Saint Pedro de San Jose Bentancur
Brethren, today the mother church celebrates the feast of one of the great and early Evangelists, St Mark, who wrote the Gospel of Mark around 60-70 AD. It is believed that it is the first Gospel to be written though it is not the first in the canonical Gospels. His Gospel gives a short but full description and account of Jesus the Son of God, son of David, his life, ministry, passion, his death and burial in a unique way that he even becomes a source to the Gospel of Luke and Matthew. What a great Evangelist.
Saint Conrad of Parzham
Brethren, for the last few days, we have been hearing from Jesus presenting himself as the true bread from heaven, and the bread of life. This bread of life constitutes his body/flesh and his blood. However, this was not good news to the people as we see in today's Gospel. People could not imagine eating his body and drinking his blood. This is why we see after his discourse on this true bread (Eucharist) many disciples who had followed him started going away and no longer followed him, saying to themselves, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?”. Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter, always quick to speak, answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” John 6:66–68.
After all the attempts by prophets, Jesus himself and the apostles as well as disciples of Jesus, to convert the Jews to listen to the Gospel, failed, the mission was transferred to the Gentiles. In the first reading today, we see that because of persecution, all disciples and apostles ran to different places and there they proclaimed the gospel and many people believed. Do you allow the gospel to pass over you or do you accept it and believe in Jesus? Do you take part in persecuting those Jesus has chosen for his mission, or do you support them in any way possible. Persecution does not necessarily mean physical torture or killing but when we do not give warm welcome to the gospel herald, when we do not support them, when we reject them and claim that they should be transferred from our parishes, when we talk bad about them instead of praying for them, and others of a sort, we are persecuting them.
Brethren, today’s first reading begins the process of the martyrdom of Stephen. This martyrdom concludes the first section of the Acts (exhortation to the Jews to repent and believe in the Risen Christ), for Luke sees it as the end of the second chance given to Jerusalem. Jesus attempted to convert them and they refused. Then came the second chance as the apostles attempted to convince them, and again they failed. Now Luke marks this failure with Stephen’s arrest and testimony. The Gospel now is to move on to other areas, even to the Gentiles and everyone who will believe in the one God sent not only to heal and provide for us physical healing and food but mostly spiritual food and spiritual healing.
Brethren, the first reading shows us how the apostles handled the problem of ethnicity within their ideal community of believers, and also shows us the example of how to share and help each other in the ministry by appointing the seven deacons, who were to serve people at the table and attend to their needs while the Apostles devoted themselves to prayer and proclaiming the word of God. The tendency to cater to “people from my place” to the detriment of others’ welfare is still very strong among us. It exists in all walks of life, even in pious church communities. The problem always arises with sharing of material goods. The inclusion of Spirit-filled people from different ethnic groups ensures equitable sharing of material resources and guards against partiality and injustice.
Brethren, a few days ago, we saw Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus, which comes just before this passage, centred on being born again of water and the Spirit, and which we saw that it is fulfilled in the Church by the sacrament of baptism and then with the sacrament of confirmation. Today, the focus has changed to the other great sacrament of life and third sacrament of initiation, the Eucharist. The starting point on which Jesus will reflect is the feeding of the five thousand. The feeding the 5000 men reflects the real heavenly banquet which God will give us when we are all gathered there (Jesus' miracles were all pointing to what it will be like in the kingdom of God), but also reflects the sharing of the Eucharistic banquet when we are all gathered as a people and as mystical body of Christ, the church. Through his divine Providence, God is always feeding us with his word, the spiritual food as well as providing our physical needs. Today's message is therefore centred on trusting in the Divine Providence and Eucharist.
