He was making a joyful farewell to his family, full of hope . . . Sunday Reflections, 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

 

Santo Niño Church, Lianga, Surigao del Sur, Philippines

Photo by Benjie Otagan

Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland)

Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)

Gospel  John 6:41-51 (English Standard Version, Anglicised)  

So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live for ever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

Léachtaí i nGaeilge

The Prophet Elijah in the Desert

Dieric Bouts the Elder [Web Gallery of Art]

And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God. (1 Kings 19:7-8; First Reading).

Early in 1994, when I was parish priest in Lianga in the Diocese of Tandag, which covers the province of Surigao del Sur on the east coast of Mindanao, one of our volunteer catechists came to me on a Saturday afternoon and told me that her father, who was gravely ill, had asked to receive 'the Bread of Life'. I discovered that Mario, as I'll call him, had been married three times, having been widowed twice. 

When I arrived at the house there were children from his three marriages there, many of them with their own children. There was a palpable sense of joy in the home and Mario was fully alert. After hearing his confession I invited his family to join us as we celebrated the Sacrament of the Sick before giving him Holy Communion. 

After a period of silence and the closing prayers of the rite I asked those closest to their father/grandfather to place their hands on him. My idea was that we would have some spontaneous prayer. However, Mario changed this into something far more beautiful. He took his youngest grandchild, only a few months old, into his arms, embraced and kissed the child. Then he embraced and kissed each of his children and grandchildren. Almost everyone, particularly Mario himself, was aware that he had not long to live. He was making a joyful farewell to his family, full of hope because he had received God's forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation followed by the nourishment of God himself in the Bread of Life.

In the First Reading an angel wakes up the weary prophet Elijah twice with the command Arise and eat. On this occasion Mario's family in effect said the same to me, even though I wasn't weary like Elijah, as they had prepared a snack for me, which is not usual when the priest makes a sick call. However, on this occasion I thought it truly right and just as the joy of the Lord was clearly evident in Mario and his family. He knew that the journey would not be too great for him.

Mario died peacefully that night.

The bread that I will give, says the Lord, is my flesh for the life of the world (Cf John 6:51, Communion Antiphon).

Céad Míle Fáilte Romhat, a Íosa 

Sung by Pueri Cantores

This is a traditional hymn in the Irish language, often sung during Communion at Mass and also at Christmas.

A Hundred Thousand Welcomes, Jesus

A hundred  thousand welcomes, Jesus, Jesus; / a hundred thousand welcomes, Jesus. / A hundred thousand welcomes, [our] Saviour; / a hundred thousand thousand welcomes, Jesus, Jesus.

Glory and praise to you, Jesus, Jesus; / glory and praise to you, Jesus. / Glory and praise to you [our[ Saviour; / glory, praise and thanks to you, Jesus, Jesus.

Traditional Latin Mass 

Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost 

The Complete Mass in Latin and English is here. (Adjust the date at the top of that page to 08-11-2022 if necessary).

Epistle: 2 Corinthian2 3:4-9.  Gospel: Luke 10:23-37.

The Good Samaritan (after Delacroix)

Vincent van Gogh [Web Gallery of Art]

But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion (Luke 10:33; Gospel).