Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82512159155 phone-in for (audio only).Phone Number: (646) 558-865
Peace
Prayer
Welcome:
We gather today to reflect on the Parable of the Loaves and Fishes, recognizing
the call of Jesus to be mindful of those in need of sustenance. Let us remember
that all are called to come to the water to be fed and nourished in the grace
of the Divine.
Opening Song: At This Table by Idina Menzel video by Denise
https://youtu.be/n9Xf4cHOcwQ
Opening Prayer:
Holy
Mystery, be in our midst today as we open our hearts and mind to your
ever-giving love for those who hunger for love, for faith, and for sustenance.
May we, like Jesus, bring the Bread of Life to all those who cross our paths.
Amen.
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading: A reading from the Hebrew text of the Prophet Isaiah (Is.
55:1-3)
Thus
says the LORD:
All you who are thirsty,
come to the water!
You who have no money,
come, receive grain and eat;
Come, without paying and without cost,
drink wine and milk!
Why spend your money for what is not bread;
your wages for what fails to satisfy?
Heed me, and you shall eat well,
you shall delight in rich fare.
Come to me heedfully,
listen, that you may have life.
I will renew with you the everlasting covenant,
the benefits assured to David.
These
are the inspired words from the Hebrew text of the Prophet Isaiah and we affirm
them with, Amen.
Second Reading: Giver of All Good Gifts by Walter Brueggeman (edited by
Dennis)
You
are the God who feeds and nourishes
You
are the God who assures that we have more than enough,
And
we do not doubt that you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
Even
in such an assurance, however, we scramble for more food,
After
we have filled all our baskets with manna we seek a surplus –
Enough
education to plan ahead, enough power to protect our supply,
Enough
oil to assure that protection.
And
in the midst of that comes your word, that we share bread and
Feed
the hungry, even to the least and so to you.
We
mostly keep our bread for ourselves, our neighbors, and our friends.
Until
we remember that you are the giver of all good gifts,
Ours
to enjoy, our to share.
Stir
us by your Spirit beyond fearful accumulation toward outrageous
Generosity,
that giving bread to others, makes for peace,
That
giving drink to others makes for justice,
That
giving and sharing opens the world and assures abundance for all.
Feed
us till we want no more!
These
are the inspired words of Walter Brueggeman, and we affirm them with Amen.
Prayers for a Privileged
People, Walter Brueggeman, 2008, Abingdon Press
Gospel Acclamation: More Light by Christopher Grundy video
by MTStreck
https://youtu.be/a8XaUlqb8t0
Gospel:
A reading from the anonymous Gospel author known as Luke (Lk. 9:10-17)
Taking
them with him, he retreated to the town of Bethsaida where they could be by
themselves. But when the crowd found out, they followed him. Jesus welcomed the
crowd and spoke to them about the reign of God, and healed all who were in need
of healing. As sunset approached, the Twelve came and said to Jesus, “Dismiss
the crowd, so they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside and
find lodging and food, for this is a remote and isolated area.” Jesus answered
them, “Give them something to eat yourselves!” The disciples replied, “We have
nothing but five loaves and two fish. Or do you want us to go and buy food for
all these people?” There were about five thousand gathered. Jesus said to the
disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of fifty or so.” They did so and got
them all seated. Then, taking the five loaves and two fishes, Jesus raised his
eyes to heaven, said a blessing over them, broke them and gave them to the
disciples for distribution to the crowd. They all ate until they were satisfied
and, when the leftovers were collected, there were twelve baskets full.
Priests
for Equality. The Inclusive Bible: The First Egalitarian Translation (p. 680).
Bloomsbury Publishing. Kindle Edition.
These
are the inspired writings of the author known as Luke and we affirm them with,
Amen.
Shared Homily
The
story of the Feeding the Multitude is one that we hear every year, and yet,
there are things I discovered in preparing this liturgy that I did not know.
Did you know that in both Mark and Matthew there are actually two Feeding the
Multitude stories. They are just a couple of chapters apart, with the second
one occurring after Jesus and the disciples cross the Sea of Galilee. Why the
two? According to various scripture scholars it’s because in one Jesus is
feeding the people on the Jewish side of the sea, and the other he is feeding
Gentiles. It is the way the two authors are sharing with their respective faith
communities that Jesus feeds all people.
The
second thing I discovered is that based on which of the four Gospels your
reading, there are either 5,000 or 4,000 people fed, with a changing number of
loaves and fishes. In some it’s five, in others it’s 7 loaves, and the fish are
either two or a few. In the Gospel of John it is a young boy who has the loaves
and the fishes, while all the others say the disciples provide them. And each story ends with 7 or 12 baskets of
bread being gathered.
Bishop
John Shelby Spong shares that these numbers would have had meaning to those
hearing the stories back in first century Israel. The number 5 refers to the
five books of the Torah and five books of Moses. Seven refers to the seven
nations of Gentiles, a way to acknowledge the feeding of all people. And twelve
would point to the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 sons of Jacob. The idea here
is to connect Jesus to Jewish history, especially the story of manna in the
desert, in which everyone, each morning, eat to their fill
This
idea comes from both Spong and John T Squires, another biblical scholar, that
the story is actually a parable. In each case the disciples come to Jesus
saying that the people have to be sent away, since they do not have enough food
or the money to purchase enough food. Jesus balks at this and says, “feed them
yourselves”, and asks what food they do have.
He then takes what they offer, raises his eyes to heaven, blesses the
loaves and fishes, breaks them and offers them to the disciples to distribute.
Might you hear the similar language to the Last Supper in those words, ‘take,
blessed, broke, offered’. Jesus, as he does so often, uses an opportunity to
open the eyes of the disciples to be of service to the people and trust in God.
The message of the parable and the lesson for those hearing the story is to,
unlike the disciples, recognize the situation and trust that God will provide
what is needed, if only, as Jesus does, pray for assistance allowing him to feed
them, and not send them away hungry.
Our
first reading from Isaiah supports this with the repeating word, “Come”, no
matter what, come and receive without cost what is needed and be blessed. And
the second reading from Walter Brueggeman challenges us to feed the hungry
without a second thought. Don’t put you or your family or neighbors first, and
then feed the hungry. Don’t consider it once you feel you have enough, then
share your bread. He states,
“Generosity,
that giving bread to others, makes for peace,
that
giving drink to others makes for justice,
that
giving and sharing opens the world and assures abundance for all.”
This
is our call, to feed the hungry in our midst, whatever that hunger might
be.
Please
share your thoughts on what you read or heard.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
Prayers of the Community
As we prepare for the
sacred meal, we bring to this table our blessings, cares and concerns. Please
feel free to voice your concerns beginning with the words “I bring to the
table….”
We pray for these, and
all the unspoken blessings, cares, and concerns held in the silence of our
hearts. AMEN
Eucharistic Prayer
(by
Diarmuid O’Murchu, modified by Kathie & Dennis)
Please join
in praying the Eucharistic Prayer
God of life,
you nurture and sustain your people.
You bless us with abundance; you gift us with your graciousness;
you know our every need.
In the birthing forth of creation you call us into being.
You gift us with health and wholeness; you sustain our every endeavor.
You feed your hungering people.
You call us to work for justice, to share our table with all creation,
to feed the needy at our door, to see nobody left in need.
For the blessing of your gifts, and the challenge of your call to us,
we lift our voices as we acclaim in song your gracious love:
Holy, Holy:
Here In This Place by Christopher Grundy
https://youtu.be/uXyu57tR2gk
The
table we share is adorned with the gifts of creation,
gifts given for all to share in equality and justice, a table where all are
welcome,
and from which nobody is to be excluded, from the greatest even to the least.
We celebrate the open table, proclaimed by Jesus, our brother,
a table of abundant life, inclusive love, and redemptive liberation.
Awaken
anew in our hearts the empowering grace of your abundant Spirit, who infuses
these gifts of bread and wine with the transforming energy of life, to nourish
and sustain us in our time of need.
On the night before he faced his own
death, Jesus sat at supper with his companions and friends. He reminded
them of all that he taught them, and to fix that memory clearly with them, he
bent down and washed their feet.
In
the power of the creative Spirit, Jesus lived life to the full.
We, too, are blessed in the power of that same Spirit, which we now invoke upon
all gathered here, to celebrate the transformative energy symbolized in our
gifts of bread and wine, given to nourish and sustain us into the fullness of
life.
That
same bread, Jesus took and broke, to restore the unity of our broken world.
Jesus blessed you, then he shared the bread with those at table saying:
Take
and eat the Bread of Life for all who hunger for peace and justice.
pause
After
the meal, he then raised the cup of blessing poured in a spirit of solidarity
and empowerment, spoke the grace, and offered them the wine saying:
Take
and drink the Cup of Compassion for a broken world.
pause
We share this bread and cup to proclaim and live the gospel
of justice and peace. We choose to live justly, love tenderly, and walk with
integrity.
Receive
the Bread of Life and the Cup of Compassion with the words, You are Bread for
The
World
Communion Meditation: Until All are Fed by Bryan
McFarland
https://youtu.be/RkwSHYlf9TQ
Post-Communion Prayer
In celebrating this Eucharistic feast, we call to mind that we are nourished
throughout the ages; and we look forward in hope to that day when justice will
guarantee food for all who hunger for the fullness of life.
With grateful hearts we received the gifts of this table.
May the creative Spirit who energizes these gifts,
activate in our hearts, too, a hunger for that justice
that will guarantee sustenance for every human being.
In the spirit of this celebration, we rejoice and are thankful for all we have
received; but we do so in the painful awareness of all who are excluded from
the table of God’s abundant life.
Awaken in us a passion for equality and generosity of spirit, that all may be welcomed
to the table of abundance.
Prayer of Jesus
O
Holy One, you are within, around and among us.
We
celebrate your many names.
Your
wisdom come, your will be done,
unfolding
from the depths within us.
Each
day you give us all that we need.
You
remind us of our limits, and we let go.
You
support us in our power, and we act with courage.
For
you are the dwelling place within us,
the
empowerment around us,
and
the celebration among us,
now
and forever. Amen.
(adapted by Miriam Therese Winter)
BLESSING
Please extend your hands and pray our
blessing:
Let us go in peace to
spread the Good News that all are deserving of basic human rights, including to
be fed and clothed. May we recognize our call to be the Body of Christ in the
world, bringing the message of love and compassion to a world in need of
healing and reconciliation. Amen.
Closing Song:
Go Make a Difference by Steve Angrisano & Tom Tomaszek
https://youtu.be/WDjQEoItGzQ?si=8KovOEhYcpHRQ8_W
Resources:
Biblical
Hermeneutics (Website): Why does Mark provide two feeding accounts?
John Shelby Spong: Biblical Literalism – A
Gentile Heresy
John T. Squires – An Informed Faith (Website):
Nothing but five loaves and two fish
