Loving Father, You have prepared a table before us. May we recognize the unmerited gifts you have provided and always give thanks to You, through Your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever. Amen. 1st Reading: Ex 16:2-4, 12-15 Long before Janet Jackson sang, “What have you done for me lately,” people have been asking this question of God. From the beginning of time, we have been looking for signs and assurances from God that he will not abandon us. Perhaps the greatest evidence of this is found in the Books of Exodus and Numbers, where the Israelites always seem to grumble about God’s lack of presence in their time of need. Our First Reading gives us an example of their grumbling. Of course, as always, God hears their cry and provides a miracle. He showers them with hoarfrost (a thin, white, substance called Manna) in the morning and quail in the evening to satisfy their needs. Of course, this is a test for the Israelites who seem to have forgotten the previous miracles God had provided them; including the parting of the Red Sea. In essence, the Book of Exodus shows that it is not God who abandons his people. Rather the people have abandoned the Lord. Have you ever caught yourself questioning what God has done for you lately? 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2nd Reading: Ephesians 4:17, 20-24 When God called the people of Israel to himself, he expected a singleness of devotion and love for Him as He would have for them. Saint Paul expects the same attitude from Christians who claim to be one in Christ. For this reason, Saint Paul warns the Ephesians to avoid living “as the Gentiles do.” The former ways of the newly converted Ephesians should be “put away,” and they are expected to be renewed in the Spirit. As was the case for many Greek speaking cultures of their time, Ephesians lived as if this life was their only life worth living. Paul reminded that their new life in Christ was eternal and that they needed to “put on the new self.” Thus, they were not to be caught up in this world’s passing joys, but in the promise of the eternal joys of heaven. How are you achieving a singleness of love for God and avoiding the passing pleasures of this world? Christ in Our Neighborhood: Used with Permission Christ in Our Neighborhood Prayer Question Question Commentary Commentary Are you interested in receiving free commentaries for your own personal or group reflections throughout the year? Visit us at Christ in Our Neighborhood www.christ-ion.com You may wish to start your own Christ in Our Neighborhood group. Help other parishioners, friends, or family members become engaged in their faith. Visit our website today!
Transcript
Loving Father, You have prepared a table before us. May we recognize the unmerited gifts you have provided and always give thanks to You, through Your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever. Amen.
1st Reading: Ex 16:2-4, 12-15Long before Janet Jackson sang, “What have you done for me lately,” people have been asking this question of God.
From the beginning of time, we have been looking for signs and assurances from God that he will not abandon us. Perhaps the greatest evidence of this is found in the Books of Exodus and Numbers, where the Israelites always seem to grumble about God’s lack of presence in their time of need.
Our First Reading gives us an example of their grumbling. Of course, as always, God hears their cry and provides a miracle. He showers them with hoarfrost (a thin, white, substance called Manna) in the morning and quail in the evening to satisfy their needs.
Of course, this is a test for the Israelites who seem to have forgotten the previous miracles God had provided them; including the parting of the Red Sea. In essence, the Book of Exodus shows that it is not God who abandons his people. Rather the people have abandoned the Lord.
Have you ever caught yourself questioning what God has done for you lately?
18th Sundayin
Ordinary Time
2nd Reading: Ephesians 4:17, 20-24
When God called the people of Israel to himself, he expected a singleness of devotion and love for Him as He would have
for them. Saint Paul expects the same attitude from Christians who claim to be one in Christ.
For this reason, Saint Paul warns the Ephesians to avoid living “as the Gentiles do.” The former ways of the newly converted Ephesians should be “put away,” and they are expected to be renewed in the Spirit.
As was the case for many Greek speaking cultures of their time, Ephesians lived as if this life was their only life worth living. Paul reminded that their new life in Christ was eternal and that they needed to “put on the new self.” Thus, they were not to be caught up in this world’s passing joys, but in the promise of the eternal joys of heaven.
How are you achieving a singleness of love for God and avoiding the passing pleasures of this world?
Christ in Our Neighborhood: Used with Permission
Christ in Our Neighborhood
Prayer
Question
Question
Commentary
Commentary
Are you interested in receiving freecommentaries for your own personal
or group reflections throughout the year?
Visit us at Christ in Our Neighborhood www.christ-ion.com
You may wish to start your own Christ in Our Neighborhood group. Help other parishioners, friends, or family members become engaged in
their faith. Visit our website today!
The leader guides the group with this prayer from a Hymn by Robert E. Kreutz: Gift of Finest Wheat.
All: You satisfy the hungry heart with gift of finest wheat, Come give to us, O saving Lord, the bread of life to eat.
Leader:As when the shepherd calls his sheep, They know and heed his voice; So when You call Your family, Lord, We follow and rejoice.
All: Chorus
Leader:You give yourself to us, O Lord, Then selfless let us be, To serve each other in Your name In truth and charity.
The prayer continues with Psalm 78
Response: The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
What we have heard and know,and what our fathers have declared to us,We will declare to the generation to comethe glorious deeds of the LORD and his strengthand the wonders that he wrought.
R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
He commanded the skies aboveand opened the doors of heaven;he rained manna upon them for foodand gave them heavenly bread.
R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
Man ate the bread of angels,food he sent them in abundance.And he brought them to his holy land,to the mountains his right hand had won.
R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
Conclude with an Our Father
Gospel: John 6:24-35
The Israelites in Exodus were no different than the Ephesians in the Second Reading. They lost their singleness of devotion toward God. Because of this, they would only follow God if the Lord would provide miracles. We find the same theme in this week’s Gospel.
After being fed by the Lord, the crowd seeks Jesus’ out to be fed again. Chasing miracles can be a bad habit and Jesus wants to relieve them from their addiction. He tells them not to seek after food for a day, but for bread that will last forever. He wants to give himself to them. He would be their Bread of Life so that whoever comes to him, “will never hunger” and “never thirst.”
Ever time we gather on Sunday, we are invited to the Banquet of the Lord. In his General Audience in Rome (2/5/14), Pope Francis said, “Go to Mass, not just to pray, but to receive Communion, the bread that is the Body of Jesus Christ who saves us, forgives us, unites us to the Father. It is a beautiful thing to do!”
The challenge lies before us: Are we satisfied with what is found at the Banquet of the Lord or do we want to eat from other tables that do not satisfy?
Are you a person who needs daily assurance that God is with you? Are you able to trust in Christ who satisfies your every hunger?
Make it your aim to get to church early this Sunday. Try to get there 15-20 minutes before Mass.
Life is noisy. We need time to quiet ourselves in order to enjoy the beauty of the Banquet of the Lord.
“I amthe
bread of life;whoever
comesto me
will neverhunger.”
Prayer
Psalm
For more information, visit Christ in Our Neighborhood at WWW.CHRIST-ION.COM
This Week’s Task
Question
Commentary
Oración
Padre amoroso, has preparado una mesa para
nosotros. Que podamos reconocer los regalos
inmerecidos que nos has proporcionado y siempre
darte gracias, a través de Tu Hijo, Jesucristo, que vive
y reina contigo y el Espíritu Santo, un solo Dios, por
los siglos de los siglos. Amén.
Comentario
1ra lectura: Éxodo 16: 2-4, 12-15
Mucho antes de que Janet Jackson cantara, "¿Qué has
hecho por mi últimamente," la gente ha estado
haciendo esta pregunta de Dios.
Desde el principio de los tiempos, hemos estado
buscando señales y garantías de parte de Dios de que
no nos abandonará. Quizás la mayor evidencia de
esto se encuentra en los Libros de Éxodo y Números,
donde los israelitas siempre parecen quejarse sobre la
falta de presencia de Dios en su tiempo de necesidad.
Nuestra Primera lectura nos da un ejemplo de sus
quejas. Por supuesto, como siempre, Dios oye su
llanto y hace un milagro. Él hace que les lluvia la
escarcha (una blanca y delgada sustancia llamada
Maná) en la mañana y la codorniz en la tarde para
satisfacer sus necesidades.
Por supuesto, esta es una prueba para los Israelitas
que parecen haber olvidado los milagros previos que
Dios les había dado; incluido la partida de las aguas
del Mar Rojo. En esencia, el Libro de Éxodo muestra
que no es Dios quien abandona su gente. Más bien, la
gente ha abandonado al Señor.
Preguntas
¿Alguna vez te has sorprendido preguntándote qué ha
hecho Dios por ti últimamente?
Comentario
2da lectura: Efesios 4:17, 20-24
Cuando Dios llamó al pueblo de Israel para él mismo,
esperaba una devoción singular y amor por Él como
Él tendría para ellos. San Pablo espera la misma
actitud de Cristianos que dicen ser uno en Cristo.
Por esta razón, San Pablo advierte a los Efesios para
evitar vivir "como los paganos." Las maneras de ser
anteriores de los recién convertidos Efesios deben ser
"abandonados", y se espera que sean renovados en el
Espíritu.
Como fue el caso de muchas culturas de Habla Griega
de su tiempo, los Efesios vivieron como si esta vida
fuera la única vida que vale la pena vivir. Pablo les
recordó que su nueva vida en Cristo era eterna y que
necesitaban revistirse "del nuevo yo." Por lo tanto, no
debían ser atrapados en las alegrías de este mundo,
pero en la promesa de las alegrías eternas del cielo.
Preguntas
¿Cómo estás logrando una singularidad de amor por
Dios y evitando los placeres pasajeros de este mundo?
Siéntate libre para descargar comentarios
semanales para este serie del Banquete del Señor
en
Cristo en nuestro vecindario
www.christ-ion.com
Quizás deseas comenzar tu propio grupo de Cristo
en Nuestro Vecindario. Ayuda a otros miembros
de tu Parroquia, amigos o miembros de la familia
ser comprometidos con su fe. ¡Visita nuestro sitio
