{"id":2607,"date":"2018-08-12T12:13:21","date_gmt":"2018-08-12T16:13:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=2607"},"modified":"2018-08-12T12:13:21","modified_gmt":"2018-08-12T16:13:21","slug":"19th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-b-homily-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/19th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-b-homily-2\/","title":{"rendered":"19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily"},"content":{"rendered":"

19th<\/sup> Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B<\/a>
\n1 Kings 19:4-8
\nPsalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 (9a)
\nEphesians 4:30-5:2
\nJohn 6:41-51
\nAugust 12, 2018<\/p>\n

Elijah was fleeing from King Ahaz and others after defeating the 450 prophets of the false god Baal.\u00a0 They were seeking to kill him.\u00a0 In fear and despair Elijah \u201cprayed for death, saying this is enough, O LORD!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Elijah is tired.\u00a0 He served as a prophet of our Lord but it seemed to become too much for him.\u00a0 It takes a lot of energy.\u00a0 Knowing that Elijah needed \u201cfood\u201d to rejuvenate him and to encourage him, God sent an angel with \u201ca heart cake and a jug of water.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

At first Elijah only ate a portion of the cake but angel told him to eat, \u201celse the journey will be too long for you!<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 Elijah faced a physical journey to Horeb, the mountain of God.\u00a0 He needed earthly strength for this journey but he also needed spiritual nourishment for the spiritual journey ahead as he continued as a prophet of the Lord.<\/p>\n

We need physical food as nourishment for our bodies.\u00a0 We also need spiritual food to nourish our souls.\u00a0 Jesus provides for us as the \u201cbread of life\u201d, \u201cthe living bread that came down from heaven.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Jesus offers us the food we need.\u00a0 Are we open to receiving the bread of life that Jesus offers us?<\/p>\n

Today we hear that \u201cThe Jews murmured about Jesus<\/em>\u201d because he told them, \u201cI am the bread that came down from heaven.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 For these Jews it was impossible that Jesus came down from heaven.\u00a0 They knew his father, Joseph, and his mother, Mary.\u00a0 They knew him to be human just like them.\u00a0 They were not open to Jesus being anything more.\u00a0 As such, they were not open to what Jesus offers us.<\/p>\n

What is bread?\u00a0 In its simplest form it is flour made from wheat and water.\u00a0 It is nothing fancy but we view it as a basic necessary for life.\u00a0 When the Israelites grumbled in the desert because they had nothing to eat, God sent them the manna as bread but it looked different than what they knew as ordinary bread.\u00a0 Still, it was enough for them for life in this world.<\/p>\n

Even though the Israelites ate the manna, they still died an earthly death.\u00a0 Jesus speaks of himself as the bread one may eat and not die.\u00a0 This would be difficult for the crowds to hear and understand.\u00a0 Everyone dies.\u00a0 How can we eat Jesus as the bread of life and \u201cnot die<\/em>\u201d?<\/p>\n

What is life?\u00a0 Right now, the life we experience is life in this world.\u00a0 It ends with earthly death.\u00a0 It can come with challenges.\u00a0 We need to work to make a living and care for our families.\u00a0 We face disease.\u00a0 There is violence in this world.\u00a0 There is also good in this world.<\/p>\n

Yet, when Jesus speaks of life, he is not limiting \u201clife\u201d to this world.\u00a0 Life for us begins in this world but it is not all that there is.\u00a0 True life is to know God, not just in this earthly world but in Heaven.\u00a0 Life in Heaven comes after life in this world.\u00a0 When we know of life in Heaven and how good it is, it should change the way we live in this world.\u00a0 It should change our priorities from material things to living our lives as God calls us so that we spend life after earthly death in Heaven and not in Hell.<\/p>\n

It means removing \u201call bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, reviling\u201d<\/em> and \u201cmalice.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 These things separate us from love.\u00a0 That means they separate us from God.<\/p>\n

In the Eucharist we celebrate, in the bread and wine we receive as Communion, Jesus offers us life.\u00a0 It is his gift to us.\u00a0 It is a free gift but if we are to truly and wholly receive this gift, we need to seek to live not as we want but as Jesus teaches. \u00a0We need to confess our sins so that God can cleanse our sins.\u00a0 Only then can we truly receive the gift of the bread of life.\u00a0 Receiving the bread of life is not just about earthly consumption of the consecrated bread and wine.\u00a0 It\u2019s not just receiving into our bodies but to receive it into our souls to feed us for the journey of life.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B 1 Kings 19:4-8 Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 (9a) Ephesians 4:30-5:2 John 6:41-51 August 12, 2018 Elijah was fleeing from King Ahaz and others after defeating the 450 prophets of the false god Baal.\u00a0 They were seeking to kill him.\u00a0 In fear and despair Elijah \u201cprayed for death, …<\/p>\n

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