MONDAY, AUGUST 5TH 2024.

EIGHTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

MEMORIAL OF DEDICATION OF THE BASILICA OF SAINT MARY MAJOR.

FIRST READING
“Hananiah, the Lord God has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie.”
JEREMIAH 28: 1 – 17

In that same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the Lord, in the presence of the priests and all the people, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel:  I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the Lord’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. I will also bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon, says the Lord, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to Hananiah the prophet in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord; and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord make the words which you have prophesied come true, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the Lord, and all the exiles. Yet hear now this word which I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the LORD has truly sent the prophet.” Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke-bars from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet, and broke them. And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, “Thus says the Lord: Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations within two years.” But Jeremiah the prophet went his way. Sometime after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke-bars from off the neck of Jeremiah the prophet, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “Go, tell Hananiah, ‘Thus says the Lord: You have broken wooden bars, but I will make in their place bars of iron. For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I have put upon the neck of all these nations an iron yoke of servitude to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they shall serve him, for I have given to him even the beasts of the field.”’ And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie. Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will remove you from the face of the earth. This very year you shall die, because you have uttered rebellion against the Lord.”’ In that same year, in the seventh month, the prophet Hananiah died.

The Word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM 
Psalm 119: 29, 43, 79, 80, 95, 102 (R.) 65b.

R/. Teach me your statutes, O Lord.

Keep me from the way of falsehood;
grant me mercy by your law. R/.

Never take the word of truth from my mouth,
for I hope in your decrees. R/.

Let those who fear you turn to me,
that they may know your decrees. R/.

Let my heart be blameless in your statutes,
that I may not be put to shame. R/.

Though the wicked lie in wait to destroy me,
yet I ponder your decrees. R/.

I have not turned away from your decrees;
you yourself have taught me. R/.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Matthew 4: 4b

Alleluia.
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
Alleluia.

GOSPEL    
MATTHEW 14: 13 – 21

At that time: When Jesus heard [of the death of John the Baptist,] he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.           

The Gospel of the Lord.

*Muvhuro 5 Nyamavhuvhu – August;* *Vhiki 18 regore -* *Chiverengo chokutanga:* _Jeremiya 28,1-17_ _Inzwai chiverengo chinobva mubhuku romuporofita Jeremiya_ 1 Mugore rakarero, mukutanga kutonga kwaZedhekiya, mambo wokwaJudha, mumwedzi wechishanu wegore rechina, Hananiya mwanakomana wokwaAzuru, muporofita wokuguta reGibheoni akataura kwandiri mumba yaTenzi, vapristi navanhu vose varipowo achiti: 2 “Zvanzi naTenzi wehondo nehondo, Mwari weIsiraeri ndatyora joko ramambo weBhabhironi. 3 Mumakore maviri ndichadzosera munzvimbo muno midziyo yose yemba yaTenzi yakatorwa naNebhukadhineza mambo weBhabhironi munzvimbo muno achiiendesa kuBhabhironi. 4Ndichadzo￾serawo kunzvimbo ino Jekoniya, mwanakomana waJehoyakimu, mambo wokwaJudha navakatapwa vose vokwaJudha vakaenda kuBhabhironi ndizvo zvinotaura Tenzi. Ndinodaro nokuti ndichatyora joko ramambo weBhabhironi.” 5 Muporofita Jeremiya akabva ataura kumuporofita Hananiya, vapristi varipo navanhu vose vakanga vamire muTemberi yaTenzi. 6 Muporofita Jeremiya akati, “Ameni, Tenzi ngaaite saizvozvo, Tenzi ngaaite kuti shoko ravaporofita riitike pachokwadi adzoserewo kunzvimbo ino midziyo iya yemba yaTenzi navakatapwa vose achivatora kuBhabhironi. 7 Asi chinzwa zvino shoko iri randinokutaurira iwe uchizvinzwira vanhu vose zvavo vachinzwawo. 8 Vaporofita vakatitangira ini newe kubvira karekare, vakaporofita nezvehondo neshangwa yenzara nedenda zvaizowira nyika zhinji noumambo hune simba. 9 Kwaiti kana muporofita akaporofita nezvorugare, shoko romuporofita iyeyo rikazoitika, ndopaizozikanwa kuti zvechokwadi, Tenzi ndiye akatuma muporofita iyeyo.” 10 Ipapo muporofita Hananiya akakumura joko mumutsipa momuporofita Jeremiya akarityora. 11 Hananiya ndokutaura vanhu vose vachinzwa achiti, “Zvanzi naTenzi, ndichatyorawo saizvozvi joko raNebhukadhineza mambo weBhabhironi ndichiribvisa mumutsipa wamarudzi ose avanhu mumakore maviri.” Asi muporofita Jeremiya akabva aenda hake. 12 Garegare, mushure mokunge muporofita Hananiya atyora joko mumutsipa womuporofita Jeremiya, izwi raTenzi rakauya kuna Jeremiya rikati, 13 “Enda undoudza Hananiya kuti zvanzi naTenzi, wakatyoraka iwe joko rechimuti asi uchatogadzira joko resimbi rokuritsiva naro 14 nokuti zvanzi Tenzi wehondo nehondo, Mwari weIsiraeri, ndaisa pamutsipa yamarudzi ose avanhu joko resimbi, rouranda hwokushandira Nebhukadhineza mambo weBhabhironi. Vanofanira kumushandira nokuti ndatomupa kunyange nezvikara zvesango.” 15 Muporofita Jeremiya ndokuti kumuporofita Hananiya, “Chinzwa Hananiya! Tenzi haana kumbokutuma iwe! Asi uri kuita kuti vanhu ava vavimbe namanyepo. 16 Naizvozvo zvanzi naTenzi, ‘Chinzwa, ndava kukupfuudza pamusoro payo nyika.’ Iro gore rino chairo uchafa nokuti wakaburitsa mazwi okupandukira Tenzi.” 17 Mugore rakarero, mumwedzi wechinomwe, muporofita Hananiya akabvawo afa. *Shoko raTenzi.* *Rwiyo rwokutsinhira:* _Nziyo 119,29.43.79.80.95.102. (D – 68b)_ *(D) – Tenzi, ndidzidzisei mitemo yenyu.*29 Ndichengetei ndirege kurasika, munyatsondidzidzisawo mutemo wenyu. 43 Musaite kuti ndibve ndatadza kutaura chokwadi zvachose, nokuti chitarisiro changu chiri muzvirongwa zvenyu. *(D) – Tenzi, ndidzidzisei mitemo yenyu.* 79 Vanokutyai ngavauye kwandiri, kuti vazive mitemo yenyu. 80 Dai ndikangoteerera mitemo nemwoyo wangu wose, kuti ndirege kunyadziswa. *(D) – Tenzi, ndidzidzisei mitemo yenyu.* 95 Vakaipa vanondivandira kuti vandiparadze, asi ini chandinongofunga mitemo yenyu. 102 Handitsaukani nezvirevo zvenyu, nokuti makandidzidzisa. *(D) – Tenzi, ndidzidzisei mitemo yenyu.* *Kupemberera Shoko Rakanaka:* _Mateu 4,4b_ *Areruya, Areruya.* ‘Munhu haararami nechingwa choga asi neizwi rose rinobuda mumuromo maMwari.’ *Areruya* *Shoko Rakanaka:* _Mateu 14,13-21_ _Inzwai Shoko Rakanaka rakanyorwa naMateu_ 13 Jesu paakanzwa nezvorufu rwaJohani Muombeki akakwira mugwa, akaenda kunzvimbo isina vanhu, kwake oga. Voruzhinji rwavanhu pavakazvinzwa vakatevera ikoko netsoka vachibva mumaguta. 14 Paakabuda mugwa pamahombekombe, akaona chita chikuru chavanhu. Akavanzwira tsitsi akaporesa varwere vavo. 15Zuva parakanga rava kuda kudoka, vadzidzi vake vakauya kwaari vakati, “Muno murenje uye kwava kudoka. Dai machiendesa vanhu vaende mumisha vandozvitengera zvokudya.” 16 Jesu akati, “Havafaniri kuenda. Vapei iyemi zvokudya.” 17 Vakati kwaari, “Pano tinongova nezvingwa zvishanu nehove mbiri chete.” 18 Iye akati, “Uyai nazvo kuno kwandiri.” 19Akati vanhu ngavagare pasi pauswa. Akatora zvingwa zviya zvishanu nehove mbiri. Akatarisa kudenga, ndokukomborera, ndokumedura, akapa zvingwa zviya kuvadzidzi. Vadzidzi vakazvipa kuvanhu. 20Vose vakadya vakaguta. Vakaunganidza tswanda gumi nembiri dzizere dzezvimedu zvakasara. 21Vanhu vakadya vaiva zviuru zvishanu zvavarume, tisingaverengi zvedu vakadzi navana. *Shoko Rakanaka raTenzi.

*GOSPEL REFLECTION: Giving What You Receive*_August 5, 2024__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. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over—twelve wicker baskets full. (Matthew 14:19–20)_An important aspect of this miracle that is easy to miss is that Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes through His disciples’ instrumentality. He did this by inviting them to assist in the distribution of the loaves and in the gathering of the fragments left over. This reveals that God often uses us as mediators of His superabundant graces given to others. Though God could pour forth His mercy directly, most often He does so through others.As you ponder this miracle, try to see yourself as one of the disciples who was invited to distribute the bread to the people. If you were there and were hungry and then were given bread, you would be tempted to eat the bread yourself before giving any away. But Jesus gave the bread to His hungry disciples with the instruction to first give it to others.Sometimes, when God calls us to give His mercy to others, we become selfish. It’s easy to think that we must first take care of ourselves and our own needs. We erroneously believe that we can only offer mercy to others after our needs are met. Imagine, for example, if upon receiving the bread from Jesus the disciples would have decided that they should eat of it first. Then, if there was anything extra, they could give it to others. Had they done this, the superabundance of the multiplication of the loaves would not have happened. In the end, the disciples themselves received a superabundance of food—precisely because they first gave away what they had received.Spiritually speaking, the same is true with us. When we receive spiritual nourishment from our Lord, our first thought must be to give it away. We must first see all that we receive from God as an opportunity to bestow those blessings upon others. This is the nature of grace. For example, if we are given a sense of peace or joy within our hearts, we must realize that this peace or joy we receive is a gift that must be immediately offered to others. If we are given a spiritual insight into the Scriptures, this is given to us first and foremost to share with others. Every gift we receive from God must be understood as a gift given to us so that we can immediately share it with others. The good news is that when we seek to give away that which we have received, more is given to us and, in the end, we will be far richer.https://youtu.be/92iz8uiVVfM?si=i_p5LpxLIV2QYnG4*Reflect,* today, upon the action of the disciples receiving this food from our Lord and immediately giving it away. See yourself in this miracle, and see the bread as a symbol of every grace you receive from God. What have you received that God wants you to distribute to others? Are there graces you have received that you selfishly try to hold onto? The nature of grace is that it is given to give it to others. Seek to do this with every spiritual gift you receive, and you will find that the graces multiply to the point that you receive more than you could ever imagine.*PRAYER:*_Most generous Lord, You pour forth Your grace and mercy in superabundance. As I receive all that You bestow, please fill my heart with generosity so that I will never hesitate to offer Your mercy to others. Please use me as Your instrument, dear Lord, so that, through me, You may abundantly feed others. Jesus, I trust in You.