So let's talk about today's readings 7/26/09

[cheeto1]

usccb.org/nab/072609.shtml

“twenty barley loaves made from the firstfruits”
–Aren’t the “firstfruits” reserved for the tithe?
Was that man giving Elisha a tithe, since he was a man of God?

And connecting this with our gospel today, might they be saying that our
tithe is like our “loaves and fishes”?

In both readings, the “man of God” said “distribute it to the people”, and there
was some left over. I bet that wouldn’t have happened if say, the boy in the gospel
just decided on his own that he is going to distribute his own food. In both readings,
it was brought to the “man of God”, and that’s why the miracle happened.

“…urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received”
–Why is it so easy to say this to other people besides ourselves?

“The LORD is near to all who call upon Him,
to all who call upon him in truth.”
– how can you call upon Him in false?

Today is the day of St. Anne & Joachim. Thank you!

So what struck you about today’s readings? :bible1::twocents:

 

[roveau]

I had a difficult day yesterday before I went to 5 o’clock pm Mass and I fear I wasn’t paying as much attention as I should have. I didn’t quite grasp what the symbolism was of the story of the loaves and fishes. It’s important because there are two such stories in Matthew and plus it’s later again referred to in reference to a misunderstanding regarding the yeast of the Sadducees and the Pharisees. So the story must be more important than Christ performing public miracles?

Any other comments on the symbolism?

The priest did say he would continue on the story next week.

Rove

 

[cheeto1]

I had a difficult day yesterday before I went to 5 o’clock pm Mass and I fear I wasn’t paying as much attention as I should have. I didn’t quite grasp what the symbolism was of the story of the loaves and fishes. It’s important because there are two such stories in Matthew and plus it’s later again referred to in reference to a misunderstanding regarding the yeast of the Sadducees and the Pharisees. So the story must be more important than Christ performing public miracles?

Any other comments on the symbolism?

The priest did say he would continue on the story next week.

Rove

Yes He did perform the miracle twice. And yes, It’s very much more important than
Christ performing miracles in public. The people come after Him, looking for more
free food, and He tells them “I am the bread of life”, the most important words of all.

This week’s focus on giving what little we have to further God’s kingdom
here on earth, even though we see that it will not be enough, is a hard one to
follow for me. I always want to “keep my stuff”, including my time, unless I’m
sure a lot of good will come of it… And why did He have to take all that boy’s
food? Why didn’t He let him keep even a little for himself?

 

[bmadamsberry]

This week’s focus on giving what little we have to further God’s kingdom
here on earth, even though we see that it will not be enough, is a hard one to
follow for me. I always want to “keep my stuff”, including my time, unless I’m
sure a lot of good will come of it… And why did He have to take all that boy’s
food? Why didn’t He let him keep even a little for himself?

I think you’re right. The most important part is the fact that though the boy didn’t have enough for everyone, he gave anyway. So often we don’t want to give of our time or money to something, because we are overwhelmed by it. For example, we think “why should I give my time at the soup kitchen, when it’s only a drop in an ocean”. And it’s true, that anything we give or anything we do, whether it’s tithe, time, or money, is just a small drop in a much larger pool. But G-d takes our small attempts and our little money and multiplies it and uses it for his will. What if the boy didn’t give his food and kept it to himself? Sure, G-d can create bread out of nothing, but I doubt he would have wanted to. He wants to include us so much in his Divine Will and to inculde us in what he does. They collected 12 baskets from what was left over, and I’m pretty sure that some of it went to the little boy because of his unselfish gift, just like G-d gives to us more than what we give to him.