17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Cycle B
2000

First Reading
2 King 4:42-44

A man came from Baal-shalishah bringing to Elisha, the man of God, twenty barley loaves made from the firstfruits, and fresh grain in the ear. "Give it to the people to eat," Elisha said. But his servant objected, "How can I set this before a hundred men?" "Give it to the people to eat," Elisha insisted. "For thus says the Lord, 'They shall eat and there shall be some left over.'" And when they had eaten, there was some left over, as the Lord had said.

Second Reading
Ephesians 4:1-6

I plead with you as a prisoner for the Lord, to live a life worthy of the calling you have received, with perfect humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another lovingly. Make every effort to preserve the unity which has the Spirit as its origin and peace as its binding force. There is but one body and one Spirit, just as there is but one hope given all of you by your call. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all, and works through all, and is in all.

Gospel
John 6:1-15

Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee [to the shore] of Tiberias; a vast crowd kept following him because they saw the signs he was performing for the sick. Jesus then went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near; when Jesus looked up and caught sight of a vast crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" (He knew well what he intended to do but he asked this to test Philip's response.) Philip replied, "Not even with two hundred days' wages could we buy loaves enough to give each of them a mouthful!" One of Jesus' disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, remarked to him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and a couple of dried fish, but what good is that for so many?" Jesus said, "Get the people to recline." Even though the men numbered about five thousand, there was plenty of grass for them to find a place on the ground. Jesus then took the loaves of bread, gave thanks, and passed them around to those reclining there; he did the same with the dried fish, as much as they wanted. When they had had enough, he told his disciples, "Gather up the crusts that are left over so that nothing will go to waste." At this, they gathered twelve baskets full of pieces left over by those who had been fed with the five barley loaves. When the people saw the sign he had performed they began to say, "This is undoubtedly the Prophet who is to come into the world." At that, Jesus realized that they would come and carry him off to make him king, so he fled back to the mountain alone.

Text from Lectionary for Mass
© 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine
© 1969 International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc.
All rights reserved

My Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

God wants to feed us and we doubt that He is able to do so. This is the clear message of the readings today. God provides for us all that we need.

Those of us who live in developed countries have much more than we need and those of us who live in the lesser developed countries often have very little. Those are realities that we must look at. Is God promising to provide all of our material needs? If not, then how does God take care of us?

In both the passage from the Book of Kings and in the Gospel there is a miracle in which enough physical food is provided. It seems clear from other passages in the Gospel, though, that Jesus realizes that people believe in him only because he does miracles and works signs. And Jesus tells them that they have misunderstood what He was doing. And we know that Jesus does not go about working miracles all the time.

The point of the miracles and signs is that God is at work. Jesus wants to point us to God. Jesus wants each of us to develop a living and deep relationship with our Father. Yes, miracles can happen, but the point is to have a relationship with our Father who loves us.

This Father who loves us does not free us from all suffering and pain in this life. We have only to think of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemani, when he asks that the cup of suffering be taken away, if that is possible. He also says: "Your will be done."

We are invited to share in the Divine Life. We are invited to live as Christ lived. Both of these invitations are an invitation to suffer so that the world may be redeemed. We don't always like the idea of suffering-and that is a very natural dislike. On the other hand, all the best things in life seem to cost us some suffering. To love anyone means that we must be willing to suffer for them.

The teachings of today's readings are clear: God will provide for us. Are we willing to accept what He will give us? Are we willing to accept any suffering that we must pass through in our growth in Divine Life? Let us ask that we may be worthy to share the cup of suffering with Christ and always know the love of our Father.

© 2000 The Monastery of Christ in the Desert