Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 113

It-Tmintax-il Hadd taz-Zmien ta’ Matul is-Sena

Messalin 431

Reading 1 EXodus 16:2-4, 12-15

The whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “Would that we had died at the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt, as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread! But you had to lead us into this desert to make the whole community die of famine!” Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will now rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion; thus will I test them, to see whether they follow my instructions or not. “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them: In the evening twilight you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread, so that you may know that I, the LORD, am your God.” In the evening quail came up and covered the camp. In the morning a dew lay all about the camp, and when the dew evaporated, there on the surface of the desert were fine flakes like ho arfrost on the ground. On seeing it, the Israelites asked one another, “What is this?” for they did not know what it was. But Moses told them, “This is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.” This is the Word of The Lord.

1Qari - Ktieb tal-EZODU 16:2-4, 12-15

F’dak iz-zmien, fid-dezert, il-gemgha kollha ta’ wlied Izrael bdew igergru kontra Mosè u Aron. Ulied Izrael qalulhom: «Mhux li mitna b’id il-Mulej fl-art tal-Egittu, meta konna hdejn il-borom tal-laham u konna nieklu hobz bix-xaba’! Hrigtuna f’dan id-dezert biex toqtlu bil-guh din il-gemgha kollha!» Il-Mulej imbaghad qal lil Mosè: «Ara, se nibaghtilkom xita ta’ hobz mis-sema. Il-poplu kollu johrog u jig bor minn jum ghal iehor kemm ikun jenhtieg ghall-gurnata, biex hekk ingarrabhom u nara jimxux mal-ligi tieghi jew le. Jien smajt it-tgergir ta’ wlied Izrael. Kellimhom u ghidilhom: “Filghaxija tieklu l-laham u filghodu tixbghu bil-hobz. U tkunu tafu li jiena l-Mulej, Alla taghkom.”» U gara li filghaxija dehret qatgha summien tittajjar fl-gholi u ghattiet it-tined kollha, u filghodu kien hemm wiçç nida madwar it-tined. Meta din in-nida ghabet, fuq wiçç id-dezert kien hemm xi haga rqiqa qisha glata fuq l-art. Malli wlied Izrael raw dan, bdew jghidu wiehed lil iehor: «Man-hu?» – Ghax ma gharfux x’inhu. Mosè qalilhom: «Dan hu l-ikel li l-Mulej takom biex tieklu.» Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm Psalm:3-4, 23-24, 25, 54

What we have heard and know,
and what our fathers have declared to us,
We will declare to the generation to come
the glorious deeds of the LORD and his strength
and the wonders that he wrought.
R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

He commanded the skies above
and opened the doors of heaven;
he rained manna upon them for food
and gave them heavenly bread.

R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

Man ate the bread of angels,
food he sent them in abundance.
And he brought them to his holy land,
to the mountains his right hand had won.
R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

Salm Responsorjali SALM 77 (78), 3.4bç.23-24.25.54 Rl . (24b):

Dak li smajna u tghallimna,

dak li qalulna missirijietna,

inxandruh lin-nisel ta’ warajhom:

tifhir il-Mulej u l-qawwa tieghu,

u l-ghegubijiet li ghamel.

Rl . Il-Mulej tahom il-qam˙ mis-sema.

Imma hu ordna s-shab fl-gholi,

u feta˙ bwieb is-smewwiet;

u xita ta’ manna baghtilhom x’jieklu,

tahom il-qam˙ mis-sema.

Rl . Il-Mulej tahom il-qam˙ mis-sema.

Kull wiehed kiel il-hobz tal-qalbenin,

ikel bix-xaba’ bagtilhom.

U dahhalhom fl-art imqaddsa tieghu,

fuq l-gholja li kisbet il-leminija tieghu.

Rl . Il-Mulej tahom il-qam˙ mis-sema.

Reading 2 EPHesians 4:17, 20-24

Brothers and sisters: I declare and testify in the Lord that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds; that is not how you learned Christ, assuming that you have heard of him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus, that you should put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth. This is the Word of The Lord.

2 Qari - mill-Ittra lill-EFESIN 4, 17.20-24

Huti, jiena dan nghdilkom u nwissikom quddiem il-Mulej: li ma ggibux izjed ruhkom skont ma jgibu ruhhom il-pagani bil-bluha ta’ mohhhom. Imma intom mhux hekk tghallimtuh’il Kristu - jekk intom smajtuh u tghallimtuh skont il-verità li hi f’Gesù - jigifieri, li ghandkom twarrbu l-hajja taghkom ta’ qabel u tinzghu l-bniedem il-qadim, imhassar bix-xewqat tal-pjaçiri qarrieqa, u li ghandkom tiggeddu b’tibdila spiritwali tal-fehma taghkom u tilbsu l-bniedem il-gdid, mahluq skont Alla, fil-gustizzja u l-qdusija tassew. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel JohN 6:24-35

When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. And when they found him across the sea they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.” So they said to him, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.” So they said to him, “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” So they said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” This is the Word of The Lord.

Evangelju - Qari skont San Gwann 6:24-35

F’dak iz-zmien, in-nies meta ntebhu li fuq id-dghajsa la kien hemm Gesù u lanqas id-dixxipli tieghu, telghu fuq id-dghajjes u marru lejn Kafarnahum ifittxu lil Gesù. U meta sabuh in-naha l-ohra tal-bahar staqsewh: «Rabbi, meta gejt hawn?» Gesù wegibhom: «Tassew tassew nghidilkom, intom qeghdin tfittxuni mhux ghax rajtu sinjali, imma ghax kiltu mill-hobz u xbajtu. Thabtu mhux ghall-ikel li jghaddi, izda ghall-ikel li jibqa’ ghall-hajja ta’ dejjem, dak li Bin il-bniedem jaghtikom, ghaliex lilu Alla l-Missier immarka bis-sigill tieghu.» Imbaghad staqsewh: «X’ghandna naghmlu biex naghmlu l-opri ta’ Alla?» Wegibhom Gesù: «L-opra ta’ Alla hija din: li intom temmnu f’dak li huwa baghat.» Qalulu: «X’sinjal se taghmel biex ahna narawh u nemmnuk? X’sejjer taghmel? Missirijietna kielu l-manna fid-dezert, bhalma hemm miktub, “Tahom jieklu hobz mis-sema.”» Wegibhom Gesù: «Tassew tassew nghidilkom, mhux Mosè takom il-hobz mis-sema, izda Missieri jaghtikom il-hobz tassew mis-sema; ghaliex il-hobz ta’ Alla huwa dak li jinzel mis-sema u jaghti l-hajja lid-dinja.» Qalulu huma: «Sinjur, aghtina dejjem minn dan il-hobz.» Wegibhom Gesù: «Jiena hu l-hobz tal-hajja. Min jigi ghandi ma jiehdu qatt il-guh, u min jemmen fija ma jkun qatt bil-ghatx!» Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

////////////// A reflection by Larry Broding

Then and Now

Are you a "news hound?" Do you like to watch new talk shows or listen to political debates? Do you like to engage others in discussions of politics? Why?

In these uncertain times, many people find comfort in a world view that divides people into opposing camps. Us vs. them. Conservative vs. liberal. Those on the right concern themselves with preserving timeless, almost eternal values to enrich life today. Those on the left desire to liberate the oppressed from the prejudices of the past and give them their just due. So, the political and cultural fault lines are drawn. The past is a sure guidepost to the present. The present is the moment to free us and ensure a glorious future. This might be a crass way to see the world. But, it makes for interesting politics and boosts ratings for cable news networks.

Once in a while, dwelling in the past does fog our openness to what confronts us. Spirituality is more than cherishing tradition. This was the message Jesus gave to his audience: "Don't merely look to the past for answers. Look to me!"

After the sign of the loaves and fishes, John began the discourse on the Bread of Life that will last in the readings for the next four Sundays. In typical Johannine fashion, the dialogue worked on two levels, 1) between Jesus and his audience and 2) between John's community and the synagogues influenced by the Pharisees. In the case of the level two, there was a tug-of-war between a spirituality focused on the present and one focused on the past. Between one centered on the activity of God now, and one concerned primarily about God's action in the history. Between presence and tradition . Of course, God's action in the past and the present cannot be separated. But the feeble minds of people needed a hook, a vantage point to see God working. Time was a perfect starting point.

The crowd that was fed sought Jesus for more satisfaction. If Jesus fed them once, he would feed them again. With bread. With preaching about the Kingdom. With insight. With signs of God's power. But, Kingdom was not about personal satisfaction. It was about faith in Jesus. The crowd focused upon what they could get from Jesus. Not what they could give to Jesus.

This difference between take vs. give set up the tension and misunderstanding in the passage. The bread the people received would spoil. But, the Bread that gave eternal life stood before them. This man, this Jesus, was the One God placed his seal of approval upon. God empowered his Son and his Son's ministry.

The people had no problem seeing Jesus as a teacher of the Law. God had blessed many men as religious leaders. And they were ready to hear a populist teacher, not one from the untrusted Establishment. The question they asked was a standard one about the Law. The "works of God" were either duties from the commands found in the Torah or religious prescriptions from an interpretation of the Law. "What can we do?" With this question, the people sought a trustworthy road to travel that was different from the Pharisees. It was a road based upon the activity of God in the past.

Jesus must have shocked them with his answer. "Trust me! Now!"

The people demanded a sign. Giving bread was not enough. For their ancestors received manna in the desert from Moses. What would Jesus give them?

Jesus corrected their thinking. It was not Moses who gave them bread. It was God. And the bread God gave was not for the Exodus community at the birth of the nation. It was for the audience of Jesus. Now! It came down from heaven. And would give life to the entire world, not just the complaining tribes of Israel back then in the desert. Now!

The people still wanted to be fed. They understood the import of Jesus' correction. But, were they ready to hear what he would present to them?

"I AM the Bread of Life!" Jesus' answer must have shocked them (again!) in two ways. First, Jesus used the phrase "I AM," buzz words in John's gospel that equated Jesus with God. He used shorthand for YHWH, the title God revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14: "I am who am."

Second, Jesus did not say he would give them bread. He stated that, in his divinity, HE was the Bread of Life. To feed from him, people would have to come and to trust him. Then, they would be truly satisfied.

For John's audience, of course, only the Christian community held up the Christ as one to be worshiped as God. So, the only way to come and trust was through that community. This was the challenge Christianity lay before its Jewish competitors. The activity of God was present in the community, because the Christ was present. While what God did was important, what God was doing now was more important.

How is God active in your life now? How does the Bible and tradition help that insight?

Did Jesus really think the past was unimportant? Should we? The answer to both is: "Of course not!" Jesus did not come to reject tradition. He came to change the focus of God's people. From the Law. To himself. He challenges us in the same way. He is not only the Lord who died and rose two thousand years ago. And gave us a Church with a deep and long tradition. No! He is our Lord! Now! He chides and challenges us to come to him and trust in him. To see him work in our lives and the lives of those around us.

As important as tradition is (and it is!), the spiritual sight to realize the presence of God is far more important. Let us open our eyes, our minds, and our hearts. Let us go and trust. Now!

Quiet your mind and heart to the presence of God. What is he telling you? How is he beckoning you closer right now?

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