18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 1, 1999
Reading I: Isaiah 55:1-3 II: Romans 8:35,37-39
Gospel
Matthew 14:13-21

13 Now when Jesus heard [of the death of John the Baptizer], he withdrew from there in a boat to a lonely place apart. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.
14 As he went ashore he saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick.
15 When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a lonely place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves."
16 Jesus said, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat."
17 They said to him, "We have only five loaves here and two fish."
18 And he said, "Bring them here to me."
19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass; and taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.
20 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over.
21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.


Interesting Details
One Main Point

Jesus fed the people. Compare the two feasts. King Herod Antipas dined on delicacies with a chosen few in his stately palace, and beheaded John the Baptist to reward a dancer (Mt 14:3-12, the preceding passage). King Jesus used simple food to feed anyone who followed him to a deserted area, and everyone was healed and satisfied.


Reflections
  1. What am I at the feast? A sick person to be healed, a follower to be fed, a disciple working with Jesus to feed the people, a bystander, or someone else? Or, am I a prince at Herod's birthday party instead?
  2. What nourishes my life? My work, my achievement, my family, my money, grace from God, or what? Am I well-fed and satisfied, or malnourished and frustrated?
  3. What can I do to stay close to the source of my nourishment, and to help Jesus feed people around me?

Enter Reader's Response or View Reader's Response this week
A synthesis by the Vietnamese Christian Life (Dong Hanh) Community

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