LAITY REFLECTIONS FOR THE SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B
1st Reading: 2 Kings 4:42-44
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm145:10- II.15- 16.17-18 (R. see 16)
2nd Reading: Ephesians 4:1-6
Gospel Reading: John 6: 1-15
Rev. Kenneth Chima CMF
My Reflection
The readings of this Sunday portrays and prefigures Eucharistic Celebration. The Eucharist also portrays the figure of God as our shepherd, who deigned to always care, give and feed his people: physically and spiritually. This we see in the first reading, Responsorial Psalm and the Gospel.
The second reading gives us the implications of the Eucharist in our lives and Christian community: to lead a life worthy of our vocation and to preserve in love, faith and unity.
The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Unity and source and summit of our Christian faith. May this sacrament inspire us to always give thanks to God "who has blessed us with every spiritual blessings in the heavenly places"(Eph.1:3), sharing our lives and all we have with others as God has done for us in Christ. Amen.
My Reflection
At that time: Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias._
There is a message I want us to pick from that line of the Gospel reading.
For the sake of the Gospel, Jesus traveled, far and wide, across rivers and seas.
How about us, where have we gone to for the sake of the Gospel?
I'm not talking about where we have been to, to HEAR the gospel. I'm talking about where we have been to, to PREACH the gospel. It's two different things.
Many of us don't mind traveling from Lagos to Abuja, or from the north to the south just to hear the gospel, or maybe meet a powerful man of God who is known to be a miracle worker.
But can we go that length to PREACH Jesus?
Christianity is not only about what we can gain, it is also about what we can give.
Pacem.
Talking about what we can give.
By virtue of being Christians we are missionaries, set out into the world to preach Jesus.
Dear friends, we can either be missionaries by going or be missionaries by giving.
If you can't be one by going, be one by giving. This is why whenever we are called to support the church financially, in her mission, let's not feel discouraged. Let's always support in the best way we can
Anyanwu Ogochukwu
You open your hand & you satisfy us, Lord
The thing wey I still dey think na how person go get this kind big faith even wen things rough?
How I wan take explain to person wey wan join this movement of winning souls if my faith no get foundation wey kakaraka like rock of ages?
How I wan take explain say all of us suppose get the same faith since na one spirit baba God take born all of us?
D matta sef don tire me, sake of say, e hard to use action show say my faith gather root for where God dey, if not how Prophet strong mind tell the man say make e share that kind small portion for MEN wey full field?
But one thing sure for me!!!!
God wey dey run am no dey change !!!
Na me gats set my faith make e dey face where God dey so that my root sef go sink wella.
E com mean say, no matta the situation or quansiqency, El Roi go run am for me….
Bcof Ihm kno say my faith full na why “ihm go always open Ihm hand for me make I for see front even wen everywhere dark”
I rest my case on God!!!
Michael Umande
My reflection
From the Gospel reading
_and a multitude followed him, because they saw the signs which he did on those who were diseased_
This portion of the reading make me to question my Christian journey. How I begin the journey in the first place? How far have I gone? And where is it leading me to?
So many of us have lost track of our spiritual journey because we began on a poor ground. So many of us have grown weary because we can no longer cope. The journey is taken longer than expected. As I reflect on the reading, I see that the Christian journey is all about knowing Christ, following him and developing a strong relationship with him.
Why am I a Christian today? Is it only because I am baptized? Baptism is a first step. I must grow beyond that. I must come to know Christ personally. And the more I know Christ the more I want to know him. That's the push - wanting to know Christ more. If we deviate from this, then we may become frustrated.
The desire to know him more is the drive to follow him. May God purify our intentions and satisfy our hearts.
My Reflection
Love in Sharing
The first reading and the gospel expresses the virtue of Love. When we have love in our heart, it doesn't matter whether we're full or not, but that we will always want to make people around us happy. Like the saying goes..."The way to be Happy is to make others Happy".
Most of us Christians just want to acquire, and acquire more. Inspite of the numerous acquisitions, we are still Aka gum( Stingy)
The gospel of only Me,I,my family has bring so much pain to our world.
Let Us learn to share, no matter how little it may seem for there is more Joy, Happiness and Peace in given than in receiving. Jesus gave His all to us in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is a source of Unity. For irrespective of whom we are, we share from the same Chalice.
The love of Sharing Unite us together .
Let Us also remember to share our testimony of Christ with one another. Let Us learn to support the mission in Prayer, Kind and Cash.
May God help us in Jesus name. Amen
Dennis Ukange
My Reflection of the Word of God!!
Sometimes as humans our weaknesses got hold of us and doubt comes in when been faced with the realities of the present challenges.
That was exactly what happened in the first reading and the gospel. The Servant of Elisha and Christ's disciples were faced with the challenges of how could it be possible to feed a multitudes of people with a small portion of Food.
In our homes today as families, some of us are faced with this same challenges of how to feed ourselves and loved ones when we have so little moslty because of the economic realities of our Nation Nigeria.
But the readings are drawing us back to God for us to realize that, only God has the Power to change that which is so little and multiply it plentiful when we trust and obey Him.
Just as the Psalmist says, the eyes of all of us are on God now, and surely he will open his hands of mercy and satisfy us. He has done it before feeding the multitudes with a small portion of food during Elisha, He did it before during Christ and He has already done it in our times with the body and blood of his son our Lord Jesus Christ when he was taken to the Cross and He said, "it is finished".
In that moment of his dying he took away our hunger and hardships
It is God's desire that no body should suffer hunger that was why He fed those who were in need of hunger during Elisha. Jesus saw the same need of feeding the people who were in need of food too and he did it with just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. In all these God summarizes it in one person, by giving us his only begotten Son. Let's come to Him in total submission and trust believing that He who has done it before will still do again.
May his mercy continue to sustain us in our various needs amen and amen
