Thursday, April 27, 2006
Friday 2nd week of Easter
April 28, 2006
Friday 2nd week of Easter - Yr II
ACTS 5:34-42
A Pharisee in the Sanhedrin named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law,
respected by all the people, stood up, ordered the Apostles to be put
outside for a short time, and said to the Sanhedrin, "Fellow children
of Israel, be careful what you are about to do to these men. Some time
ago, Theudas appeared, claiming to be someone important, and about four
hundred men joined him, but he was killed, and all those who were loyal
to him were disbanded and came to nothing. After him came Judas the
Galilean at the time of the census. He also drew people after him, but
he too perished and all who were loyal to him were scattered. So now I
tell you, have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. For if
this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy
itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them;
you may even find yourselves fighting against God." They were persuaded
by him. After recalling the Apostles, they had them flogged, ordered
them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them. So they
left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found
worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. And all day long,
both at the temple and in their homes, they did not stop teaching and
proclaiming the Christ, Jesus.
JOHN 6:1-15
Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him,
because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up
on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish
feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a
large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, "Where can we buy
enough food for them to eat?" He said this to test him, because he
himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, "Two hundred
days' wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have
a little." One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two
fish; but what good are these for so many?" Jesus said, "Have the
people recline." Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So
the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Then Jesus took the
loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining,
and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their
fill, he said to his disciples, "Gather the fragments left over, so
that nothing will be wasted." So they collected them, and filled twelve
wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been
more than they could eat. When the people saw the sign he had done,
they said, "This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the
world." Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off
to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.
REFLECTION
In today's Gospel, a vast crowd follows Jesus "because they saw the
signs he was performing for the sick." Then, after he feeds this vast
assemblage of people with bread and fish, they want to make him King.
But Jesus rejects their overtures. Why?
What the people wanted was in itself good. That the sick should be
cured is obviously a good, worthy of pursuit. And to make Jesus King
would be simply to recognize him for what he was. Why then did Jesus
reject the people's desires? Clearly because their motivation was
selfish. They wanted the benefits of Jesus' miraculous powers and
showed little enthusiasm for Jesus' teachings, for what he believed in
and stood for.
Perhaps we should reflect on our reactions when the Lord does not grant
us a favor we have been praying for very sincerely. Is our reaction a
complex of anger, annoyance, disappointment and hurt? Are we like the
politician whose only interest in religion is his own personal gain? Or
are we like the crowd who followed Jesus in the desert, interested in
the benefits from his teachings but not interested in the demands his
teachings make on us? The ultimate question is: Do I love the Lord
because of what he can give me, or for himself and for his goodness?
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray ...
- for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.
- may the Holy Spirit guide David on his discernment.
- for the speedy recovery of Ester.
- for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- for world peace and reconciliation.
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our
prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.
Have a good day!
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� 2006 Daily-Homily
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