Homily of Cardinal Juan de la Caridad García, archbishop of Havana, on the Solemnity of Saint Mary, Mother of God and on the 54th World Day for Peace.

Allocution, July 25, 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

26 July, 2021 NIDAK 260 Views 0 Comments

Thank you to everyone who makes this radio broadcast possible, today Sunday, July 25, the seventeenth Sunday of ordinary liturgical time and feast of the Apostle Santiago, patron and protector of Santiago de las Vegas. We hear in all the Catholic churches of the world the gospel according to Saint John chapter 6 verses 1 to 15.

(GOSPEL)

God the Father, when creating man and woman, gave them animals and plants so that they could feed themselves and grow healthy to work. A plant has seeds and from those seeds come countless plants for food and medicine. Animals reproduce and multiply and many serve as food for man. For the wonder of reproductive nature that feeds us, glory to the Father, to the Son, to the Holy Spirit. Amen.

When God’s people came out of the slavery of the Egyptians in the desert, they murmured against Moses and his brother Aaron, saying, “I wish we had died in the land of Egypt when we ate pots of meat and bread to our fill, and here we go.” to die in this desert.” And God said to Moses: “At evening they will eat meat and be satisfied with bread.” In the evening quails came and covered the camp of God’s people, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew evaporated, a small thing, like grains, similar to hoarfrost, appeared on the surface of the desert on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is this?” Which in Hebrew is called manu and popularly became the word manna. “What is this?”. The bread that God gives them to eat. And God ordered the collection as needed, according to the number of people who lived in each tent. He who collected more had no surplus, and he who collected less had no shortage. Elisha, a prophet of God in the Old Testament, received twenty loaves of barley bread and said to his servant: “Give it to the people so that they may eat.” He answered: “How am I going to distribute these loaves among a hundred men?” Elisha insisted: “Give it to the people so they can eat because everyone will be fed and there will be leftovers. God’s word.

And so it was: manna. What is this? What is this wonder of sharing? Something similar to what happens in nature, which multiplies food, to what the people of Israel do with manna, to what the prophet Elisha has told us in today’s Gospel. Many people followed Jesus and he wants to feed them. Jesus says to Philip: “How will we buy bread to feed these people?” What is this? How are you going to feed so many people without money? A boy hands out five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks and began to distribute them, and he did the same with the fish, and everyone ate until they were satisfied and there were twelve baskets left over. What is this? How wonderful this multiplication!

Today’s gospel invites us to share; We will lack nothing, and those who give and receive will be satisfied. Every time we eat bread, food, we give thanks to God and we ask him to be able to share and he himself will return to us multiplied, in one way or another, what we gave. What is this? How wonderful to share and receive multiply.

Jesus has commanded us to do the same at the Last Supper, take the bread, give thanks, share and feed ourselves with his body and blood in the Eucharist. What is this? How wonderful, Christ and I both identified with one heart, with one soul, with one desire for good and love. Spiritually we enjoy spiritual communion.

(SONG)

Today we celebrate the feast of Santiago Apóstol. He was born in Bedzaida, he was the son of Sebedee and brother of the apostle John. He was present in the main miracles worked by the Lord. He was martyred by King Herod around the year 42. Since ancient times, the persuasion that James had preached the gospel in the confines of the West has been widespread. After the Mohammedan invasion, the apostle Santiago appears venerated as the shining head of Spain and patron of its Christian kingdoms. In the following centuries they proclaim their gratitude for the apostle’s protection in the defense of the faith and independence of the country and for his assistance in the missionary action that helped spread the Church throughout the world. His tomb in Compostela, like the empty tomb of the Lord in Jerusalem and the tomb of Saint Peter in Rome, attracts countless pilgrims from all over Christendom to this day. We ask the apostle James to present our supplications and requests to our father God. Accompany the people of Santiago de las Vegas: