Mass Reflection: Sunday - 02nd August 2026

 

IS 55:1-3; PS 145:8-9, 15-18; ROM 8:35, 37-39; MT 14:13-21



Today’s readings should inspire the Christian steward with deepened gratitude for our God, who loves us with both fierce and tender love. We must make an intentional response each day, returning love for Love.

In our First Reading from Isaiah, we hear God calling us — even inviting us — to come and be filled with the spiritual nourishment He longs to give us. "Come, receive grain and eat; Come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk!" Then He continues, "Heed me, and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare." Notice that He uses the word "heed" and immediately repeats the invitation: "Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life."

God never forces Himself upon us. We must intentionally seek Him through prayer, the sacraments, and a life of discipleship. We must choose Him over our own selfishness and the distractions of the world. When we do, He remains faithful to His promise: "I will renew with you the everlasting covenant, the benefits assured to David."

We can have complete confidence in that promise. In our Second Reading from Romans, St. Paul reminds us that nothing and no one can separate us from the love of Christ. No anguish, distress, persecution, famine — and we might add illness, financial hardship, family struggles, or uncertainty about the future — nothing can keep our God from loving us. His love is so powerful that, as St. Paul tells us, "in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly." God truly holds us in the palm of His hand.

And yet, this assurance is only the beginning of His gifts. Today's Gospel recounts the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish, a miracle that foreshadows the gift of the Eucharist, where Christ feeds us not simply with bread, but with His own Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. It is such an extraordinary gift that it is easy to focus only on the miracle itself. But the opening verses reveal something equally beautiful — the compassionate heart of Jesus.

The Gospel begins by telling us that Jesus withdrew by boat to a deserted place after learning of the death of His cousin, John the Baptist. Seeking a moment of solitude, He instead found crowds waiting for Him. Yet rather than turning them away, "his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick."

What generous and compassionate love our Lord shows. But even that is not enough for Him. He remains with the people, teaching and ministering to them until evening. When the disciples suggest sending the crowds away to find food, Jesus instead invites them to become part of His plan. He tells them to feed the people, then miraculously multiplies the few loaves and fish they are able to offer.

What a privilege it was for those disciples to participate in Christ's work. That same privilege is ours as Christian stewards. Let us respond with grateful hearts to such amazing love.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 02nd August 2026

First reading
Isaiah 55:1-3
Come and eat

Thus says the Lord:

Oh, come to the water all you who are thirsty;
though you have no money, come!
Buy corn without money, and eat,
and, at no cost, wine and milk.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
your wages on what fails to satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and you will have good things to eat
and rich food to enjoy.
Pay attention, come to me;
listen, and your soul will live.
With you I will make an everlasting covenant
out of the favours promised to David.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 144(145):8-9,15-18

You open wide your hand, O Lord; you grant our desires.

The Lord is kind and full of compassion,
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
How good is the Lord to all,
    compassionate to all his creatures.

You open wide your hand, O Lord; you grant our desires.

The eyes of all creatures look to you
    and you give them their food in due time.
You open wide your hand,
    grant the desires of all who live.

You open wide your hand, O Lord; you grant our desires.

The Lord is just in all his ways
    and loving in all his deeds.
He is close to all who call him,
    who call on him from their hearts.

You open wide your hand, O Lord; you grant our desires.

________

Second reading
Romans 8:35,37-39
No created thing can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ

    Nothing can come between us and the love of Christ, even if we are troubled or worried, or being persecuted, or lacking food or clothes, or being threatened or even attacked. These are the trials through which we triumph, by the power of him who loved us.

    For I am certain of this: neither death nor life, no angel, no prince, nothing that exists, nothing still to come, not any power, or height or depth, nor any created thing, can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
cf.Lk19:38,2:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessings on the King who comes,
in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven
and glory in the highest heavens!

Alleluia!

Or:
Mt4:4

Alleluia, alleluia!

Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Matthew 14:13-21
The feeding of the five thousand

    When Jesus received the news of John the Baptist’s death he withdrew by boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But the people heard of this and, leaving the towns, went after him on foot. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them and healed their sick.

    When evening came, the disciples went to him and said, ‘This is a lonely place, and the time has slipped by; so send the people away, and they can go to the villages to buy themselves some food.’ Jesus replied, ‘There is no need for them to go: give them something to eat yourselves.’ But they answered ‘All we have with us is five loaves and two fish.’ ‘Bring them here to me’ he said. He gave orders that the people were to sit down on the grass; then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven and said the blessing. And breaking the loaves handed them to his disciples who gave them to the crowds. They all ate as much as they wanted, and they collected the scraps remaining; twelve baskets full. Those who ate numbered about five thousand men, to say nothing of women and children.

The Gospel of the Lord.

 

Mass Reading: Sunday - 03rd August 2025

First reading
Ecclesiastes 1:2,2:21-23
Vanity of vanities; all is vanity

    Vanity of vanities, the Preacher says. Vanity of vanities. All is vanity!

    For so it is that a man who has laboured wisely, skilfully and successfully must leave what is his own to someone who has not toiled for it at all. This, too, is vanity and great injustice; for what does he gain for all the toil and strain that he has undergone under the sun? What of all his laborious days, his cares of office, his restless nights? This, too, is vanity.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 89(90):3-6,12-14,17

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

You turn men back to dust
    and say: ‘Go back, sons of men.’
To your eyes a thousand years
    are like yesterday, come and gone,
    no more than a watch in the night.

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

You sweep men away like a dream,
    like the grass which springs up in the morning.
In the morning it springs up and flowers:
    by evening it withers and fades.

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

Make us know the shortness of our life
    that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Lord, relent! Is your anger for ever?
    Show pity to your servants.

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

In the morning, fill us with your love;
    we shall exult and rejoice all our days.
Let the favour of the Lord be upon us:
    give success to the work of our hands.

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

________

Second reading
Colossians 3:1-5,9-11
You must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is

    Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ, you must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on the earth, because you have died, and now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ is revealed – and he is your life – you too will be revealed in all your glory with him.

    That is why you must kill everything in you that belongs only to earthly life: fornication, impurity, guilty passion, evil desires and especially greed, which is the same thing as worshipping a false god; and never tell each other lies. You have stripped off your old behaviour with your old self, and you have put on a new self which will progress towards true knowledge the more it is renewed in the image of its creator; and in that image there is no room for distinction between Greek and Jew, between the circumcised or the uncircumcised, or between barbarian and Scythian, slave and free man. There is only Christ: he is everything and he is in everything.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn17:17

Alleluia, alleluia!

Your word is truth, O Lord:
consecrate us in the truth.

Alleluia!

Or:
Mt5:3

Alleluia, alleluia!

How happy are the poor in spirit:
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Luke 12:13-21
Fool! This very night your soul will be demanded of you

    A man in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Master, tell my brother to give me a share of our inheritance.’ ‘My friend,’ he replied, ‘who appointed me your judge, or the arbitrator of your claims?’ Then he said to them, ‘Watch, and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for a man’s life is not made secure by what he owns, even when he has more than he needs.’

    Then he told them a parable: ‘There was once a rich man who, having had a good harvest from his land, thought to himself, “What am I to do? I have not enough room to store my crops.” Then he said, “This is what I will do: I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and store all my grain and my goods in them, and I will say to my soul: My soul, you have plenty of good things laid by for many years to come; take things easy, eat, drink, have a good time.” But God said to him, “Fool! This very night the demand will be made for your soul; and this hoard of yours, whose will it be then?” So it is when a man stores up treasure for himself in place of making himself rich in the sight of God.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

 

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 03rd August 2025

 

ECC 1:2, 2:21-23; PS 90:3-6, 12-13, 17; COL 3: 1-5, 9-11; LK 12:13-21

Today’s readings come as a pat on the back from Heaven for all of us striving to live a stewardship way of life. They remind us why we live the way we do, make the choices we make, and leave other things aside. Let’s face it, if we truly embrace this way of life, there will be people who find our choices downright foolish. Today we will see what God thinks. Spoiler alert: turns out Christian stewards are not the fools!

Our First Reading from the book of Ecclesiastes contains the famous line, “Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!” The narrator, Qoheleth, points out that we toil and labor all day, worry all night about our work and all we still have to do, and for what? Essentially, he asks what is the point of constantly “stressing out” about things that won’t last anyway? That’s no way to live! Christian stewards already know this. We live for a higher purpose — we live for our God and for the things that matter to Him. Our time, talents, and treasure have an everlasting focus because we recognize that these things are all gifts from God and we use them in gratitude to give Him glory.

Our Second Reading, from St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians, reminds us how to go about making decisions so that we can make the best use of the gifts we have been given. In making decisions about our use of time, talent and treasure, he gives us this advice: “Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.” He adds, “Take off the old self with its practices and put on the new self which is being renewed for knowledge in the image of its creator.” This is precisely what is taking place within us as we embrace the spirituality of stewardship. We find ourselves living in a continuous process of sloughing off our selfishness (the “old self”) and living more and more for God and others.

To many people in our materialistic world, setting priorities that are not focused on earthly goals like wealth, status and power, is foolish and naive. But look at what Jesus has to say about priorities in today’s Gospel passage from Luke. He makes it clear that life is not about “stuff.” “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

Then Jesus goes on to tell the parable of the wealthy businessman who thought he had everything figured out. The man had such an abundance of “stuff” that he didn’t have room to store it all. So, thinking of earthly things and not on what is above, he decided to build a bigger place to store all that stuff. Patting himself on the back, he thought about what good times he would have in the years ahead. But Jesus tells us that day would turn out to be the man’s last day on the earth. And he had spent it thinking only of himself. How foolish! What vanity of vanities!

Don’t be ashamed of living differently from the people around you. Be confident as you set priorities based on what is above. You are wise in God’s eyes, Christian steward. And you will be rich in what matters most.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 04th August 2024

First reading
Exodus 16:2-4,12-15
The Lord sends manna from heaven

    The whole community of the sons of Israel began to complain against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness and said to them, ‘Why did we not die at the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we were able to sit down to pans of meat and could eat bread to our heart’s content! As it is, you have brought us to this wilderness to starve this whole company to death!’

    Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Now I will rain down bread for you from the heavens. Each day the people are to go out and gather the day’s portion; I propose to test them in this way to see whether they will follow my law or not.

    ‘I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel. Say this to them, “Between the two evenings you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have bread to your heart’s content. Then you will learn that I, the Lord, am your God.”’

    And so it came about: quails flew up in the evening, and they covered the camp; in the morning there was a coating of dew all round the camp. When the coating of dew lifted, there on the surface of the desert was a thing delicate, powdery, as fine as hoarfrost on the ground. When they saw this, the sons of Israel said to one another, ‘What is that?’ not knowing what it was. ‘That’ said Moses to them ‘is the bread the Lord gives you to eat.’

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 77(78):3-4,23-25,54

The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

The things we have heard and understood,
    the things our fathers have told us,
these we will not hide from their children
    but will tell them to the next generation:

The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

the glories of the Lord and his might
    and the marvellous deeds he has done,
Yet he commanded the clouds above
    and opened the gates of heaven.
He rained down manna for their food,
    and gave them bread from heaven.

The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

Mere men ate the bread of angels.
    He sent them abundance of food;
So he brought them to his holy land,
    to the mountain which his right hand had won.

The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

________

Second reading
Ephesians 4:17,20-24
Put aside your old self and put on the new

    I want to urge you in the name of the Lord, not to go on living the aimless kind of life that pagans live. Now that is hardly the way you have learnt from Christ, unless you failed to hear him properly when you were taught what the truth is in Jesus. You must give up your old way of life; you must put aside your old self, which gets corrupted by following illusory desires. Your mind must be renewed by a spiritual revolution so that you can put on the new self that has been created in God’s way, in the goodness and holiness of the truth.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn14:6

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;
No one can come to the Father except through me.

Alleluia!

Or:
Mt4:4

Alleluia, alleluia!

Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
John 6:24-35
It is my Father who gives you the bread from heaven; I am the bread of life

    When the people saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into boats and crossed to Capernaum to look for Jesus. When they found him on the other side, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’

    Jesus answered:

    ‘I tell you most solemnly,
you are not looking for me because you have seen the signs
but because you had all the bread you wanted to eat.
Do not work for food that cannot last,
but work for food that endures to eternal life,
the kind of food the Son of Man is offering you,
for on him the Father, God himself, has set his seal.’

    Then they said to him, ‘What must we do if we are to do the works that God wants?’ Jesus gave them this answer, ‘This is working for God: you must believe in the one he has sent.’ So they said, ‘What sign will you give to show us that we should believe in you? What work will you do? Our fathers had manna to eat in the desert; as scripture says: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ Jesus answered:

    ‘I tell you most solemnly,
it was not Moses who gave you bread from heaven,
it is my Father who gives you the bread from heaven,
the true bread;
for the bread of God
is that which comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.’

‘Sir,’ they said ‘give us that bread always.’ Jesus answered:

    ‘I am the bread of life.
He who comes to me will never be hungry;
he who believes in me will never thirst.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 04th August 2024

 

EX 16:2-4, 12-15; PS 78:3-4, 23-24, 25, 54; EPH 4:17, 20-24; JN 6:24-35

Often, we live our lives striving for temporary happiness. But today, Jesus reminds us to “not work for food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life.”

Last week we heard about Jesus multiplying the loaves of bread and fish for a large crowd. All who were there ate and were satisfied. The multiplication of the loaves prefigures Jesus at the Last Supper and every Eucharistic meal we celebrate at Mass.

Our Eucharistic meal is the Spiritual Food that we consume — Jesus Himself, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. It will satisfy us as Jesus says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

We all have a need to be satisfied. It is in our humanity. It might feel like something is missing in our lives, we always want more, or we are constantly looking to the next moment. The ‘now’ is not good enough, we do not feel complete.

And in that incompleteness, we grab at what surrounds us to satisfy our hearts. It could be the next job promotion, the comforts in our homes, the next trip we plan to take, the new house we want to buy, or even taking the next stage in our vocation — marriage, new baby, becoming a grandparent. The list goes on. We might think to ourselves, ‘then I will be happier.’ Or maybe we don’t even realize how we are relying on those things or events in our lives.

And while many of those things are good and bring us joy, they are only a small glimpse of the deeper, lasting happiness that the Lord offers us. They are gifts that should remind us of our Good and Gracious Creator. Instead of placing undue importance on those things or people, place it on Jesus, as He says, “Whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” He is the One who fills our hearts.

So how do we order our minds and hearts so that Jesus is our source of fulfillment? Simply by responding to His invitation to “come to Him.”

We come to Jesus when we receive the Bread of Life at every Mass. The moment we receive the Eucharist, we are sustained and strengthened on our journey to eternal life.

Yet to carry Jesus in our minds and hearts all week long, we must respond to His invitation to “come to Him” in other ways as well.

Jesus wants us to come to Him in daily prayer by sitting in silence, praising Him for blessings, and asking Him for guidance. He wants us to come to Him throughout our day-to-day moments — acknowledging His presence, thanking Him for good news received, or calling on Him in a weak or hard moment. He wants us to come to Him as we serve our families, friends, and community at large, remembering that as we serve others, we are serving Christ Himself.

It is simply by letting Him be the One we go to first. It is in those moments that we begin to seek Him as our source of fulfillment in this life.

As you go about your day-to-day lives this week, try to recognize the times you are “working for food that perishes” by seeking things of the world to satisfy your heart. In those moments, recall that everything we have is a gift from God. Instead of misusing that gift, offer a prayer of thanksgiving for all He has given to you. Then respond to Jesus’ invitation to “come to Him” by speaking with Him throughout your day.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 31st July 2022

July 31, 2022 — Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

ECC 1:2, 2:21-23; PS 90:3-6, 12-13, 17; COL 3: 1-5, 9-11; LK 12:13-21

Today’s readings come as a pat on the back from Heaven for all of us striving to live a stewardship way of life. They remind us why we live the way we do, make the choices we make, and leave other things aside. Let’s face it, if we truly embrace this way of life, there will be people who find our choices downright foolish. Today we will see what God thinks. Spoiler alert: turns out Christian stewards are not the fools!

 
Our First Reading from the book of Ecclesiastes contains the famous line, “Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!” The narrator, Qoheleth, points out that we toil and labor all day, worry all night about our work and all we still have to do, and for what? Essentially, he asks what is the point of constantly “stressing out” about things that won’t last anyway? That’s no way to live! Christian stewards already know this. We live for a higher purpose — we live for our God and for the things that matter to Him. Our time, talents, and treasure have an everlasting focus because we recognize that these things are all gifts from God and we use them in gratitude to give Him glory.

Our Second Reading, from St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians, reminds us how to go about making decisions so that we can make the best use of the gifts we have been given. In making decisions about our use of time, talent and treasure, he gives us this advice: “Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.” He adds, “Take off the old self with its practices and put on the new self which is being renewed for knowledge in the image of its creator.” This is precisely what is taking place within us as we embrace the spirituality of stewardship. We find ourselves living in a continuous process of sloughing off our selfishness (the “old self”) and living more and more for God and others. 

To many people in our materialistic world, setting priorities that are not focused on earthly goals like wealth, status and power, is foolish and naive. But look at what Jesus has to say about priorities in today’s Gospel passage from Luke. He makes it clear that life is not about “stuff.” “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” 

Then Jesus goes on to tell the parable of the wealthy businessman who thought he had everything figured out. The man had such an abundance of “stuff” that he didn’t have room to store it all. So, thinking of earthly things and not on what is above, he decided to build a bigger place to store all that stuff. Patting himself on the back, he thought about what good times he would have in the years ahead. But Jesus tells us that day would turn out to be the man’s last day on the earth. And he had spent it thinking only of himself. How foolish! What vanity of vanities!

Don’t be ashamed of living differently from the people around you. Be confident as you set priorities based on what is above. You are wise in God’s eyes, Christian steward. And you will be rich in what matters most.

Mass Reading: 31st July 2022

First reading
Ecclesiastes 1:2,2:21-23
Vanity of vanities; all is vanity

    Vanity of vanities, the Preacher says. Vanity of vanities. All is vanity!

    For so it is that a man who has laboured wisely, skilfully and successfully must leave what is his own to someone who has not toiled for it at all. This, too, is vanity and great injustice; for what does he gain for all the toil and strain that he has undergone under the sun? What of all his laborious days, his cares of office, his restless nights? This, too, is vanity.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 89(90):3-6,12-14,17

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

You turn men back to dust
    and say: ‘Go back, sons of men.’
To your eyes a thousand years
    are like yesterday, come and gone,
    no more than a watch in the night.

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

You sweep men away like a dream,
    like the grass which springs up in the morning.
In the morning it springs up and flowers:
    by evening it withers and fades.

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

Make us know the shortness of our life
    that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Lord, relent! Is your anger for ever?
    Show pity to your servants.

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

In the morning, fill us with your love;
    we shall exult and rejoice all our days.
Let the favour of the Lord be upon us:
    give success to the work of our hands.

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

________

Second reading
Colossians 3:1-5,9-11
You must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is

    Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ, you must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on the earth, because you have died, and now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ is revealed – and he is your life – you too will be revealed in all your glory with him.

    That is why you must kill everything in you that belongs only to earthly life: fornication, impurity, guilty passion, evil desires and especially greed, which is the same thing as worshipping a false god; and never tell each other lies. You have stripped off your old behaviour with your old self, and you have put on a new self which will progress towards true knowledge the more it is renewed in the image of its creator; and in that image there is no room for distinction between Greek and Jew, between the circumcised or the uncircumcised, or between barbarian and Scythian, slave and free man. There is only Christ: he is everything and he is in everything.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn17:17

Alleluia, alleluia!

Your word is truth, O Lord:
consecrate us in the truth.

Alleluia!

Or:
Mt5:3

Alleluia, alleluia!

How happy are the poor in spirit:
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Luke 12:13-21
Fool! This very night your soul will be demanded of you

    A man in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Master, tell my brother to give me a share of our inheritance.’ ‘My friend,’ he replied, ‘who appointed me your judge, or the arbitrator of your claims?’ Then he said to them, ‘Watch, and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for a man’s life is not made secure by what he owns, even when he has more than he needs.’

    Then he told them a parable: ‘There was once a rich man who, having had a good harvest from his land, thought to himself, “What am I to do? I have not enough room to store my crops.” Then he said, “This is what I will do: I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and store all my grain and my goods in them, and I will say to my soul: My soul, you have plenty of good things laid by for many years to come; take things easy, eat, drink, have a good time.” But God said to him, “Fool! This very night the demand will be made for your soul; and this hoard of yours, whose will it be then?” So it is when a man stores up treasure for himself in place of making himself rich in the sight of God.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

The Liturgy of the Word: Sunday - 01st August 2021

First reading
Exodus 16:2-4,12-15
The Lord sends manna from heaven

The whole community of the sons of Israel began to complain against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness and said to them, ‘Why did we not die at the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we were able to sit down to pans of meat and could eat bread to our heart’s content! As it is, you have brought us to this wilderness to starve this whole company to death!’

    Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Now I will rain down bread for you from the heavens. Each day the people are to go out and gather the day’s portion; I propose to test them in this way to see whether they will follow my law or not.

    ‘I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel. Say this to them, “Between the two evenings you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have bread to your heart’s content. Then you will learn that I, the Lord, am your God.”’

    And so it came about: quails flew up in the evening, and they covered the camp; in the morning there was a coating of dew all round the camp. When the coating of dew lifted, there on the surface of the desert was a thing delicate, powdery, as fine as hoarfrost on the ground. When they saw this, the sons of Israel said to one another, ‘What is that?’ not knowing what it was. ‘That’ said Moses to them ‘is the bread the Lord gives you to eat.’

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 77(78):3-4,23-25,54

The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

The things we have heard and understood,
    the things our fathers have told us,
these we will not hide from their children
    but will tell them to the next generation:

The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

the glories of the Lord and his might
    and the marvellous deeds he has done,
Yet he commanded the clouds above
    and opened the gates of heaven.
He rained down manna for their food,
    and gave them bread from heaven.

The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

Mere men ate the bread of angels.
    He sent them abundance of food;
So he brought them to his holy land,
    to the mountain which his right hand had won.

The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

________

Second reading
Ephesians 4:17,20-24
Put aside your old self and put on the new

I want to urge you in the name of the Lord, not to go on living the aimless kind of life that pagans live. Now that is hardly the way you have learnt from Christ, unless you failed to hear him properly when you were taught what the truth is in Jesus. You must give up your old way of life; you must put aside your old self, which gets corrupted by following illusory desires. Your mind must be renewed by a spiritual revolution so that you can put on the new self that has been created in God’s way, in the goodness and holiness of the truth.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn14:6

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;
No one can come to the Father except through me.

Alleluia!

Or:

Mt4:4

Alleluia, alleluia!

Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
John 6:24-35
It is my Father who gives you the bread from heaven; I am the bread of life

When the people saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into boats and crossed to Capernaum to look for Jesus. When they found him on the other side, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’

    Jesus answered:

‘I tell you most solemnly,
you are not looking for me because you have seen the signs
but because you had all the bread you wanted to eat.
Do not work for food that cannot last,
but work for food that endures to eternal life,
the kind of food the Son of Man is offering you,
for on him the Father, God himself, has set his seal.’

Then they said to him, ‘What must we do if we are to do the works that God wants?’ Jesus gave them this answer, ‘This is working for God: you must believe in the one he has sent.’ So they said, ‘What sign will you give to show us that we should believe in you? What work will you do? Our fathers had manna to eat in the desert; as scripture says: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ Jesus answered:

‘I tell you most solemnly,
it was not Moses who gave you bread from heaven,
it is my Father who gives you the bread from heaven,
the true bread;
for the bread of God
is that which comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.’

‘Sir,’ they said ‘give us that bread always.’ Jesus answered:

‘I am the bread of life.
He who comes to me will never be hungry;
he who believes in me will never thirst.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 01st August 2021

 

Often, we live our lives striving for temporary happiness. But today, Jesus reminds us to “not work for food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life.” 
 
Last week we heard about Jesus multiplying the loaves of bread and fish for a large crowd. All who were there ate and were satisfied. The multiplication of the loaves prefigures Jesus at the Last Supper and every Eucharistic meal we celebrate at Mass. 
 
Our Eucharistic meal is the Spiritual Food that we consume — Jesus Himself, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. It will satisfy us as Jesus says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”
 
We all have a need to be satisfied. It is in our humanity. It might feel like something is missing in our lives, we always want more, or we are constantly looking to the next moment. The ‘now’ is not good enough, we do not feel complete. 
 
And in that incompleteness, we grab at what surrounds us to satisfy our hearts. It could be the next job promotion, the comforts in our homes, the next trip we plan to take, the new house we want to buy, or even taking the next stage in our vocation — marriage, new baby, becoming a grandparent. The list goes on. We might think to ourselves, ‘then I will be happier.’ Or maybe we don’t even realize how we are relying on those things or events in our lives.
 
And while many of those things are good and bring us joy, they are only a small glimpse of the deeper, lasting happiness that the Lord offers us. They are gifts that should remind us of our Good and Gracious Creator. Instead of placing undue importance on those things or people, place it on Jesus, as He says, “Whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” He is the One who fills our hearts. 
 
So how do we order our minds and hearts so that Jesus is our source of fulfillment? Simply by responding to His invitation to “come to Him.” 
 
We come to Jesus when we receive the Bread of Life at every Mass. The moment we receive the Eucharist, we are sustained and strengthened on our journey to eternal life. 
 
Yet to carry Jesus in our minds and hearts all week long, we must respond to His invitation to “come to Him” in other ways as well.
 
Jesus wants us to come to Him in daily prayer by sitting in silence, praising Him for blessings, and asking Him for guidance. He wants us to come to Him throughout our day-to-day moments — acknowledging His presence, thanking Him for good news received, or calling on Him in a weak or hard moment. He wants us to come to Him as we serve our families, friends, and community at large, remembering that as we serve others, we are serving Christ Himself. 
 
It is simply by letting Him be the One we go to first. It is in those moments that we begin to seek Him as our source of fulfillment in this life. 
 
As you go about your day-to-day lives this week, try to recognize the times you are “working for food that perishes” by seeking things of the world to satisfy your heart. In those moments, recall that everything we have is a gift from God. Instead of misusing that gift, offer a prayer of thanksgiving for all He has given to you. Then respond to Jesus’ invitation to “come to Him” by speaking with Him throughout your day. 

Mass Readings: Sunday, 02nd August 2020

First reading
Isaiah 55:1-3 ·

Come and eat

Thus says the Lord:

Oh, come to the water all you who are thirsty;

though you have no money, come!

Buy corn without money, and eat,

and, at no cost, wine and milk.

Why spend money on what is not bread,

your wages on what fails to satisfy?

Listen, listen to me, and you will have good
things to eat

and rich food to enjoy.

Pay attention, come to me;

listen, and your soul will live.

With you I will make an everlasting covenant

out of the favours promised to David.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 144(145):8-9,15-18

You open wide your hand, O Lord; you grant our desires.

The Lord is kind and full of compassion,

  slow to anger, abounding in love.

How good is the Lord to all,

  compassionate to all his creatures.

You open wide your hand, O Lord; you grant our desires.

The eyes of all creatures look to you

  and you give them their food in due time.

You open wide your hand,

  grant the desires of all who live.

You open wide your hand, O Lord; you grant our desires.

The Lord is just in all his ways

  and loving in all his deeds.

He is close to all who call him,

  who call on him from their hearts.

You open wide your hand, O Lord; you grant our desires.

Second reading
Romans 8:35,37-39 ·

No created thing can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ

Nothing can come between us and the love of Christ, even if we are troubled or worried, or being persecuted, or lacking food or clothes, or being threatened or even attacked. These are the trials through which we triumph, by the power of him who loved us.

  For I am certain of this: neither death nor life, no angel, no prince, nothing that exists, nothing still to come, not any power, or height or depth, nor any created thing, can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The word of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation	cf.Lk19:38,2:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessings on the King who comes,

in the name of the Lord!

Peace in heaven

and glory in the highest heavens!

Alleluia!

Or:	Mt4:4

Alleluia, alleluia!

Man does not live on bread alone,

but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 14:13-21

The feeding of the five thousand

When Jesus received the news of John the Baptist’s death he withdrew by boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But the people heard of this and, leaving the towns, went after him on foot. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them and healed their sick.

  When evening came, the disciples went to him and said, ‘This is a lonely place, and the time has slipped by; so send the people away, and they can go to the villages to buy themselves some food.’ Jesus replied, ‘There is no need for them to go: give them something to eat yourselves.’ But they answered ‘All we have with us is five loaves and two fish.’ ‘Bring them here to me’ he said. He gave orders that the people were to sit down on the grass; then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven and said the blessing. And breaking the loaves handed them to his disciples who gave them to the crowds. They all ate as much as they wanted, and they collected the scraps remaining; twelve baskets full. Those who ate numbered about five thousand men, to say nothing of women and children.

The Gospel of the Lord.