19th Sunday in Ordinary Time August 8, 2021 Music reprinted and live streamed with permission from OneLicense.net #612145 Gathering Song: I Am the Bread of Life Suzanne Toolan, RSM Look to your covenant, O Lord, and forget not the life of your poor ones for ever. Arise, O God, and defend your cause, and forget not the cries of those who seek you. Psalm 74 The Introductory Rite Glory to God from Mass of St. Mary Magdalene by Sarah Hart The Liturgy of the Word First Reading: A reading from the Book of Kings (1 Kings 19:4-8 (116B)) Elijah went a day’s journey into the desert, until he came to a broom tree and sat beneath it. He prayed for death, saying: “This is enough, O Lord! Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” He lay down and fell asleep under the broom tree, but then an angel touched him and ordered him to get up and eat. Elijah looked and there at his head was a hearth cake and a jug of water. After he ate and drank, he lay down again, but the angel of the Lord came back a second time, touched him, and ordered, “Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you!” He got up, ate, and drank; then strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God, Horeb. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Responsorial Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 Kathleen Harmon, SNDdeN 1. I will bless the Lord at all times; praise of him is always in my mouth. In the Lord my soul shall make its boast; the humble shall hear and be glad. 2. Glorify the Lord with me; together let us praise his name. I sought the Lord, and he answered me; from all my terrors he set me free. 3. Look toward him and be radiant; let your faces not be abashed. This lowly one called; the Lord heard, and rescued him from all his distress. 4. The angel of the Lord is encamped around those who fear him, to rescue them. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed the man who seeks refuge in him. Second Reading: A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians (4:30-5:2) Brothers and sisters: Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were sealed for the day of redemption. All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ. So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Gospel Acclamation: John 6:51 from Mass of St. Mary Magdalene by Sarah Hart I am the living bread that came down from heaven, says the Lord; whoever eats this bread will live forever. The Lord be with you. And with your spirit. A reading from the holy Gospel according to John. Glory to you, O Lord. Gospel Reading: John 6:41-51 The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven,” and they said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother? Then how can he says, ‘I have com down from heaven?’” Jesus answered and said to them, “Stop murmuring among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. It is written in the prophets: They shall all be taught by God. Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. Homily Profession of Faith The Nicene Creed I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, (at the words that follow, up to and including “and became man,” all bow) and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. Prayer of the Faithful Thank you for your generous support of St. Mary’s Church through Faith Direct https://www.stmarysblacksburg.org/online-giving Preparation of the Gifts: Taste and See Marty Haugen O Jerusalem, glorify the Lord, who gives you your fill of finest wheat. Psalm 147:12, 14 The Liturgy of the Eucharist acclamations from the Mass of St. Mary Magdalene by Sarah Hart Holy Mystery of Faith Amen Lamb of God Communion Song: Ubi Caritas (refrain) Tony Alonso Prayer after Communion Final Blessing Sending Song: I Am the Bread of Life, verses 4 & 5 Suzanne Toolan Discipleship in Action: Renewing Hope with the Word of God and the Sacrament Music reprinted and live streamed with permission from OneLicense.net #612145 Homily for Sat/Sun Aug 7-8 RE: Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist by Brandt Pitre Summarize the Bread of Life Discourse up to today’s reading 1. Jesus feeds the 5000. (Reminiscent of Moses feeding the Israelites in the desert) 2. The crowd showing up in Capernaum for another meal – NOT because they experienced “signs” 3. It is written that “he (Moses ?) gave them bread to eat” “Truly, Truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you TRUE Bread from heaven 4. The BREAD OF GOD is HE who comes down from heaven. Not a what, but a person! And the Israelites miss it. They respond with “Give us this bread always” Summary of Verses 35-40 not in the readings from last week or this week “I am the bread of life . .I have come down from heaven” Today’s Reading: Hearing this they grumbled, not at the metaphor of the bread but the fact that he claimed to come down from heaven. During this discourse he has identified himself as the the Son of Man, The Son of the Father (God), the New Manna/ the Bread of Life, The New Moses, The Messiah (whom they wanted to make King). When the people saw the the sign, they said, “This is indeed the prophet who is come into the world . [and] they were about to come and take his by force to make him king (Jn 6:14-15) back on July 25th “ I AM (identifying himself with the burning bush) the bread of life. I am the living bread that came down from Heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, they will live forever.” And by the way, that bread is my flesh! Where else in the old testament do we hear of someone eating food and living forever? The Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden. What is Manna but miraculous food? From Heaven! Bread of Angels (Ps78:25) Some skeptics in the 19th & 20th centuries proposed that manna was a natural phenomenon either a secretion from a tamarisk plant or from an insect who fed on it. However, it turned wormy after a day, no matter how much or little was gathered it always came out to be about a liter (except on the 6th day, a double portion was collected to get through the sabbath). It appeared for 40 years and then abruptly stopped when Joshua entered the Promised Land. A sample was kept in a golden urn inside the Ark. It never deteriorated. The reading we will miss next week because of the Feat of the Assumption John 6:52-59 What does Jesus say about the Old Manna vs the New Manna(himself)? “This (indicating himself) is the bread that came down from heaven, NOT like the bread your ancestors ate and died.