DAILY- HOMILY

April 17, 2015 FRIDAY, 2nd Week of Easter

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Acts 5:34 – 42 / Jn 6:1 - 15

Reading: Acts 5:34 – 42

     But one of them, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law highly respected by the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin. He ordered the men to be taken outside for a few minutes and then he spoke to the assembly.

     "Fellow Israelites, consider well what you intend to do to these men. For some time ago Theudas came forward, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. But he was killed and all his followers were dispersed or disappeared. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared at the time of the census and persuaded many people to follow him. But he too perished and his whole following was scattered. So, in this present case, I advise you to have nothing to do with these men. Leave them alone. If their project or activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. If, on the other hand, it is from God, you will not be able to destroy it and you may indeed find yourselves fighting against God."

     The Council let themselves be persuaded. They called in the apostles and had them whipped, and ordered them not to speak again of Jesus Savior. Then they set them free.

     The apostles went out from the Council rejoicing that they were considered worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of the Name. Day after day, both in the Temple and in people's homes, they continued to teach and to proclaim that Jesus was the Messiah.

Gospel: Jn 6:1 - 15

     After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, near Tiberias,  and large crowds followed him because of the miraculous signs they saw when he healed the sick. . . .    

     Then lifting up his eyes, Jesus saw the crowds that were coming to him and said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread so that these people may eat?" He said this to test Philip, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, "Two hundred silver coins would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a piece." 

     Then one of Jesus' disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?"  

     Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." There was plenty of grass there so the people, about five thousand men, sat down to rest.  Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks and distributed them to those who were seated. He did the same with the fish and gave them as much as they wanted. . . .

     When the people saw this sign that Jesus had just given, they said, "This is really the Prophet, he who is to come into the world." Jesus realized that they would come and take him by force to make him king; so he fled to the hills by himself.

Reflection:

     After they had eaten, the people were so happy and wanted Jesus to be made their king.  It made sense. Imagine a person who could multiply bread and fish. This was the end of poverty, of starvation, of hunger. There would be no need for planting crops or fishing for food anymore. Here was a person who could miraculously provide food!    

     But Christ shunned away from this type of glory and politics. Christ's mission was neither to eradicate poverty completely nor merely solve human problems. He was here for a greater mission, and the danger was that people did not understand this greater and higher mission. They simply dwelled on the problem of food, their physical and material needs.  

     Jesus did not want to become a king. He wanted to be our servant and savior.   Christ wanted to feed our souls and give us food that would last forever. We can see that Jesus can clearly provide for us, but he does this in his time and according to what we need. Christ knows exactly what and when we need something, and he decides on the manner to provide it. We need faith to wait and to accept what the Lord will give. 

     This multiplication of loaves and fish prefigured the Eucharist that sustains and feeds us in our daily lives, for eternal life. What greater gift could our Lord have left us!  

INTENTION:

For the complete healing of Renan Lucida

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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