Monday in the 18th Wk of Ordinary Time

First Reading: Numbers 11:4-15
Psalm: Psalm 81:12-17
Gospel: Matthew 14:13-21

Boundaries

Both of today's scripture readings deal with boundaries... a subject that you hear a lot about on shows like Dr. Phil and Oprah. What are boundaries? How do they apply to today's scripture selections?

In the book Boundaries, Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend define boundaries as parameters that "show us what we are responsible for". (32) Boundaries also "help us to define what is not on our property and what we are not responsible for".(ibid) Boundaries therefore protect us from others encroaching on our personal, emotional, and spiritual space. Simply put, boundaries are what define us. They are similar to the wall of a cell, which let in nutritious things that are good for the cell and exude bad things like waste products. Like a cell wall, our boundaries need to be permeable so that we can take in new experiences and love as well as let go of past hurts and injuries.

Where do we see boundaries in today's readings? Let us first start with the first reading, which is from Numbers 11.

4

The children of Israel lamented, "Would that we had meat for food!

5

We remember the fish we used to eat without cost in Egypt, and the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.

6

But now we are famished; we see nothing before us but this manna."

7

Manna was like coriander seed and had the appearance of bdellium.

8

When they had gone about and gathered it up, the people would grind it between millstones or pound it in a mortar, then cook it in a pot and make it into loaves, which tasted like cakes made with oil.

9

At night, when the dew fell upon the camp, the manna also fell.

10

When Moses heard the people, family after family, crying at the entrance of their tents, so that the LORD became very angry, he was grieved.

11

"Why do you treat your servant so badly?" Moses asked the LORD. "Why are you so displeased with me that you burden me with all this people?

12

Was it I who conceived all this people? or was it I who gave them birth, that you tell me to carry them at my bosom, like a foster father carrying an infant, to the land you have promised under oath to their fathers?

13

Where can I get meat to give to all this people? For they are crying to me, 'Give us meat for our food.'

14

I cannot carry all this people by myself, for they are too heavy for me.

15

If this is the way you will deal with me, then please do me the favor of killing me at once, so that I need no longer face this distress."

The first "boundary violation" that we see in this scripture is that Moses took the crying out of the people personally. He acted as if the Israelites were complaining about him. He did not accept that the Israelites were crying out to G-d, and that was between them and Him (meaning G-d, not Moses). It was not Moses' problem. Moses committed a boundary violation against both the children of Israel and G-d. He wanted to be responsible for the problems of both Israel and G-d.

Moses cries to G-d that the people "are crying out to me,'Give us meat for our food'". This is a lie however, as the people were not crying out to Moses - they did not hold him accountable for the current state of affairs - instead they were crying out to the god of Moses, whom they blamed for the current state of affairs. Moses made the mistake of thinking that if the people talked smack about G-d, they were talking smack about him. We can be guilty of the same thing today whenever someone attacks our personal faith or belief in general. Rather than the person's anger being directed where it should be (the person or institution that caused them spiritual pain) they are dumping it on us - and we take it personally. A boundary violation on the part of someone else does not mean that we can violate their boundaries in return.

Instead of taking the crying and complaining personally, Moses should have confronted the people about their behavior. He should have told the people that the manna and their hunger were both temporary things. If they would follow G-d, appreciate what they had been given (after all they at least had food and water in the desert), and keep their eyes on the Promised Land, soon their journey through the desert wilderness would be over. The land that they were traveling toward would be much better than what they were leaving behind.

Instead of doing this, Moses took all the burden of the crying, complaining, and kvetching onto himself. Moses was trying to take on the burdens of G-d! He even blamed G-d (v.11) for giving him a burden too big and heavy for him - as if G-d is to blame for our own inability to maintain healthy boundaries! As one would expect, Moses cries out " I cannot carry all this people by myself, for they are too heavy for me". This is absolutely true - as we can only be responsible for ourselves. We cannot be responsible for others, for when we do, we violate their boundaries, steal their autonomy, and disrespect their personhood.

Taking on the responsibilities and burdens of others will only frustrate us and wear us out.

In contrast to Moses' lack of setting and respecting of boundaries, Jesus shows us how to care for others while caring for ourselves. As usual, Jesus shows us the way to live.

12

His disciples came and took away the corpse [of John the Baptist] and buried him; and they went and told Jesus.

13

When Jesus heard of it, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.

After Jesus heard about the death of John the Baptist, he went off by himself for some personal me time in a quiet, isolated place. He withdrew from his disciples and followers in order to provide appropriate self-care.

Notice that Jesus took responsibility for his own mental and emotional well-being by taking some time off during a period of great distress. He trusted that the disciples could take care of things while he went to care for himself. If we don't take time for ourselves, like Moses, we won't be able to help or support others when the need our help.

When Jesus came back to his disciples and followers, he was ready to care for them:

14

When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.

15

When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, "This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves."

16

[Jesus] said to them, "There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves."

17

But they said to him, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have here."

18

Then he said, "Bring them here to me,"

19

and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.

20

They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over --twelve wicker baskets full.

Because he took care of himself, Jesus was able to provide care for a large crowd with many basketfulls left over.

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time & The Holy Ghost comic

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today's MP3 of the Readings and Homily from Our Lady of the Angels Church.

Readings and Commentary for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time,from the New St. Joseph Sunday Missal

Theme: The Lord gave them Bread from Heaven
...We should develop a feeling for symbolism since it plays such an important role in religion. Water, bread, wine, salt, yeast, fire, light, rain, dew, thunder, lightning - time and again these are used to impart a message and when properly understood they do so more efficiently than theoretical concepts can do. Symbolism contains an intuitive (suggestive) power that appeals not only to the intellect but to the total person, heart and mind.
Today's readings utilize the power of symbolism of bread to bring out the message that god wants to feed us, to take care of us on all levels of human existence. "The Lord gave them bread from heaven" (the Responsorial Psalm)

First Reading: Ex 16:2-4, 12-15 [God gives Mannah from Heaven]
Commentary on first reading from the Sunday Missal:

God's word in this tradition brings out to us that graowing toward maturity in Christ is a lifetime process. As long as we are a pilgrim Church, wandering through the desert of life, we must work hard to attain such maturity. But God is with us, providing us manna (bread) and quail (meat), in other words, giving us whatever in his infinite wisdom and love he knows we need.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 78 [Heavenly Bread]
R: The Lord gave them bread from Heaven

Second Reading: Eph 4:17, 20-24 [A New Self]
Commentary on second reading from the Sunday Missal:

"This is not how you learned Christ." Note that Paul does not say "how you learned about Christ". No, you learned Christ whom you accepted as a person in faith, with all the values that he stands for.
Christianity is not primarily a doctrine to go by; it is a person-to-person relationship with our Lord. Partaking in the Eucharist, the bread of life, should help us to "learn Christ" ever more intimately.

Alleluia: Mt 4:4b
Alleluia, alleluia.
One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Jn 6:24-35 [Christ is the True Bread of Heaven]
Commentary on the Gospel reading from the Sunday Missal:

Jesus states that he is the mannah, the bread of life, from heaven that human beings need on their way through life. Feeding the crowd was a sign that those who had eaten did not understand. Patiently, our Lord explains: "Do not work for food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life... I am the bread of life."
We should be aware if this whenever we encounter our Lord in the signs of bread and wine.
The Prayer after Communion states " Lord, you give us the stregnth of new life by the gift of the eucharist. Protect us with your love and prepare us for eternal redemption".