Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

by Rev. Kilian McCaffrey  |  08/08/2024  |  Pastor's Letter

“They shall all be taught by God.”

Jesus continues His teaching on The Bread of Life in the Gospel of John, Chapter 6, and reveals Himself as the Bread of Life, the Bread of Heaven. Christ tells us that He is the Word of God Made Flesh, a disgusting thought for many followers.

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world” (John 6:51).

The people who heard Jesus’ message, did not understand it. Rather than take their complaint to God as Elijah did, they begin to complain amongst themselves about him, murmuring, moaning and gossiping—and it’s always bad.

Now, Elijah had a bad day too! On the run for his life from Queen Jezebel’s army, Elijah spent a long, hot day trudging through the dry desert until he finally found a little broom tree and sitting beneath it and in desperation he prayed for death, crying out:

“This is enough, O Lord! Take my life.”

Elijah’s plea is his prayer in desperate need. Prayer is simply lifting our minds and hearts up to God. God responds, sending restorative food and drink. Rejuvenated, Elijah is able to walk for 40 days and he reaches the destination God had in mind for him all along, Mt. Horeb.

Don’t let the ways of the world cause you to become weary, lost and defeated; don’t let misery enter your soul. Why not let God help and restore your hopes, dreams and desires.

God Sends Us Help At The Right Time.

“The sacrament of the Eucharist is the very person of Jesus who feeds us only if we eat it with the necessary dispositions.

“Unfortunately, there are among us many who lose their appetite for God. They lose hope and stop eating, so they are spiritually in danger of starvation” (Dr. Scott Hahn).

Not in the sense of wanting to die but in the vocational sense: by offering ourselves as a sacrificial offering—loving Him as He has loved us, on the Cross and in the Eucharist.”

Feeling tired and worn down at times is part of the faith journey. It means we are giving our all to the life God is calling us to live. It is also a sign to us that we need to find new strength from God—in the Eucharist.

As with all good things, we begin with prayer and ask the Lord at the altar in every Eucharist that the angel of the Lord will touch us and command us to take and eat the flesh given for the life of the world. God will give you His own Son, the Bread from Heaven, to strengthen you with the Body of Christ and the living Word of the Bible.

Thursday of this week, August 15th is the great Solemnity of The Assumption of Mary, and is a Holy Day of Obligation.

The Vigil Mass is Wednesday at 6PM Day Masses: 7 & 8:30AM and Noon.

Fr. Kilian, Fr. Samuel, our Deacons and our Parish Staff and Volunteers.

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