The Eighth Sunday after Trinity – Reflection by Canon Leslie
Read Canon Leslie's blog post and join us for worship online on Sunday, 25 July, 2021.
Since Trinity Sunday the Gospel readings have taken us on a journey through Mark’s Gospel. Last week we got as far as chapter 6, the chapter in which Mark narrates the feeding of the five thousand. Today’s Gospel reading about the feeding of the five thousand, is however, John’s account. The account of the feeding of the five thousand is one of the few narratives which John’s Gospel holds in common with the three synoptic Gospels. Yet there are significant ways in which John’s account is different. For example, according to Mark’s account of the feeding of the five thousand, the disciples draw Jesus’ attention to the people’s hunger. In John’s account Jesus initiates the conversation himself. Mark speaks simply of there being five loaves. John describes them as barley loaves. Barley was used to make bread for the poor and as grain to feed animals.
For those of you who wanted to do some thinking and preparation for today’s service during the preceding week, I invited reflection on the image of world breads. In today’s picture, from their book, Bread, Aled and Sian are wondering how many different types of bread they will find when they go out looking in their town, and where they will see them.
Lord Jesus Christ,
you fed the five thousand people
with five loaves and two fish.
Have pity on those who go hungry,
that the food of the world
may be shared more fairly;
for you are the bread of life.
Amen.
Next Sunday continues with a further reading from John’s Gospel, in which John reflects on Jesus’ teaching about himself as the Bread of Life and on the contrast between the food that perishes and the food that endures to eternal life. The image to help us to prepare for next Sunday’s theme is the sell-by date on perishable foodstuffs. You can find out more about that theme here https://www.prayerforliverpool.org/prayer-resources.html. We would really appreciate you letting us know how you are using these materials. Please send us your ideas and photos of the things you may create; email them to Nelson.Pike@liverpoolcathedral.org.uk.
To read the story, Bread, in its entirety, follow this link to the resource on the St. Mary’s Centre website: http://www.st-marys-centre.org.uk/resources/Exploring%20Why%20Series/Bread/Bread%20Short%202016%20WEB.pdf. To learn more about the Exploring Why series and more adventures with Aled and Sian, follow this link to the appropriate page under the Resources section of the St. Mary’s Centre website: http://www.st-marys-centre.org.uk/resources/Exploring%20Why.html.
You are warmly invited to join us in worship online. We are livestreaming our 10:30am service on both our Facebook and YouTube pages. To stream the service on Facebook, follow this link to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LiverpoolCathedral. To stream the service on YouTube, follow this link to our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/user/LiverpoolCathedral/videos.
Aled and Sian send their Sunday greetings to all.
Canon Leslie