Daily Readings - Sun Jul 25 2021
2 Kings
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
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
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
The readings today invite us to reflect on trust in God's providence and the importance of unity in our communities. In the First Reading, Elisha, with unwavering faith, instructs his servant to feed a multitude with a seemingly insufficient supply of bread. Through obedience and trust, God's abundance is revealed, leaving plenty remaining. This miracle prefigures the Gospel, where Jesus feeds the 5000 with just five loaves and two fish, demonstrating His divine power and care for His people. Both stories highlight the transformative power of faith and trust in God's plan.
The Second Reading from Ephesians emphasizes the unity of the Spirit, urging believers to live humbly, patiently, and charitably, preserving the oneness that binds us. This unity is mirrored in the Gospel as the crowd comes together, united by their need and faith in Jesus. The leftovers from the feeding symbolize God's overflowing grace, reminding us that our efforts, though small, can yield abundant results when surrendered to Him.
In our daily lives, these readings encourage us to trust in God's provision, even when resources seem scarce, and to strive for unity in our communities. Just as the boy's humble offering became the source of abundance, our small acts of faith and love can have a profound impact. Let us embrace humility, patience, and charity, allowing God to work through us and bring people together in His name. Through faith and unity, we experience the richness of God's love and provision.