Sharing Guidelines
*Sharing is not a time for teaching or debate; it is a time to sense the marvelous work of the Holy Spirit who leads the gathering.
*Reflection sharing is not meant to teach others but to share the meaning you personally have discovered. Therefore, do not criticize or debate another person’s sharing. Avoid boasting of your own understanding or knowledge.
*Respect the grace of the Holy Spirit, who reveals the meaning of the Word while dwelling among us, and listen attentively to others’ sharing, holding it in your heart.
*Keep confidential any personal reflections or stories shared in the group; practicing brotherly love means not passing along private matters outside the meeting.
*When speaking, always use the first person singular (“I”). Be careful not to distance or generalize your story by using the third person (“he,” “they”) or the first person plural (“we”).
*Keep it short.
Reading 1
Isaiah 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.
-The Word of the Lord – Thanks be to God
Reading 2
Romans 8:35, 37-39
Brothers and sisters:
What will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?
No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly
through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities,
nor present things, nor future things,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
-The Word of the Lord – Thanks be to God
Gospel
Matthew 14:13-21
When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist,
he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.
The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already late;
dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages
and buy food for themselves.”
Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away;
give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”
Then he said, “Bring them here to me,”
and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples,
who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied,
and they picked up the fragments left over—
twelve wicker baskets full.
Those who ate were about five thousand men,
not counting women and children.
-The Gospel of the Lord -Praise to you Lord, Jesus Christ
Today’s Reflection
Today, Jesus heals many sick people. But He does not stop there. He also gives bread to the hungry crowd. Here we can see the true heart of Jesus. Jesus cares not only about our spiritual problems, but also about our physical pain and hunger.
First, we should notice that Jesus had compassion for the people. Because He felt compassion for them, He healed the sick and brought the hungry crowd together in one place. The disciples wanted to send the people away so that they could go and buy food for themselves. But Jesus was different. He told His disciples to give the people something to eat.
Because Jesus cared for the people and looked after them, everyone was able to eat enough bread. This is the love and care of Jesus.
In our society, the gap between the rich and the poor is becoming greater, and many people are not willing to share what they have. But the community of Jesus is a community that shares. It is also a community that shares each other’s pain and difficulties.
Jesus gave His full attention and love to every person He met. Because of His love and care, the miracle of love happened, and everyone had enough to eat.
We can say that paying close attention to our neighbors is the first step toward creating miracles of love. Therefore, instead of waiting for a miracle, such as a stone on the road suddenly becoming a precious jewel, we should take part in the miracle of sharing what we have with others.
To do this, like Jesus, we should always look at people who are going through difficult times with warm and caring hearts.(출저:https://maria.catholic.or.kr/)
Sharing
1. Share a word or phrase from today’s Gospel that touched your heart. You can also reflect on the Bible passage from these three points of view:
- From the point of view of Jesus.
- From the point of view of the disciples.
- From the point of view of the crowd.