Sunday:       Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Date:         July 29, 2012
Year:         B
The readings: [2 Kgs 4:42-44; Ephes. 4:1-6; Jn. 6:1-15]
The message:  In the unity of the Spirit.
Prepared by:  Catholic Doors Ministry
Total words:  1402

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Welcome my Christian friends to the celebration of the Holy Mass that culminates in the great spiritual banquet, the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, through which we are continuously united as one in the Spirit.

Today's readings from the Holy Bible echo the importance of the unity of God's people in the Spirit of the Lord.

During today's First Reading, [2 Kgs. 4:42-44] we heard that a man brought food from the first fruits to Elisha, the man of God. This generosity was in obedience to the word of God to His people through Moses. The Lord said, "The choicest of the first fruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God." [Exo. 23:19]

United with God's people in the Spirit of the Lord, Elisha commanded that the food be given to the people. Hearing this, the servant questioned how a hundred persons could be fed with so little food. Trusting in the Lord God to provide, Elisha repeated his command, "Give it to the people and let them eat, for thus says the Lord, 'They shall eat and have some left.'" Consequently, the servant obeyed.

The words of the Lord, 'They shall eat and have some left.' were prophetic in nature. Centuries before its time, these words foretold the miracles of the Lord Jesus who was to come and feed the hungry, physically and spiritually.

Through the actions of the man who brought the first fruits, Elisha who shared it with those in need, the servant who distributed the food and the one hundred persons who ate it, we perceive the manifestation of the holy nature of God in the unity of the Spirit of the Lord. Through these actions, we perceive that the people knew and obeyed the will of God. Through these actions, we perceive spiritual love, God's people taking care of one another as one people. We perceive the joy of giving and the joy of receiving, all for the benefit of the one people of God.

We perceive that centuries before the word Christian was first coined in Antioch, [Acts 11:26] these believers of the Old Testament practiced their living faith as true loving Christians as commanded by the Lord Yahweh for His people.

As a sign that the Lord God was pleased with His people, the first fruit were multiplied. All were fed and there was some left over according to the word of the Lord.

Today's Second Reading, the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians, [Ephes. 4:1-6] is a plea for us to live a life worthy of the calling to which we have been called, in humility, in gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. These words echo what I have just finished telling you. They echo the Christian actions of the people that I have just referred to in the Old Testament.

St. Paul started his words by saying, "I, the prisoner of the Lord." What did he mean that he was a prisoner of the Lord? Does that mean that we too are prisoners of the Lord? Through Christ who died for our sins, we have been freed from the slavery of sin and enslaved to God. [Rom. 6:22] Now, we are indebted to Jesus. Thanks to the promises of God that we have received through Christ and the Sacrament of Baptism, we are no longer free to do as we please. In thanksgiving to God for His abounding grace, we are called to live our living faith in Christ as one in the Spirit of the Lord.

These words have a serious implication in our lives. When it is said that we are a prisoner of the Lord, it is like saying you are a young child who is required to obey his mother and father or a slave who is required to obey his master. I ask you my brothers and sisters, 'Do young children have a free will to do as they please? Do the slaves have a free will to do as they please? Yes, they have a free will. But, if they disobey, they can expect loving discipline to correct them until they will obey, until they will fully submit themselves to the will of the parents or the master.

We as Catholics, do we have a free will? Have we got the right to disobey our Lord Jesus and support abortions, euthanasia, common-law relationships, adultery and all the abominations of the world? Have we got the right to disobey the teachings of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church? Have we got the right to oppose in his teachings the Pope who is the Vicar of Christ on earth? Yes, we have a free will! But we do not have the right to disobey the Lord God and His teachings that are implemented through the Church? We, as children of God, as prisoners of the Lord, who are eternally indebted to Him for our salvation, are called to be loyal. We are called to be united as one in the Spirit of Christ. We are called to be united in the teachings of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

St. Paul said, "There is one body and one Spirit, just as we were called to the one hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all."

As children of God, we are called to be united and loyal to our Bishop. It is not easy for the Bishop to lead the Diocese if the people are divided on every issue. Nor is it easy for the Pope to lead the Church if the people are divided on every issue. The spirit of division does not come from God. The Spirit of Unity is the Spirit of Christ. He is the One and same Spirit, the Spirit of Love and the Spirit of Truth.

Today's Reading from the Gospel of John [Jn. 6:1-15] reminds us of the multiplication of the food, how five barley loaves and two fish fed five thousand persons while leaving twelve baskets of leftovers. While this may seem impossible, in the unity of the Spirit, it was achieved. For, when the Lord God is pleased with His children, nothing is impossible. He provides according to their needs.

During the Gospel Reading, we heard where the food came from. A boy gave up his food for Jesus to share it with the others. We heard that the disciples obeyed Jesus. They told the people to sit down. And those who obeyed and were seated, they were fed. Those who obeyed and were seated, they received the manifested grace of God through the physical multiplication of the food.

The Holy Scripture does not tell us about those who disobeyed and refused to be seated, if they were fed or not. What it does tell us is that those who were united in the Spirit, obeying the Lord, were fed and ate as much as they wanted.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, unity in the Spirit bears much fruits of joy and peace. United in the Spirit of Christ, we gain personal spiritual growth that leads to the growth of the Body of Christ. Unity in the Spirit of Christ draws the abounding grace of the Lord towards each and everyone of us. Unity in the Spirit of Christ leads towards our salvation for their is no salvation outside the Catholic Church. (# 846, Catechism of the Catholic Church.)

This week, as we progress in our living faith in Christ, let us reflect on today's Word of God. Let us ask ourselves if we are loyal to Christ, (pause) to the Church, (pause) and to our Bishop. (pause) Let us become aware of our self-seeking human nature that conflicts with our Christ-seeking spiritual nature so we may embrace what is spiritual. And may the peace and joy of the Lord richly bless us all so we may inherit the glory that awaits us in the unity of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

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The readings...

[The readings were taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (C) 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the United States of America.]

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First Reading...

"A man came bringing food from the first fruits to Elisha, the man of God: twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. Elisha said, 'Give it to the people and let them eat.'

But his servant said, 'How can I set this before a hundred people?' So Elisha repeated, 'Give it to the people and let them eat, for thus says the Lord, 'They shall eat and have some left.'

The servant set it before them, they ate, and had some left, according to the word of the Lord." [2 Kgs. 4:42-4]

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Second Reading...

"Brothers and sisters: I, the prisoner of the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all." [Eph. 4:1-6]

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Gospel Reading...

"Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover festival was near.

When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, 'Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?' He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, 'Six months' wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.'

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Jesus, 'There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?' Jesus said, 'Make the people sit down. 'Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all.

Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, 'Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.' So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eater, they filled twelve baskets.

When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, 'This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world.' When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again in the mountain by himself." [Jn. 6:1-15]

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