Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God)

For: Sunday, July 26, 2009 

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

From: 2 Kings 4:42-44

The Multiplication of the Loaves
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[42] A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing the man of God bread of the first
fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And Elisha
said, "Give to the men, that they may eat." [43] But his servant said, "How am I
to set this before a hundred men?" So he repeated, "Give them to the men, that
they may eat, for thus says the Lord, 'They shall eat and have some left.'" [44]
So he set it before them. And they ate, and had some left, according to the word
of the Lord.

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Commentary: 

4:42-44. Baal-shalishah was almost 25 km. west of Gilgal. Given that the bread
of the first fruits was designated for God (cf. Lev 23:17-18), the man offers it to
Elisha because he is a prophet of the Lord; but Elisha, because food was scarce,
wants to share it. These hundred prophets were probably members of the groups
of prophets that Elisha belonged to when he was living with Elijah. Elisha orders
the bread to be shared out, at the same time uttering an oracle he received from
the Lord (cf. v. 43), and the miracle is duly performed. Jesus Christ will also work
the miracle of the multiplication of loaves – after the apostles raise an objection
similar to that in v. 43 (cf. Mt 14:20; 15:37 and par.).

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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries".  Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.  We encourage readers to purchase
The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.

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"The Father uttered one Word; that Word is His Son, and He utters Him forever
in everlasting silence: and in silence the soul has to hear it.
   --  St John of the Cross