19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. 1 Kings 19: 4-8
2. Psalms 34: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
3. Ephesians 4:30-5:2
4. John 6: 41-51

1. If this is how you treat your friends ...
• It would be nice if, when bad things befall us, we could point to some stand that we took, some tough decision that we made that put us on a course that led to a tough outcome.
• In that circumstance, we could blame God for getting us into this position.
• We would be bummed by the circumstances (like Elijah getting threatened by the Jezebel and the priests of Baal), but at least feel virtuous.
• But I think sometimes, we follow God, don't do anything manifestly heroic, and still end up getting layed off, having a loved one die, taking a hit in the stock market.
• Does that sort of suffering have to mean anything?
• How can we share that suffering with others, without inflicting it on them?
2. Trust in God
• Have you ever had a time in life when you had to trust in God to get you through?
• How did that work out for you?  Did everything turn out well?
• Sometimes, we only see God's hand when looking back at something from a distance of time.  How long does that take?  Do we see God's providence all at once?
• Is there any guarantee that we'll always see God's hand in our lives ever?
3. Putting away my God-given right to be upset with you ...
• In a perfect world, everyone would be as reasonable as I am and see things my way.  What do we do in the meantime?
• Somehow, when I tell someone else that I forgive them for being wrong about something, the conversation never ends well.  Why is that?
• Disagreements within the Body of Christ are bound to come up, sometimes they can last a long time.  How do we deal with that in a healthy way?
4. Buddy, can you spare some Jesus?
• This is is the climax of the "bread of life" discourse in John.  Jesus started by feeding the 5000, and has steadily (relentlessly?) shifted their focus from the food that He just gave them to the bread of life.  So, what was the purpose of feeding them in the first place?
• If we believe that everything that we receive is from God, what then is the meaning of our contribution, our work (some would say toil) towards providing for ourselves and our loved ones?
• Is everything that we receive from God like the loaves and fishes, that is, is it the purpose of that provision to turn our hearts towards God, or is His provision for us more practical?
• When we feed the homeless, do they need to be preached to, or do our actions nourish them better than our words might?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Have I "backed off" a difficult position or stance because I was afraid of what others would think or do?
2. When was the last time I spoke of my gratitude to God for something in my life?
3. Is my prayer life healthy enough that I can tell when I've grieved the Holy Spirit?
4. When I've been confused or doubtful, have I talked that out with anyone, or just murmured?

Waste of a Good Lunch

Jesus is so unpredictable.
One minute he's encouraging us (particularly the poor)
Then we get fed out of nowhere,
Then suddenly, bam, He starts in with this bread of life spiel.

Frankly, now that I think on it,
If I had stayed home I could have gotten wheat bread
Not as course,
Nothing sticking between my teeth.

And, I would not have had,
To try and figure out what all this talk
Is about Jesus being the bread of life.
There's a lesson here -

There's no free lunch.

Shalom!