December 03, 2014 Wednesday, 1st Week of Advent ST. FRANCIS XAVIER 1st Reading: Is 25:6–10a Gospel: Mt 15:29–37 Jesus went to the shore of Lake Galilee, and then went up into the hills where he sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing the dumb, the blind, the lame, the crippled, and many with other infirmities. The people carried them to the feet of Jesus, and he healed them. All were astonished when they saw the dumb speaking, the lame walking, the crippled healed and the blind able to see; so they glorified the God of Israel. Jesus called his disciples and said to them, “I am filled with compassion for these people; they have already followed me for three days and now have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away fasting, or they may faint on the way.” His disciples said to him, “And where shall we find enough bread in this wilderness to feed such a crowd?” Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They answered, “Seven, and a few small fish.” So Jesus ordered the people to sit on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the small fish and gave thanks to God. He broke them and gave them to his disciples, who distributed them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the leftover broken pieces filled seven wicker baskets. D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE (Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience) Does being in need excuse us from our responsibility towards others? Today’s Gospel message says no. The people had only followed Jesus for three days but Jesus showed so much concern for them like they had been tried and tested followers of his. In contrast the Apostles merely shrugged their shoulders when told to feed the people. After all, they too were hungry and the little they could find in that place wouldn’t even be enough for themselves. Jesus knew they too were hungry. Yet he insisted that they themselves should feed the people. “And where shall we find enough bread in this wilderness to feed such a crowd?” they asked sarcastically. This answer exposed their alarming attitude to God and neighbor. They didn’t have faith in the God of abundance and they didn’t have the compassion for their hungry fellowmen. Then Jesus asked: “How many loaves do you have?” Personal need is the weakest excuse before God because God knows what we are keeping to ourselves. If like the Apostles we refuse to help others on the ground that we too are in need, God will make an audit of the blessings we have received just as Jesus asked the Apostles how many loaves of bread they had in their possession. Need cannot excuse us from our social responsibility because no one can be honest and say he had received nothing from the Lord. No one is too poor as to have nothing to give. Any little we can let go for others is a good start for Jesus to perform another miracle of multiplication of the loaves.- Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM . Email: dan.delosangeles@gmail. Website: frdan.org. Prayer for the day: O God our Father, make us generous stewards of your material blessings so that we may become the channels through which you pour out your blessings upon the poor. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Title: God’s compassion CHURCH BULLETIN: SAINT OF THE DAY: ST. FRANCIS XAVIER, Patron of foreign missions. He was born in Pamplona, Spain in 1506. While studying at Paris, he became one of the first seven followers of St. Ignatius of Loyola. In 1541, four years after his ordination, Francis was sent as a missionary to India. In 1549 he set out for Japan, becoming the first missionary in that secluded country. Seeing that evangelical poverty had not appeal in Japan he dressed decently and presented himself before the local authorities as the representative of Portugal. Having presented some gifts to them he was allowed to evangelize the people. But his early success alarmed the local chiefs who got suspicious and forbade further apostolic work. Thereafter he went to China but fell sick on the way and died in 1552.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Dec 2014 21:06:32 +0000
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