Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 116
Reading 1
1 Kings 19:4-8
Elijah went a day's journey into the desert,
until he came to a broom tree and sat beneath it.
He prayed for death saying:
"This is enough, O LORD!
Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers."
He lay down and fell asleep under the broom tree,
but then an angel touched him and ordered him to get up and eat.
Elijah looked and there at his head was a hearth cake
and a jug of water.
After he ate and drank, he lay down again,
but the angel of the LORD came back a second time,
touched him, and ordered,
"Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you!"
He got up, ate, and drank;
then strengthened by that food,
he walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God, Horeb.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R. (9a) Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Glorify the LORD with me,
Let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
And delivered me from all my fears.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy.
And your faces may not blush with shame.
When the afflicted man called out, the LORD heard,
And from all his distress he saved him.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Reading 2
Ephesians 4:30—5:2
Brothers and sisters:
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,
with which you were sealed for the day of redemption.
All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling
must be removed from you, along with all malice.
And be kind to one another, compassionate,
forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.
So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love,
as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us
as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.
Alleluia
John 6:51
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven, says the Lord;
whoever eats this bread will live forever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
John 6:41-51
The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said,
"I am the bread that came down from heaven, "
and they said,
"Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph?
Do we not know his father and mother?
Then how can he say,
'I have come down from heaven'?"
Jesus answered and said to them,
"Stop murmuring among yourselves.
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,
and I will raise him on the last day.
It is written in the prophets:
They shall all be taught by God.
Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.
Not that anyone has seen the Father
except the one who is from God;
he has seen the Father.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes has eternal life.
I am the bread of life.
Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;
this is the bread that comes down from heaven
so that one may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Transforming Faith From Knowledge
“I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” John 6:48–51
We continue this Sunday with the beautiful “Bread of Life Discourse” from John’s Gospel. At the beginning of today’s passage, we read that the people listening to this discourse “murmured about Jesus.” They did so because He had been teaching them that He was the Bread of Life Who had come down from Heaven. For some of His listeners, this was too much to accept. It was especially difficult for those who knew Jesus and His family from Nazareth. When Jesus became aware of their murmurs, He confronted them straight on saying, “Stop murmuring among yourselves.” He then doubled down on His teaching, taking it even further, telling them that whoever eats His flesh will live forever.
In some ways, Jesus’ teaching could be said to defy human reason. Imagine hearing this teaching for the first time from someone who grew up in your hometown. Human reason alone is insufficient to comprehend and accept such teaching. But that is precisely the point. Human reason alone is insufficient. But when human reason is endowed with a special revelation from the Father in Heaven, then all becomes clear and all makes sense.
On that point, Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him” and that “Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.” Therefore, even though it is beyond the ability of natural human reason alone to make sense of what Jesus was teaching, those who were drawn by the Father and listened to His voice were given a new form of knowledge that brought clarity to their human minds. This knowledge is essential if we are to know and understand the path to eternal life and if we are to understand and believe in the Most Holy Eucharist.
Sometimes we can fall into the trap of thinking that faith is just believing in something that is beyond us. But faith is much more. It’s not just blindly believing. It’s not just wishful thinking that turns into a personal choice to believe. Faith is based on something absolutely real and unmistakable. It’s based on true spiritually revealed knowledge—a knowledge given to us by God. In fact, this form of knowledge, given by God, is far more certain than any other form of knowledge.
For example, you know that 2+2=4 because you can take two objects, add two more, and then count four. Or you know that music is playing because your ears perceive the sound. Thus, you rely upon your senses to produce knowledge to arrive at conclusions. Spiritually infused knowledge, however, is even more certain than that which we can obtain through our senses because it is God Who reveals the truth. Therefore, if God speaks to you and imparts to you a knowledge that His flesh is true food and His blood is true drink, and that if you eat His flesh and drink His blood then you will obtain eternal life, then this knowledge is certain, transforming, and becomes the basis of a life of pure faith. Though this may seem overly philosophical, it is true and necessary to understand.
Reflect, today, upon anything that you fail to have perfect faith in. Do you believe in the Most Holy Eucharist? Do you believe that it is the food for eternal life? Do you believe in everything Jesus taught? Examine your faith and where it is lacking; seek the voice of the Father. Only God can impart the deepest spiritual knowledge to you. For your part, you must listen, comprehend, accept and believe. Doing so will produce the gift of faith within your human reason, and that faith will be your guide to the life of the fullness of grace.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
OWNERSHIP AND GRIEF
“Do nothing to sadden the Holy Spirit with Whom you were sealed against the day of redemption.” —Ephesians 4:30
We want to love God the Holy Spirit, for we are begotten of the Spirit (Jn 3:8), are filled with the Spirit (see Acts 2:4), and follow the lead of the Spirit (Gal 5:25). Nevertheless, we can sadden or grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30).
We have been sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30). This means we have been marked or branded as owned by God. The Spirit’s work through our lives should be an exterior expression of this interior mark, sometimes called a “character” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1272, see also 1269). Being sealed with the Spirit means the potential absence in our lives of certain natural human attitudes such as “all bitterness, all passion and anger, harsh words, slander, and malice of every kind” (Eph 4:31). The absence of these expressions of our fallen nature indicates that we are born again, have a new nature, and are owned by God. Being sealed with the Spirit also means the potential presence of kindness, compassion, and forgiveness (Eph 4:32). To err is human; to forgive and show kindness and compassion even to our enemies is truly divine. This indicates we are owned by God.
We love the Holy Spirit by showing that God owns us. We grieve the Spirit by pretending to own ourselves and doing our own thing. Don’t grieve the Spirit.
Prayer: Father, may I say and live the following statement: “I have been crucified with Christ, and the life I live now is not my own; Christ is living in me” (Gal 2:19-20).
Promise: “If anyone eats this bread he shall live forever; the bread I will give is My flesh, for the life of the world.” —Jn 6:51
Praise: Praise Jesus risen! He wants to raise us from the dead! Alleluia forever!
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
Prophet Elijah proves that the Lord God of Israel is the true God, and kills the four hundred prophets who challenged him. When Jezebel sought to kill him, he takes shelter under a broom tree. Being engulfed with a sense of guilt and shame he says, “take away my life … I am no better than my fathers.” But the Lord has a different plan for Elijah: “arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” In the Second Reading, Saint Paul instructs the church at Ephesus to let go of their bitterness, wrath, and anger, and invites them to walk in love. By walking in love, one will be able to offer oneself as a fragrant offering and sacrifice acceptable to God. The gospel reading runs on the theme of ‘life’ and ‘eternal life.’ The Jews of Jesus’ time take offence at Jesus on account of his humble origin. But Jesus instructs them to raise their minds high. How does learning take place in our lives? a) Through waiting; b) through our readiness to love; and c) by setting our minds on things that are above.
Prayers
Lord, You have revealed to us the deepest mysteries of life. You have revealed Your love and compassion, and You have revealed the way to eternal life. Please give me the gift of faith so that I will believe all that You have revealed. Please especially deepen my faith in the Gift of the Most Holy Eucharist. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, you are the living bread which sustains me in this life. May I always hunger for the bread which comes from heaven and find in it the nourishment and strength I need to love and serve you wholeheartedly. May I always live in the joy, peace, and unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, both now and in the age to come.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 223: A Dreadful Day
Nothing in life has to be dreadful. Even the greatest struggle and suffering we endure can easily be transformed by God to become a source of His Mercy and our sanctification. But there is one thing that would be truly dreadful if it were to come upon us. And that one thing is the Day of Judgment if we were to remain closed to the Mercy of God through our obstinance and refusal to humbly repent and change our lives. This is a frightening reality to behold. When we stand before the Judgment Seat of God we will never be able to justify our stubborn adherence to sin. No amount of rationalization or self-justification will appease the Justice of God. Do not allow yourself to come to this point. Repent now. Honestly repent and confess your sin. Do not hold onto your self-righteousness. This will be easy to accomplish if you clearly understand the infinite Mercy of God offered you now and until the day of your judgment. After that, it will be too late. Do not wait (See Diary #1160).
What do you need to repent of? Seriously, what is it? Do not cling to your own self-righteousness acting as if you have no sin. You may fool others, you may even fool yourself, but you will never fool God. His love for you is greater than you’ll ever fathom and knowing this should ease your worries about admitting your sin. Do it and watch the floodgates of Mercy open before you.
Lord, I am sorry and I do repent of my sin. I am so sorry, especially for the ways that I have failed to honestly admit my wrongs. Give me the grace, this day, to see my soul as You see it and to admit to the ways that I have turned from You, clinging to my own sin and especially my pride. Have Mercy on me, dear Lord. I give myself and all my sin to You. Jesus, I trust in You.
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