19 Sunday of Ordinary Time – August 12, 2012
First Reading - 1 Kings 19: 4-8 (116B)
Elijah grew tired as he walked in the desert. An angel appeared to him and gave him food and drink. After that Elijah walked forty more days to the mountain of the Lord.
Second Reading - Ephesians 4: 30 – 5: 2
Paul encouraged the Ephesians to replace harsh words with kindness for each other. He wrote, “Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us.”
Gospel - John 6: 41-51
Jesus claimed to be the bread from heaven. No one can go to the Father except through the son. Anyone who believes and eats Jesus’ bread will have everlasting life.
The Reflection of the Week
As Christian disciples, we are called to love – to love God above all else and to love our neighbor as ourselves. It is a very simple and yet very profound calling that, as St. Paul reminds us, follows the footsteps of Christ. His life and His mission was and still is one steeped in, focused on, and driven by pure, selfless, life-giving love.
Likewise, our lives should not be focused on the things that the world called great – attaining the latest technology or the best job or the newest house – they should be focused completely on loving God and one another and living that love through selfless service.