SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Gospel: Jn 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.
SHARING GOD’S GIFTS WITH OTHERS: All the gifts which God has given us are for the good of all. Elisha’s generosity made the twenty barley loaves to be enough to feed a hundred people and some were left over after each person has had enough. Similarly, the generosity of the boy who had five barley loaves and two fish was blessed by Jesus, and the result of the blessings was that it was enough to feed over five thousand people and an excess of twelve baskets. As a result, the people wanted to make Jesus a king but he ran away because it was contradicting his calling. Paul reminds us to make our calling sure in humility. When each one serves without losing the purpose of his calling there is unity in the church which is the body of Christ.
PRAYER: Lord, help me to use all that you have given me in a manner that is pleasing to you.
DAILY GOSPEL 