus, it was a threshold to prayer, an invitation to spend time with God. It was close to the Passover and Jesus was trying to get some solitude to pray but the crowd followed him. Jesus knew he had to tend to his flock. He also knew what he would do, but he tests Philip's faith. For John, this banquet is a symbol of the desire of Jesus to share himself with all of us, the Word of God and the bread of life. There is no limit to what Jesus wants to share with us. God expects us to come to the aid of one another, and to share what little we have.

Closing prayer

In the sharing of the Loaves and Fishes

You gave us an image of solidarity with the hungry, O Lord.

Sharing yourself in the bread and wine,

You called all to the table, O Lord.

Give us the hunger to be a part of the feeding

And the healing of this world.

Nourish us with your Grace,

So we may work with joy to serve your children.

Open our eyes and our hearts

To recognize those in poverty

And increase our awareness 

Of the structures and systems

That need to be changed 

So we may all break bread together.

In your name we pray for the end of hunger.

Our Father - Hail Mary - Holy Mary - Glory Be