17th Sunday of the Year (B)

(Edited) Sunday reflections (from) 17th Sunday of the Year - liturgical years 2014 (A), 2015 (B), and 2016 (C)

July 26, 2015
Liturgical readings
2 Kings 4:42-44
Psalm 145
Ephesians 4:1-6
John 6:1-15

"Gather up the crusts so that nothing will go to waste."

The miracle of the loaves and the fish in the gospel of John. This miracle involved five thousand men. In the other gospels, there is an additional phrase added - "not counting women and children". But even without this additional phrase in John's gospel, we can see that families benefitted from the feeding miracle of Jesus. So all the people had their fill, and there were still leftovers from the miracle of the loaves and the fish. Note what the Lord said to His disciples: "gather up the crusts that are left over so that nothing will go to waste." The Lord's miracle was also an occasion to teach that God's graces and blessings are life-giving and should not be put to waste; it is to be gathered for others as well.

All human life and creation is part of God's plan - a plan that is good and meant to serve His divine purpose. All life comes from God and goes back to God. This mystery and gift of God's grace and mercy received each day must be reproduced and responsibly taken care of, "so that nothing will go to waste", and may benefit others as well. The gathering of the hosts in the Eucharistic celebration is symbolic of that feeding miracle of Christ. After everyone in the Eucharistic celebration have been fed with the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of the Lord, the communion ministers gather all the hosts and place them in ciboria. These are brought back to the tabernacle for the next Mass. From this "left overs" of God's grace, some are brought to the sick in the parish either by the parish priest, other assistant clergy or by the communion ministers.

God's blessings and graces are never sparse but always there for us. Even when times get difficult, material resources are scarce, and good seems absent in the environment, the Lord continues to provide - both spiritually and materially. We are to seek His Kingdom and all things will be provided for us. But we also have to do our part to save, and not to waste God's blessings and provisions. We know by experience the value of "left overs" in hard times. Many families are trained in the dinner table to get only what they need, and to finish everything in their plate. This discipline need not be only in matters relating to food, but in all areas of Christian life. As St. Francis de Sales counsels, whenever there is an opportunity to "store" patience, or meekness in our souls, then we should do so. For when calamity arrives, impatience is high and anger can erupt. But if we have "stored" virtue in our way of living, no difficulty or calamity can take away our focus on the Lord.