This evening I celebrated my first Mass in Christ the King church since the beginning of March, when the works started there before the lockdown. The church is looking lovely and brighter, and the floor of the sanctuary, which is large stone tiles, has been very well restored. Everybody was very carefully following instructions that had been worked out based on Church and national directives. I was told there were 32 present, which was also good. All in all, it was great to be back there.
I felt a good strong message in the readings today. The Lord in the Old Testament through the prophet Isaiah invites us to come to the water, no matter who we are. In the Gospel Jesus invited all the 5,000 to come to him for food. When the apostles wondered how that was going to work out, a little divine frustration with them shows through, as the crowds are fed through the loving generosity of God. Then in the second reading St Paul, in Romans, steeped in the OT has immersed himself in the person and mission of Jesus. This leads him to consier that nothing can separate us from the love of God made real in Jesus. I love this reading for its positive faith-filled message. In fact I chose it for my parents' funerals because of that. Great stuff, Paul!
Here is John Foley SJ's well-known setting of the first reading from its original recording:
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