17th Sunday of the Year, B – July 28, 2024.
Readings: 2 Kings 4:42-44; Ps 144:10-11,15-18; Ephesians 4:1-6 & Gospel – John 6:1-15.
The first reading recounts how a man from Baal Shalishah brought twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain from his first fruits to Prophet Elisha. In the second reading, St. Paul urges us to bear with one another charitably. In the gospel, Jesus multiplies five loaves and two fish among five thousand people who ate and were filled. The feeding of the five thousand which prefigures the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist instituted by Christ invites us to be truly a Eucharistic people who share our bread with others while preserving the bond of peace.
Introduction
Beloved in Christ, this Sunday presents us with the practical demands of our faith namely, caring, sharing, and living for others encapsulated in the African Spirit of Ubuntu – “I Am Because We Are.” The miracle of barley loaves in both the first reading and gospel draws our minds to the Spirit of the Liturgy of life – the practical dimension of faith that challenges us to demonstrate the communitarian character of being truly a Eucharistic people.
Background & Summary of the Readings
The first reading (2 Kings 4:42-44) recounts how a man from Baal Shalishah brought twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain from his first fruits to Prophet Elisha. It also discloses Elisha’s miracle of feeding a hundred men with the loaves and ears of grain. The Israelites offered the first fruits to God as a sign of acknowledging their dependence on him (Cf. Exodus 23:19; 34:26). Although the first fruits were to be given to the priests (Leviticus 23:10; Numbers 18:13) Shalishah brought it to Elisha, the prophet of God.
The gift of food at a time of famine represents a sacrificial offering on the part of the giver and a life-giving gift to Elisha. Various miracles of Elisha recorded in Chapters 4-5 of 2 Kings – The multiplication of the widow’s oil (Cf. 4:1-7), the birth of a son to the Shunammite woman (Cf. 4:8-17), the raising of that son from the dead (Cf. 4:18-37), the purification of a pot of contaminated stew (Cf. 4:38-41), the healing of Naaman the leper (Cf. 5:1-19) and the miracle of the floating axe head (Cf. 6:1-7) authenticate Elisha as a worthy successor to Elijah. They seem to provide real solutions to real problems of the people indicating the power of God to provide for his people (Donovan, 2018).
In the second reading (Ephesians 4:1-6), St. Paul tells us to bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness, and patience, and to preserve the unity of the Spirit. This leads us to the practical lessons for this Sunday.
In the gospel (John 6:1-15), Jesus multiplies five loaves and two fish among five thousand people who ate and were filled. Accordingly, the disciples picked up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. Like the case of the man in the first reading who gave the bare loaves to the Prophet of God, the miracle in the gospel wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of the boy who willingly gave out his five loaves and two fish.
The feeding of the five thousand prefigures the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist that Christ instituted on Holy Thursday as the sign of the New and Everlasting Covenant enacted on Calvary. Both the biblical miracles and the contemporary miracle of the Holy Eucharist evoke some thoughts on caring, sharing, and living for others which is encapsulated in the African spirit of Ubuntu which means, “I Am Because We Are.”
The Ubuntu Story
Many years ago, a White Anthropologist came to Africa to study the social behaviour of an Indigenous tribe. He saw a group of children and proposed a game for them. The children were excited and so obliged him. He kept a basket filled with fruits under a tree and told them that whoever reached the basket first would win the whole basket and have the fruits all by himself. After lining them up, he raised his hand and said, “Ready, go!”
Surprisingly, instead of attempting to beat each other in the race, the children took each other’s hands and started running together. They all reached the basket at the same time, sat in a big circle, and enjoyed the fruits together full of laughter and smiles. The anthropologist who could not believe what he saw, asked the kids why they held each other’s hands and went as a group, when each one could have reached first and enjoyed the whole fruits alone. In reply, the children shook their heads and said: “Ubuntu, how can one of us be happy if all the others are sad?” This leads us to the pastoral lessons.
Pastoral Lessons
- Offer thanksgiving: By offering twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain from the first fruits to Prophet Elisha, Baal Shalishah teaches us to offer thanksgiving to God and use every opportunity to attend Holy Mass – the zenith of thanksgiving.
- Bear with one another: The message of St. Paul in the reading urges us to bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness, and patience, and to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
- Tackle poverty: Christian politicians and those in government should emulate Jesus by caring for the poor and improving living conditions instead of stealing public funds.
- Avoid avarice and greed: The avarice and greed of Gehazi (2 Kings 5:15-27) and Ananias and Sapphira (Cf. Acts 5:1-11) should urge us to outdo Non-Governmental Organisations in charitable works, complete selflessness and gentleness.
- Share your bread: The greedy and selfish among us should reflect on the significance of the Kiss of Peace at Mass. Why is it easier to shake hands with the poor at Mass but difficult to share our time, treasure, and talent with them?
Summary Lines
- The first reading tells how a man from Baal Shalishah brought twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain from the first fruits to Prophet Elisha.
- The gift of food at a time of famine represents a sacrificial offering on the part of the giver and a life-giving gift to Elisha.
- In the second reading, St. Paul tells us to bear with one another charitably.
- In the gospel, Jesus multiplies five loaves and two fish among five thousand people who ate and were filled.
- The feeding of the five thousand prefigures the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist that Christ instituted on Holy Thursday as the sign of the New and Everlasting Covenant enacted on Calvary.
Conclusion
The Eucharist presents us with a platform where both the perpetrators and victims can sit on a round table to share from the Eucharist. It is here that the perpetrator seeks reform while the victim demonstrates forgiveness toward a peaceful resolution. Those who loot the earth’s resources ought to think twice. This is why we are charged to focus our energies on helping others around us. Helping someone to secure a job or sponsor a life-changing trip, pay their children’s school fees or hospital bills, and provide food or shelter for them, might just be that miracle they need to make it in life. Our story of the African children should propel us to be truly a Eucharistic people – ready to translate Ecclesiastical Liturgy into the Liturgy of Life. May God help us to live our lives in the spirit of Ubuntu!
