Today’s readings provide some interesting parallels and contrasts. The first reading is an account of Moses who, having delivered the Law to the Israelites, admonishes them to “observe them [its statutes] carefully.” The author of the Letter of James likewise instructs fellow Christians to “welcome the word” they have received, that they may become “doers of the words and not hearers only.” The psalmist praises “whoever walks blamelessly and does justice” by listing a few examples of what is required for that—descriptions that apply equally to both Jewish and Christian traditions. On the other hand, when the scribes and Pharisees point out that the disciples have not properly washed their hands before eating (which is, as Mark explains, the usual Jewish practice) Jesus scolds them sharply for being too focused on human rules—even ritual ones —instead of God’s laws.

Today’s Gospel is the conclusion of the Bread of Life discourse in John. After Jesus’ continued insistence that he is the Bread of Life come down from heaven, and that his words are “Spirit and life,” most of his disciples drift away. The Twelve, however, affirm their faith in Jesus, whom Simon Peter professes to “have the words of eternal life.” In the first reading, Joshua and the Israelites are preparing to enter the Promised Land, and Joshua asks the people to decide which god they will follow, the Lorp their God, or the gods of neighboring peoples. The Responsorial Psalm features Psalm 34, the “taste and see” psalm, that reflects the kinds of struggles the Israelites faced during their sojourn in the wilderness. In the second reading, Paul gives counsel for maintaining domestic peace and happiness.

Today we celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The readingsgive us much to ponder as we reflect on Mary, her special place prepared byGod for eternity, and all that resulted from her “yes” to the angel’s messagethat she was to bear the Christ, the anointed one of God. Mary is “blessedamong women,” the vessel for the life and salvation of Christ for all generations. Mary always points us to her son, Jesus. Through her witness, weare inspired to proclaim the greatness of the Lord with our lives. In her Assumption, we are assured that Mary is in the presence of God, pointing theway to all who live as God’s good and holy people in this life while we awaitultimate fulfillment in the next.

Chapter 6 in John’s Gospel is often referred to as the Bread of Life discourse, perhaps because this is where Jesus makes his strongest claims for being the bread that has come down from heaven, bringing eternal life for those who believe in him. This is one source of our belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. In the first reading, the prophet Elijah has come to the brink of despair, but an angel comes with food and tells him to eat, “else the journey will be too long for you.” The Responsorial Psalm is from Psalm 34; from very early on, the Church has applied the line, “Taste and see how good the Lord is” to the Eucharist. The second reading describes an ideal Christian community characterized by mutual love and service, which is the greatest fruit of its eucharistic celebrations.

Today’s gospel is a sequel to last weeks account of Jesus feeding a large crowd with five barley loaves and a few fish. Here Jesus is challenging a crowd to see in the bread they have eaten a sign of gods generosity and providing for all the blessings in their lives, as well as the blessing of life itself. The first reading from Exodus recounts how escaped Hebrew slaves were fed in the wilderness, first with quail, then with Nana. The psalm is a later reflection on the mana as the bread from heaven and a blessing from God. The selection from the letter to the Ephesians sketch is the image of putting away “old self“ and putting on the new, emphasizing that a persons life in Christ needs to differ from their previous life, just as the life of a free person differs from that of a slave.

Today’s message could be summed up in psalm 145, “The hand of the Lord feeds us, he answers all our needs.” Each reading shows how carefully God feeds and cares for us, in an up-close and personal fashion. Elisha fed the crowd from twenty barley loaves. Jesus blessed a few loaves, and thousands were fed. Perhaps this seems far-fetched, but we read stories in the news about chefs taking the leftovers from fancy restaurants and feeding many people in a soup kitchen. As a schoolgirl, one of my favorite stories was “Stone Soup”, the tale of a couple of war-weary soldiers convincing the people of a frightened and starving little country village to bring out their meager supplies and share them to make a marvelous soup to feed the town. The second reading asks us to “Consider well our call.” How do we respond to those in need around us?

If we were to use one word to describe the Scriptures for today, it would be "compassion." In Jeremiah, God rails against those who have scattered the sheep, and vows to "gather the remnant" personally. We also hear the prophecy about the coming Messiah. In Ephesians, Christ is breaking down the walls of division between peoples and drawing them to be reconciled with God in peace. In Mark, Jesus calls the tire disciples away to rest and have some "me time," but even the crowds persisted. Jesus saw their spiritual hunger and neediness and was "moved with pity." All three situations involve looking beyond one’s own agenda to see the needs of others and respond. God models how to empathize with others. May we continue to learn to be kinder gentler and more caring for each other.

Mother Theresa challenge us to do ordinary things with extraordinary love. Basketball coach Jim Valvano said, “every single day and every walk of life ordinary people to extraordinary things.“ Sometimes we see extraordinary vocations, such as the child prodigy musician. But usually those whom God chooses to call our reluctant participants who either run from the call or ignore it Amos tells Amaziah “I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores.“ He looked after sheep and punched holes and fruit for a living! Now he was being called to prophecy. In Mark‘s gospel of the apostles are sent out two buy two to begin their ministry. Paul takes it further, telling the Ephesians, “In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the one who accomplishes all things.” This call goes out to all of us! How are you being called to be extraordinary this day?

In the Sunday Lectionary, the first reading is usually chosen from anywhere in the Hebrew Bible to tie together with the Gospel. Currently, the second reading is from Saint Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. Often the second reading is not so closely related to the day’s Gospel selection, because those books are read in a more continuous fashion from week to week. But today, all three of the scripture readings go together very well.

As always on Sundays in Ordinary Time, the Old Testament reading illumines today’s gospel. In the longer form Jesus performs two healings; in the book of wisdom proclaims our God the God of life, who “fashioned all things that they might be have being” and formed human beings in “the image of his own nature,” to be “imperishable” (Wisdom 1:14; 2:23). people of faith therefore choose to live gods “undying justice (righteousness”) (1:15) in this mortal life, thus beginning, even now, the undying life for which we were created. To choose otherwise to choose the other side: the devil in death 2:25. Mark presents the two healings as a story within a story, a “story sandwich,” a literary device that reinforces his message for those who originally would’ve heard not read the story. Mark wants to emphasize any central truth of his gospel: that Jesus does not perform miracles to compel faith, but rather that faith proceeds healing.

So we reenter ordinary time already knowing that Jesus is the son of God (see the centurion‘s words at the end of the Palm Sunday passion reading from Mark‘s gospel), the long succession of Sunday’s confronts us again with the question that each Christian community, each individual Christian faces continually throughout life: “who is this?“ (Mark 4:41), and prompts and “examination of conscience“ regarding the practical consequences of our response. this year‘s Gospel readings from Mark suggest that we find our answer in the cross and in the Eucharist. Today’s stark challenge to Jesus’ call to discipleship is thankfully balanced by the comfort we can take in relating – perhaps only too well – to the disciples’ fears. Thou we welcome Jesus in word and Eucharist Sunday after Sunday, don’t we all, from time to time during our lives’ “ordinary time,“ experience Jesus‘s “real absence”?

Today’s scriptures connect the towering cedars of Lebanon from the prophet Ezekiel to the mustard plant of the famous parable of Jesus. Both plants represent the kingdom of God. Both are also to be understood as symbols of the church, where "birds of every kind shall dwell" (Ez 17:23) and shelter in the cedar's branches, and the shade of the mustard plant's large branches provide dwelling for the birds of the sky. Even today’s psalm tells of the just one who is like a cedar flourishing in the house of the Lord.

In presenting the still-familiar four-fold "Shape of the Eucharist" — Jesus takes / blesses / breaks / gives (Mark 14:22) — Mark omits Matthew's specification of purpose "for the forgiveness of sins," and Luke's "for the remembrance of me." But Jesus does recall the covenant, Israel's liberation from Egypt's slavery. And could the disciples - or we - fail to recall that, in Mark's earliest verses, "Jesus sits at table with tax collectors and those known as sinners" (2:15)? Mark also emphasizes the Eucharist as our participation in Jesus' passion and pledge of our share in his future glory.