R. Alleluia, alleluia.
One does not live on bread alone,
but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there,
they themselves got into boats
and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
And when they found him across the sea they said to him,
“Rabbi, when did you get here?”
Jesus answered them and said,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
you are looking for me not because you saw signs
but because you ate the loaves and were filled.
Do not work for food that perishes
but for the food that endures for eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you.
For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.”
So they said to him,
“What can we do to accomplish the works of God?”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”
So they said to him,
“What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?
What can you do?
Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written:
He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”
So Jesus said to them,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven;
my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.”

So they said to him,
“Sir, give us this bread always.”
Jesus said to them,
“I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

“The End is near!” You’ve surely heard the phrase. You’ve likely even thought it, given recent world events. I’m frequently asked if I think that we really are nearing the End of the World. Well, without a doubt, strange things are occurring that strongly suggest that our world is indeed in crisis, to the point of even making one wonder from time to time, but I always recall that Christ Himself teaches that only He and His Heavenly Father know that precise time regarding The End.

Without a doubt though, it is Harvest Time.  It is time to reach out: to work the fields of Earth, to deliver each other’s souls, and indeed, to testify to today’s Gospel before the whole world!

The first essential way to harvest humanity itself is to contribute to it. Ask yourselves: “What am I doing to contribute to the human spirit?”

A couple, brief examples: A few weeks ago Our Lady of Mt. Carmel was host to a concert by The House Band & Family. The popular musical act attracted an audience of 300+ for a high-energy show that was friendly to many, many families. By the end of the evening the little children were all on the dance floor and were dancing so joyfully that I was tempted to join them! I did not for fear of being laughed off the dance floor … But it was undeniably refreshing to everyone present to witness such wholesome fun.

Again, a week later, Dominic Tocco and his band drew an equally impressive, all-ages crowd, and the families in attendance loved the performance. I thought to myself, “Considering the long shutdown that society endured, what a nice contribution to the human spirit!”

Then it happened this past week that our music minister Craig Ziobert held two pipe organ concerts of sacred music which included the basilica choir. Families of all ages loved them too. Thank you, Craig, and thank you to your team for the profound contribution to the human spirit! They deeply touched those in attendance and brought about a great harvest during this Harvest Time.

Secondly, beyond our contribution to the human spirit is the work of Jesus Christ: This Harvest Time, this working of the Earth for the salvation of souls, this time to bring joy to the human spirit, is at its essence, spreading the good news: Jesus — and Jesus alone — is the Bread of Life! The Catholic Church has been commissioned by Jesus Himself to save this world from darkness, from sin and from eternal damnation. We cannot be lost souls ourselves, but rather, let us be souls that follow the Person of Jesus Christ and His Church, for only Jesus Christ — the Bread of Life — can truly bring in the Harvest of a world in crisis.

Consider then these two questions:

ONE: What are you doing to contribute to the human spirit, be it in the home or in the workplace? I think you would be surprised at the difference you can make as an individual — I beg of you: reach out.

TWO: In such a troubled world, how will you save souls for Christ?  Again I ask you: Reach out.

End of the world?  It’s the wrong question, and the answer doesn’t matter. It is Harvest Time, without a doubt, and we have been given a great gift: Jesus the Bread of Life! The right question then? What are you willing to do to reach out — to bring in the Harvest — with Christ?

Monsignor Michael J. Cariglio, Jr., Rector, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Basilica and Saint Anthony Parish.

The whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.
The Israelites said to them,
“Would that we had died at the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt,
as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread!
But you had to lead us into this desert
to make the whole community die of famine!”

Then the LORD said to Moses,
“I will now rain down bread from heaven for you.
Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion;
thus will I test them,
to see whether they follow my instructions or not.

“I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites.
Tell them: In the evening twilight you shall eat flesh,
and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread,
so that you may know that I, the LORD, am your God.”

In the evening quail came up and covered the camp.
In the morning a dew lay all about the camp,
and when the dew evaporated, there on the surface of the desert
were fine flakes like hoarfrost on the ground.
On seeing it, the Israelites asked one another, “What is this?”
for they did not know what it was.
But Moses told them,
“This is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.”

R. (24b)  The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
What we have heard and know,
and what our fathers have declared to us,
we will declare to the generation to come
the glorious deeds of the LORD and his strength
and the wonders that he wrought.
R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
He commanded the skies above
and opened the doors of heaven;
he rained manna upon them for food
and gave them heavenly bread.
R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
Man ate the bread of angels,
food he sent them in abundance.
And he brought them to his holy land,
to the mountains his right hand had won.
R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

Brothers and sisters:
I declare and testify in the Lord
that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do,
in the futility of their minds;
that is not how you learned Christ,
assuming that you have heard of him and were taught in him,
as truth is in Jesus,
that you should put away the old self of your former way of life,
corrupted through deceitful desires,
and be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
and put on the new self,
created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth.

It has long been a Catholic understanding that when circumstances prevent one from receiving Holy Communion, it is possible to make an Act of Spiritual Communion, which is a source of grace. Spiritual Communion is an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament and lovingly embrace him at a time or in circumstances when one cannot receive Him in sacramental Communion. The most common reason for making an Act of Spiritual Communion is when a person cannot attend Mass. Acts of Spiritual Communion increase our desire to receive sacramental Communion and help us avoid the sins that would make us unable to receive Holy Communion worthily.

Spiritual Communion Prayer

My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.

I love you above all things and I desire to receive you in my soul.

Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally,

Come at least spiritually into my heart.

I embrace you as if you were already there

And unite myself wholly to you.

Never permit me to be separated from you.

Amen.