Monday
18th Week in Ordinary Time
Peter Julian Eymard / Eusebius of Vercelli
►1st Reading: Jer 28:1–17
Early in the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, the prophet Hananiah spoke to me. Hananiah son of Azzur from Gibeon proclaimed in Yahweh’s House in the presence of the priests and the people, “This is what Yahweh the God of hosts and the God of Israel says: I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two years I will bring back to this place all the objects that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took away from Yahweh’s House and carried to Babylon. I will likewise bring back Jekoniah son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all who were taken from Judah and deported to Babylon. For I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon – word of Yahweh.”
Then Jeremiah replied to Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people, “So be it! May Yahweh fulfill the words you have spoken and bring back from Babylon to this place the objects taken from the House of Yahweh and all the exiles. Yet hear now what I say in your hearing and the hearing of all the people.
The prophets who came before you and me continually prophesied war, disaster and plague to many nations and great kingdoms. So the prophet who prophesies peace will not be recognized as truly sent by Yahweh, until his predictions are fulfilled.”
Then Hananiah took the yoke from the neck of Jeremiah and broke it. Hananiah proclaimed in the presence of all the people, “Yahweh says this: In the same manner within two years will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar from the neck of all the nations.” Then Jeremiah the prophet went on his way.
Some time later, a word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, “Go and tell this to Hananiah: This is what Yahweh says: You have broken a wooden yoke but in its place you will get a yoke of iron.
For this is what Yahweh the God of hosts and the God of Israel says: I am placing a yoke of iron on the neck of all the nations to make them serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and they will serve him. I will even give him control over the wild animals.”
Then Jeremiah said to Hananiah, “Listen! Hananiah, you have not been sent by Yahweh and yet you have deceived these people, giving them false hope with your lies. That is why Yahweh says with regard to you: I am removing you from the face of the earth. You will die this very year because you have counseled rebellion against Yahweh.”
And in the seventh month of that year Hananiah died.
►Gospel: Mt 14:13–21 (o Mt 14:22–36) *(completed)
On hearing about the death of John the Baptist, Jesus set out secretly by boat for a secluded place. But the people heard of it, and they followed him on foot from their towns. When Jesus went ashore, he saw the crowd gathered there and he had compassion on them. And he healed their sick.
Late in the afternoon, his disciples came to him and said, “We are in a lonely place and it is now late. You should send these people away, so they can go to the villages and buy something for themselves to eat.”
But Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat.” They answered, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fishes.” Jesus said to them, “Bring them here to me.”
Then he made everyone sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fishes, raised his eyes to heaven, pronounced the blessing, broke the loaves and handed them to the disciples to distribute to the people. And they all ate, and everyone had enough; then the disciples gathered up the leftovers, filling twelve baskets. About five thousand men had eaten there besides women and children.
REFLECTION
“‘All we have here are five loaves and two fish,’ they replied.”
As long as I give everything I have–
my whole heart and soul–
to the work of God in life,
It will count for enough in the sight of God.
It’s when I fail to give myself away whole heartedly
that my own life is only half full.
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