Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland)
Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)
Gospel John 6:1-15 (English Standard Version, Anglicised)
After this Jesus went away to the other side
of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a
large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on
the sick. Jesus
went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the
Jews, was at hand. Lifting
up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming towards him, Jesus
said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so
that these people may eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would
do. Philip answered
him, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to
get a little.” One
of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has
five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” Jesus said, “Make
the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in
the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus
then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to
those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told
his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments,
that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with
fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign that he had
done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into
the world!”
Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
St Alberto Hurtado SJ is a man who took today's gospel very seriously, He established the first Hogar de Cristo, Home of Christ, in Chile in 1944 to care for the many in Santiago who were homeless or had little to eat. There are now many such homes, not only in Chile and in other countries in South America but in the USA. Canonised in 2005 by Pope Benedict, he is still venerated in Chile as he was loved in his lifetime by the simple title of 'Padre Hurtado'.
He can speak to us with authority, as he does in this meditation he gave many years ago. His reference to the Venerable Matt Talbot comes from the time he spent in Dublin learning English.
The Multiplication of the Loaves
Meditation during a retreat on the gift of self and cooperation.
Indecision, faintheartedness is the great obstacle in the plan of cooperation. We think: 'I’m not worth all that much', and from this comes discouragement: 'It makes no difference whether I act or fail to act. Our powers of action are so limited. Is my unpretentious work worthwhile? Does my abstaining from this have any meaning? If I fail to sacrifice myself nothing changes. No one needs me . . . A mediocre vocation?' How many vocations are lost. It is the advice of the devil that is partly true. The difficulty must be faced.
The solution
Five thousand men along with women and children have been hungry for three days . . . Food? They would need at least 200 denarii to feed them and this is the approximate yearly salary of a labourer.
In the desert! 'Tell them to go!' But Andrew, more observant says: 'There are five loaves and two fish, but what are these among so many?' Here we have our same problem: the disproportion.
And the loaves. Made of barley, hard as rocks (the Jews used wheat). And the fish. They were from the lake, small, rather mushy in texture, carried by a young boy in a sack that had lain on the ground for three days in the heat . . . not much of a solution.
Did the Lord despise this offering? No, and with his blessing he fed all the hungry and had leftovers. Neither did he despise the leftovers: twelve baskets of the surplus were gathered, fish heads and bones, but even this he valued.
The young boy consented to give Christ his poor offering, not realizing that he would feed the multitude. He believed that he had lost his small possession but he found instead that there was even a surplus and that he had cooperated for the good of the others.
And me . . . like those fish (less than those loaves) bruised and perhaps decomposing but in the hands of Christ my action may have a divine scope, a divine reach.
Remember Ignatius, Augustine, Camillus de Lellis, and Matt Talbot, base sinners whose lives were converted into spiritual nourishment for millions who will continue to feed on their witness.
My actions and my desires can have a divine scope and can change the face of the earth. I will not know it, the fish did not know it either. I can do a great deal if I remain in Christ; I can accomplish much if I cooperate with Christ . .
Ó Aithrí an Reachtaraigh / from Raftery’s Repentance
Le / by Antoine Raiftearaí
A Rí na Glóire atá lán de ghrása, / is tú a rinne beoir is fíon den uisce; / le beagán aráin do riar Tú and sló; / Och! Freastail fóir agus slánaigh mise.
O King of Glory full of grace, / You made beer and wine from water; / With a little bread you provided for the multitude; / Oh! Attend to, help and save me.
Raiftearaí (1779 – 1835) was one of the last of the wandering Irish bards. He was the youngest of nine children. Some time between 1785 and 1788 all except Antoine died at the same time from smallpox and he became blind. His poetry was in Irish, though not written down when composed. The poem from which the stanza above is taken shows a knowledge of Scripture, including a familiarity with today's Gospel, along with a deep faith in God's mercy and that of our Blessed Mother and an awareness that his life was drawing to a close. He died on Christmas Day 1835. His surname, which has a number of variations in Irish, is usually Anglicised as 'Raftery'.
Traditional Latin Mass
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
The Complete Mass in Latin and English is here. (Adjust the date at the top of that page to 07-28-2022 if necessary).
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 12:2-11. Gospel: Luke 18:9-14.
