Deacon Wayne's Homily on Peace on 14 January 2024 .
Freely share for any non commercial purpose
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28 July 2024: 17th Sunday of the Year (Cycle B)
Parishioner’s Gospel
Contributor: Aidan Twomey
John 6:1-15
Two of the great miracles of the first part of John’s Gospel - the production of wine at the wedding feat in Cana and the proliferation of the loaves for the five thousand - are clearly eucharistic in nature. The overwhelming quality of both miracles is God’s superabundance, where the outpouring of blessings upon the people are more than they could consume; more than they deserved. A second characteristic is the preparation: at Cana the filling of the purification vessels, at Tiberias the giving thanks. Thirdly, the food provided is not naturally occurring bounty like fruit or milk, but human products. Bread is far from simple, in fact I sometimes wonder how it came to exist at all. Who knew that if you took the seeds of a type of tall grass, crushed them between two large smooth stones, kneeded them together with water and a fungus called yeast and cooked it in an oven you would get a delicious and fulfilling staple? Jesus takes human ingenuity and creativity and truly magnifies it.
Yet for all the superabundance, surely at some stage the hangovers of Cana wore off, and the stomachs that couldn’t finish all the bread were hungry again. Why is it then that after the miracle Jesus says “I am the bread of life, he who comes to me will never be hungry?” To Jewish ears, the abundant bread of life clearly evokes the manna that God provided in the desert as they followed Moses the mediator and law-giver. These concepts developed together in Jewish thought such that the real bread from heaven is the Law, the world of the Lord. So it as the fulfilment of the law that Jesus becomes capable of saving all of humanity, that through his ultimate sacrifice we can be at one with God. And how do we do this "work of God”? We believe in him who God sent (John 6:29).
This belief is no mere intellectual agreement, any more than bread is just an idea of flour and yeast, but a complete assent of the will so that God’s grace may act on us. And the greatest outpouring of grace is through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, the source and summit of Christian life.
We make bread, prepare ourselves through repentance and pondering scripture, then bring the bread to his altar where he becomes really present, then we go forth and keep his commandments.
We pray that these most sacred mysteries may sanctify our present way of life and lead us to eternal joy.
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4th August 2024: 18th Sunday of the Year (Cycle B)
Parishioner’s Gospel
Contributor: Caroline Grainger
John 6. 24-35
This passage follows on from the feeding of the 5000 and the crowds now seem to be following Jesus in the hope of further supplies of free food. He has to explain to them what he was really there for - to address a deeper hunger within them - the longing for God. The crowd however don't seem to be really listening - they ask for signs as proof and not just any sign preferably something along the lines of manna from heaven that Moses provided.
The metaphor that Jesus was the Bread of Life was not a satisfactory answer to those thinking solely of their material needs. Jesus had to be firm but not everyone was really listening or understood the message.
Obviously we need to eat to survive but equally clearly physical hunger is less common in our community than it was in Jesus' time. And yet many people remain hungry for spiritual things including faith, hope and love. Often however in our consumerist society it is easier to focus on material wants - wants that can never be satisfied because there is always more to want and shut down those other needs as sometimes too difficult or painful to think about.
The invitation to find satisfaction, to never be hungry or thirsty again is offered to us as it was to the crowds by the lake and just like them we have a choice.
We can open our hearts to God or we can fixate on the material and stay forever hungry.
Freely share for any non commercial purpose
**************************
28 July 2024: 17th Sunday of the Year (Cycle B)
Parishioner’s Gospel
Contributor: Aidan Twomey
John 6:1-15
Two of the great miracles of the first part of John’s Gospel - the production of wine at the wedding feat in Cana and the proliferation of the loaves for the five thousand - are clearly eucharistic in nature. The overwhelming quality of both miracles is God’s superabundance, where the outpouring of blessings upon the people are more than they could consume; more than they deserved. A second characteristic is the preparation: at Cana the filling of the purification vessels, at Tiberias the giving thanks. Thirdly, the food provided is not naturally occurring bounty like fruit or milk, but human products. Bread is far from simple, in fact I sometimes wonder how it came to exist at all. Who knew that if you took the seeds of a type of tall grass, crushed them between two large smooth stones, kneeded them together with water and a fungus called yeast and cooked it in an oven you would get a delicious and fulfilling staple? Jesus takes human ingenuity and creativity and truly magnifies it.
Yet for all the superabundance, surely at some stage the hangovers of Cana wore off, and the stomachs that couldn’t finish all the bread were hungry again. Why is it then that after the miracle Jesus says “I am the bread of life, he who comes to me will never be hungry?” To Jewish ears, the abundant bread of life clearly evokes the manna that God provided in the desert as they followed Moses the mediator and law-giver. These concepts developed together in Jewish thought such that the real bread from heaven is the Law, the world of the Lord. So it as the fulfilment of the law that Jesus becomes capable of saving all of humanity, that through his ultimate sacrifice we can be at one with God. And how do we do this "work of God”? We believe in him who God sent (John 6:29).
This belief is no mere intellectual agreement, any more than bread is just an idea of flour and yeast, but a complete assent of the will so that God’s grace may act on us. And the greatest outpouring of grace is through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, the source and summit of Christian life.
We make bread, prepare ourselves through repentance and pondering scripture, then bring the bread to his altar where he becomes really present, then we go forth and keep his commandments.
We pray that these most sacred mysteries may sanctify our present way of life and lead us to eternal joy.
************************************
4th August 2024: 18th Sunday of the Year (Cycle B)
Parishioner’s Gospel
Contributor: Caroline Grainger
John 6. 24-35
This passage follows on from the feeding of the 5000 and the crowds now seem to be following Jesus in the hope of further supplies of free food. He has to explain to them what he was really there for - to address a deeper hunger within them - the longing for God. The crowd however don't seem to be really listening - they ask for signs as proof and not just any sign preferably something along the lines of manna from heaven that Moses provided.
The metaphor that Jesus was the Bread of Life was not a satisfactory answer to those thinking solely of their material needs. Jesus had to be firm but not everyone was really listening or understood the message.
Obviously we need to eat to survive but equally clearly physical hunger is less common in our community than it was in Jesus' time. And yet many people remain hungry for spiritual things including faith, hope and love. Often however in our consumerist society it is easier to focus on material wants - wants that can never be satisfied because there is always more to want and shut down those other needs as sometimes too difficult or painful to think about.
The invitation to find satisfaction, to never be hungry or thirsty again is offered to us as it was to the crowds by the lake and just like them we have a choice.
We can open our hearts to God or we can fixate on the material and stay forever hungry.