Hello, I’m Jeff Cavins, and today we’re looking at the readings for the th Sunday in Ordinary Time. This week, I have what we would call a “unity sandwich” in the readings. In the Old Testament, we have a reading from 2 Kings that highlights Elijah performing a miracle similar to something we see in the New Testament: the multiplication of bread for a crowd. Most of us are familiar with the Gospel reading from John, where Jesus feeds 5,000 people. The beautiful thing about both texts is that they show how God takes a small amount of bread and multiplies it for more people than it was originally intended for. He takes a little and does a lot with it.
In the reading from John, we see that Jesus feeding the multitude is a foreshadowing of the Eucharist, as He gathers people in groups, takes the bread and fish from the disciples, and multiplies it to meet their needs. In between these two readings from 2 Kings and John, we find Paul speaking in Ephesians about the body of Christ. It is the Eucharist that brings us together as one, uniting us across the world. I remember a few years ago, when I was saying goodbye to a friend, she turned to me and said, “I’ll see you Sunday in the Eucharist.” That phrase struck me as beautiful, and it made me reflect on how we are united through the Eucharist. Every time we receive it on Sunday, we are connected with the body of Christ worldwide.
With that in mind, listen to what Paul says in Ephesians: “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness, or as one translation puts it, humility and meekness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” He emphasizes that there is one body, one Spirit, just as we are called to one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all.
I love this text because Paul reminds us that the Holy Spirit unites us around the Eucharist, but we can become disunited in our relationships with one another. Paul encourages us to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. He offers us a few tips on how to do this, which are important, especially this week when we might encounter opportunities to either maintain unity or create disunity. We want to uphold that unity—one body, one Spirit. Paul tells us to persevere, walk in humility, be gentle, patient, and bear with one another. As we gather around the Eucharist, let’s strive to be patient and gentle with one another and maintain the unity of the Spirit.
Saint Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church 