Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gospel Commentary, by Msgr. João Scognamligio Clá Dias, EP
Mass Readings
Featured Saints
St. James the Greater, Apostle and martyr (†44). Brother of St. John the Evangelist, he was one of the first to be called by Our Lord: “And going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and He called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him” (Mt. 21-22) James was present during the Transfiguration and the Agony of Jesus. By the order of Herod of Agrippa, he was executed in Jerusalem, becoming the first Apostle to receive the crown of martyrdom. He evangelized in Spain, where his mortal remains are preserved at the famous shrine bearing his name in Compostella.
St. Cucuphas, martyr († fourth century). Born in Africa, he depart ed for Spain with the desire of being martyred. He was put to death by the sword in Barcelona, during the Diocletian persecution.
Blessed John Soreth, priest (†1471). Prior General of the Carmelite Order for twenty years; he restored observance of the rule in the convents of the Order. He obtained the erection of the Second and Third Carmelite Orders from Pope Clement V.
Blessed Anthony Lucci, bishop (†1752). Franciscan religious, elected Bishop of Bovino, Italy. Study, prayer, preaching and generosity toward the poor were the pillars of his life.
Blessed Marie Teresa Kowalska, virgin and martyr (†1941). Clarist religious imprisoned in the concentration camp of Dzialdowo, Poland, where she persevered in the Faith until death.
St. Glodesind, abbess (†sixth century). Founded the Abbey of St. Peter of Metz in France and served as its abbess.
St. Olympias, widow (†408). Being widowed at a young age, she dedicated herself to God’s service in Constantinople, and was a faithful collaborator of St. John Chrysostom.
Mass Readings
First Reading – 2 Kgs 4:42-44
A man came from Baal-shalishah bringing to Elisha, the man of God,
twenty barley loaves made from the firstfruits,
and fresh grain in the ear.
Elisha said, “Give it to the people to eat.”
But his servant objected,
“How can I set this before a hundred people?”
Elisha insisted, “Give it to the people to eat.”
“For thus says the LORD,
‘They shall eat and there shall be some left over.’”
And when they had eaten, there was some left over,
as the LORD had said.
Responsorial Psalm – Ps 145:10-11, 15-16, 17-18 (R.cf. 16)
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; He answers all our needs.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might. R.
The eyes of all look hopefully to you,
and you give them their food in due season;
you open your hand
and satisfy the desire of every living thing. R.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth. R.
Second Reading – Eph 4:1-6
Brothers and sisters:
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace:
one body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.
Gospel – Jn 6:1-15
Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee.
A large crowd followed him,
because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.
Jesus went up on the mountain,
and there he sat down with his disciples.
The Jewish feast of Passover was near.
When Jesus raised his eyes
and saw that a large crowd was coming to him,
he said to Philip,
“Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?”
He said this to test him,
because he himself knew what he was going to do.
Philip answered him,
“Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough
for each of them to have a little.”
One of his disciples,
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him,
“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish;
but what good are these for so many?”
Jesus said, “Have the people recline.”
Now there was a great deal of grass in that place.
So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks,
and distributed them to those who were reclining,
and also as much of the fish as they wanted.
When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples,
“Gather the fragments left over,
so that nothing will be wasted.”
So they collected them,
and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments
from the five barley loaves
that had been more than they could eat.
When the people saw the sign he had done, they said,
“This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.”
Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off
to make him king,
he withdrew again to the mountain alone.
