Daily Readings - Sun Jul 29 2018

⁴²Now a certain man arrived from Baal-Shalishah, carrying, for the man of God, bread from the first-fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and new grain in his satchel. But he said, "Give it to the people, so that they may eat.⁴³And his servant responded to him, "What amount is this, that I should set it before a hundred men?" But he said again: "Give it to the people, so that they may eat. For thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat, and there shall be still more.’ ⁴⁴And so, he set it before them. And they ate, and there was still more, in accord with the word of the Lord

Ephesians

Chapter 4

¹And so, as a prisoner in the Lord, I beg you to walk in a manner worthy of the vocation to which you have been called²with all humility and meekness, with patience, supporting one another in charity³Be anxious to preserve the unity of the Spirit within the bonds of peace⁴One body and one Spirit: to this you have been called by the one hope of your calling⁵one Lord, one faith, one baptism⁶one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all

John

Chapter 6

¹After these things, Jesus traveled across the sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias²And a great multitude was following him, for they saw the signs that he was accomplishing toward those who were infirm³Therefore, Jesus went onto a mountain, and he sat down there with his disciples⁴Now the Passover, the feast day of the Jews, was near⁵And so, when Jesus had lifted up his eyes and had seen that a very great multitude came to him, he said to Philip, "From where should we buy bread, so that these may eat?⁶But he said this to test him. For he himself knew what he would do⁷Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii of bread would not be sufficient for each of them to receive even a little.⁸One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him⁹"There is a certain boy here, who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are these among so many?¹⁰Then Jesus said, "Have the men sit down to eat." Now, there was much grass in that place. And so the men, in number about five thousand, sat down to eat¹¹Therefore, Jesus took the bread, and when he had given thanks, he distributed it to those who were sitting down to eat; similarly also, from the fish, as much as they wanted¹²Then, when they were filled, he said to his disciples, "Gather the fragments that are left over, lest they be lost.¹³And so they gathered, and they filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which were left over from those who had eaten¹⁴Therefore, those men, when they had seen that Jesus had accomplished a sign, they said, "Truly, this one is the Prophet who is to come into the world.¹⁵And so, when he realized that they were going to come and take him away and make him king, Jesus fled back to the mountain, by himself alone

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter powerful themes of faith, abundance, and unity, each woven together by the thread of trust in God's providence. The first reading from 2 Kings presents Elisha, a prophet who, despite the servant's doubt, trusts in God's abundance. The meager offerings of bread are not only sufficient but leave leftovers, illustrating that faith in God's provision can surpass human expectations. The second reading from Ephesians shifts focus to the unity of the Church, urging believers to live with humility and patience. Paul emphasizes that there is one body and one Spirit, highlighting the importance of harmony among Christians. This unity is not just a ideal but a reflection of our shared faith and calling. In the Gospel, John recounts the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000, where Jesus transforms a boy's humble offerings into a feast for thousands. This miracle is a testament to Jesus's divine care and the power of gratitude and generosity. It reminds us that even our meager resources can be more than enough when placed in God's hands. These readings invite us to reflect on our own lives. Like Elisha and Jesus, we are called to trust in God's abundance, even when faced with doubt or scarcity. We are also reminded of the importance of unity and humility within our communities. Let us embrace these teachings by living with faith, generosity, and a commitment to harmony, trusting that God will multiply our efforts and sustain us in all we do.