Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The Deacon's Bench

Home
Catholic
Religion News
Homily for August 2, 2015: 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Homily for August 2, 2015: 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Last updated on: August 1, 2015 at 8:06 am by Deacon Greg Kandra

Homily for August 2, 2015: 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2015-08-01T08:06:03-04:00 Deacon Greg Kandra

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Last week, millions around the world were shocked to hear that an American hunter had gunned down a beloved lion named Cecil in Zimbabwe.

But there is another important story that also attracted attention, though it didn’t spark as much media coverage or outrage. But it should have.

I’m speaking of the undercover videos involving Planned Parenthood—showing how workers there have been killing the unborn and harvesting their tissue for sale. The videos are horrific and upsetting. They’ve prompted renewed debate in Washington about the funding of Planned Parenthood. Some have even called the videos a tipping point in the pro-life movement, one that could permanently change public perception about abortion.

Like many around the world, the writer Kathryn Jean Lopez watched those videos and she felt something had to be done, that there needed to be a Catholic response. She decided to use the most powerful weapon at our disposal: prayer. Kathryn put together a Holy Hour at St. Vincent Ferrer in Manhattan and contacted as many people as she could, and said if you are in New York, and can make it, please be there. If not, try to join us in prayer anyway.

She got a remarkable reaction. The word was spread on Facebook and Twitter. Many who could not be there in person said they would be there in prayer, joining from different time zones.

St. Vincent Ferrer is just a short walk from my office. So I went. I wasn’t prepared for what I would experience—or how powerfully that experience would speak to me of the gospel we just heard.

At 3 o’clock Friday afternoon, there we were: a small group, a couple dozen of us, gathered in an un- air conditioned church on a hot July afternoon to sit in silence and pray. Outside the church doors, people were heading to the Hamptons, or dragging their suitcases to the train station to start vacations, or hailing taxis to head home. But we were there, in that vast, darkened church, kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament.

A Dominican priest named Fr. Aquinas presided. He read the gospel of St. Luke, and the account of the Visitation, with the beautiful words of the Magnificat. And he reminded us that one of the great themes of the Magnificat is mercy—God’s mercy for those he loves. Pray, Fr. Aquinas said, for all the women recovering from abortions, all those considering abortion, all those involved in the abortion industry. Pray for mercy. Pray for healing.

A few moments later, as I looked up at the host in the monstrance, to my surprise the words of St. John’s gospel came flooding back to me. And it was all so clear.

“I am the bread of life.”

There it was, before me.

It all came down to this: a sliver of bread behind a piece of glass. This presence, this Real Presence, changed everything. It changes everything…for everyone.

Friday, in silence, the presence of Christ in that monstrance spoke volumes. At the end of a week consumed by death, it stood before us proclaiming life.

“I am the bread of life.”

The readings from St. John’s gospel that we’re encountering right now are often called the “Bread of Life discourse.” It started with the feeding of the five thousand last weekend. In the gospel today, we see the aftershocks of that miracle: we find people seeking out Jesus, looking for him, trying to understand what happened. Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll hear more questions and more answers about what happened —and those answers won’t always be what Christ’s followers want to hear.

Some of his disciples didn’t realize that this miracle was, like all of his miracles, a sign—one that even now points to something greater, to SOMEONE greater.

The beautiful message here is that Christ does more than just provide food for those who want a meal.

He feeds all who hunger—in every way.

Friday afternoon at St. Vincent’s, I found myself thinking of those who are living with the aftermath of abortion—who hunger for forgiveness and healing.

There are those who hunger for compassion and dignity.

Others hunger for a way out or a way forward—and still others hunger, very simply, for love.

To all of them—to all of us—Christ says: stop. Stop searching. Stop doubting. Stop fearing the future or regretting your past. Come to me and your search is over. Your hunger will end.

Because “I am the bread of life.”

This morning, as we come forward for communion—hands outstretched to receive that bread in a most intimate and tangible way—let us pray.

Pray for all who are in pain. Pray for those who are suffering because of abortion. Pray, as Fr. Aquinas said, for mercy and for healing. Pray for those who are quietly working to transform the culture of death into one of life.

If there is some good that will come out of the horror of these Planned Parenthood videos, it is that more people are finally awakening to the brutality of abortion—brutality that goes on around us every day—and more will now want to see it end.

Friday afternoon, we concluded our Holy Hour with Benediction. Here at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, our Benediction always includes a well-known prayer before communion, composed in part from the words of St. Augustine. I want to leave you with these words before we receive communion today.

They are words of hope for a world that is not only hungry, but starving:

Father in heaven, you have made us for yourself; our hearts are restless until they rest in you. Fulfill this longing through Jesus, the bread of life, so that we may witness to him who alone satisfies the hungers of the human family. By the power of your Spirit lead us to the heavenly table where we may feast on the vision of your glory forever and ever. Amen.

Homilies

Previous Post

August 1, 2015

"Will you do this for me?": how one man became a monk

Next Post

August 1, 2015 “Will you do this for me?”: how one man became a monk

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category "Mad Men" 9/11 advent All Things New Amazing video amazing videos amazon america Anglicans Anti-Catholicism art ascension thursday ash wednesday Atheists baltimore Bible Bishops Blogging bonnie engstrom Books bridgeport Brooklyn Chaplains children christian art christmas Church Churches CNEWA Converts criticism Deacons Death Penalty easter eastern christian Eastern Christians Ecumenism education Education Eucharist Europe euthanasia Evangelization Exorcism Family Feasts Gay rights Good Friday Great links Great Moments in Journalism Hanging with the saints heather renshaw Hispanic Catholics Hispanics History homelies Homilies Humor Hymn of the Week Immigration indianapolis Inspiration Interfaith news ireland Jesus Jews Journalism Judaism lent Liturgy logos Marriage Mary Media Medical news Mental health Middle East Monks Movies Music Muslims My world and welcome to it New Evangelization new york News Nuns Parenting Parish life peoria Persecution politics Politics Pope pope francis pope john paul Prayer Preaching Priests Pro-life Quote of the day radio rebecca frech ripp Ripped from the headlines rippred from the headlines Sacraments saints Scripture sex abuse Sex abuse crisis SEX ABUSE CRISIS TAGGED WITH: SEX ABUSE CRISIS The people in the pews the visitation project theatre This & that Thomas Merton Trappists TV Uncategorized uncategorized Vatican VATICAN vocation Vocations Voices & Views Women Worth a thousand words Writing Year of Faith year of mercy young people

Select a Month December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which parable teaches about praying persistently, like a widow before a judge?

Select your answer to see how you score.

The Talents The Sower The Persistent Widow The Mustard Seed

Books by This Author Books by Deacon Greg Kandra

See All Titles »