The Vineyard Laborer

They Had As Much As They Wanted Jn 6: 1 – 15 17 th Sunday in Ordinary Time Today’s Gospel is about Jesus feeding the five thousand. This story is one of the few stories that is narrated by all four gospel evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, giving it a privileged importance especially in the life of early Christians. Our reading begins with the evangelist John narrating to us that Jesus crossed the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Notwithstanding this, people kept following him. Then Jesus goes up a mountain and sees this large crowd coming toward him. He then asked Philip: “ Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” Philip must have been surprised by the question. How could Jesus even think of feeding such a large crowd?   In return, Philip replied: “ Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” But then Andrew, in an attempt to find some solution to the problem, spotted a boy who was carrying five ba...

His Heart Was Moved with Pity Mk 6: 30 – 34   16 th Sunday in Ordinary Time In today’s Gospel, Mark narrates to us the return of the twelve disciples whom Jesus had just sent on a mission. Wishing that they could take some rest after the work they’ve done, Jesus takes them off to a quiet place only to find themselves once more with the crowd they’ve left behind. Our reading begins with the apostles returning from the mission and reporting to Jesus all they have done and taught.   Jesus must have heard all the stories and all the experiences they had and must have realized soon enough how tired his apostles were. So he invites them to take some rest, telling them: “come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while. “ But as Jesus was saying this, people just kept coming and going in great numbers. And as people came, Jesus and his apostles found themselves doing the usual work of ministering to the crowd. This kept Jesus and the ap...

Take Nothing for the Journey Mk 6: 7 -13 15 th Sunday in Ordinary Time In today’s Gospel, Mark narrates to us how Jesus sent his disciples on a mission, giving them specific instructions on how they were to conduct themselves during the course of their work as missionaries.   The Gospel begins with Jesus summoning the twelve. Apparently, as Mark puts it at the end of this reading, Jesus intends to send the twelve off with the objective of preaching repentance, driving out evil spirits and healing the sick and the infirmed. It was to be a mission of mercy and a call to repentance. But before sending them off, Jesus gives them some instructions on how to go about the mission. First of all, Jesus sends them off two by two. They were not to be alone. Mission is meant to be a collective and not a solitary pursuit. He then instructs them to take nothing for the journey except a walking stick. A walking stick would have instilled in them the idea that the mission w...

A Prophet is Not Without Honor Except in His Native Place Mk 6: 1-6 14 th Sunday in Ordinary Time In today’s Gospel, Mark recounts to us how Jesus was rejected by people who were familiar with him in his own native place. Mark presents Jesus like one of the prophets of old who were similarly rejected by their own countrymen. The Gospel begins by telling us that Jesus, together with his disciples came to his native place. When the Sabbath came, Jesus taught in the synagogue. Then Mark describes to us the reaction of those who heard him teach in the synagogue. At first, people seemed to be both impressed and surprised. They said:   “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him?   What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!” But while they recognized the wisdom of Jesus and the mighty deeds he has done, their remarks somehow revealed a great deal of disbelief. They could not believe that someone like Jesus,  with whom ...