Genesis 14:18-20 (JB)

A reading from the book of Genesis

Melchizedek brought bread and wine.

Melchizedek king of Salem brought bread and wine; he was a priest of God Most High. He pronounced this blessing:

‘Blessed be Abraham by God Most High, creator of heaven and earth,

and blessed be God Most High for handing over your enemies to you.’

And Abraham gave him a tithe of everything.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Genesis 14:18-20 (NRSV)

A reading from the book of Genesis

When Abram heard that his nephew, Lot, had been taken captive,

he led forth his trained men, and routed the abductors.

After Abram’s return

King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine;

he was priest of God Most High.

He blessed Abram and said,

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,

maker of heaven and earth;

and blessed be God Most High,

who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”

And Abram gave him one tenth of everything.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Ps 109:1-4 (JB)

R. You are a priest for ever,

in the line of Melchizedek.

The Lord’s revelation to my Master:

‘Sit on my right:

I will put your foes beneath your feet.’ R.

The Lord will send from Zion

your sceptre of power:

rule in the midst of all your foes. R.

A prince from the day of your birth

on the holy mountains;

from the womb before the daybreak I begot you. R.

The Lord has sworn an oath he will not change.

‘You are a priest for ever,

a priest like Melchizedek of old.’ R.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (JB)

A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians

Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming the death of the Lord.

This is what I received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you: that on the same night that he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me.’ In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me.’ Until the Lord comes, therefore, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming his death.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (NRSV)

A reading from the first letter of to Paul to the Corinthians

Beloved,

I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,

that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed

took a loaf of bread,

and when he had given thanks,

he broke it and said,

“This is my body that is for you.

Do this in remembrance of me.”

In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying,

“This cup is the new covenant in my blood.

Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,

you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

John 6:51-52 (JB)

Sequence

Sing forth, O Zion, sweetly sing

The praises of thy Shepherd-King,

In hymns and canticles divine;

Dare all thou canst, thou hast no song

Worthy his praises to prolong,

So far surpassing powers like thine.

Today no theme of common praise

Forms the sweet burden of thy lays –

The living, life-dispensing food –

That food which at the sacred board

Unto the brethren twelve our Lord

His parting legacy bestowed.

Then be the anthem clear and strong,

Thy fullest note, thy sweetest song,

The very music of the breast:

For now shines forth the day sublime

That brings remembrance of the time

When Jesus first his table blessed.

Within our new King’s banquet-hall

They meet to keep the festival

That closed the ancient paschal rite:

The old is by the new replaced;

The substance hath the shadow chased;

And rising day dispels the night.

Christ willed what he himself had done

Should be renewed while time should run,

In memory of his parting hour:

Thus, tutored in his school divine,

We consecrate the bread and wine;

And lo – a Host of saving power.

This faith to Christian men is given –

Bread is made flesh by words from heaven:

Into his blood the wine is turned:

What though it baffles nature’s powers

Of sense and sight? This faith of ours

Proves more than nature e’er discerned.

Concealed beneath the two-fold sign,

Meet symbols of the gifts divine,

There lie the mysteries adored:

The living body is our food;

Our drink the ever-precious blood;

In each, one undivided Lord.

Not he that eateth it divides

The sacred food, which whole abides

Unbroken still, nor knows decay;

Be one, or be a thousand fed,

They eat alike that living bread

Which, still received, ne’er wastes away.

The good, the guilty share therein,

With sure increase of grace or sin,

The ghostly life, or ghostly death:

Death to the guilty; to the good

Immortal life. See how one food

Man’s joy or woe accomplisheth.

We break the Sacrament, but bold

And firm thy faith shall keep its hold,

Deem not the whole doth more enfold

Than in the fractured part resides

Deem not that Christ doth broken lie,

‘Tis but the sign that meets the eye,

The hidden deep reality

In all its fullness still abides.

Behold the bread of angels, sent

For pilgrims in their banishment,

The bread for God’s true children meant,

That may not unto dogs be given:

Oft in the olden types foreshowed;

In Isaac on the altar bowed,

And in the ancient paschal food,

And in the manna sent from heaven.

Come then, good shepherd, bread divine,

Still show to us thy mercy sign;

Oh, feed us still, still keep us thine;

So may we see thy glories shine

In fields of immortality;

O thou, the wisest, mightiest, best,

Our present food, our future rest,

Come, make us each thy chosen guest,

Co-heirs of thine, and comrades blest

With saints whose dwelling is with thee.

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the living bread from heaven, says the Lord;

whoever eats this bread will live for ever.

Alleluia!

John 6:51-52 (NRSV)

The optional sequence (Lauda Sion) is intended to be sung; otherwise it is better omitted. The shorter version (Ecce Panis) begins at the asterisk.

Praise, O Zion, Christ our glory; To the Shepherd let us sing,

Tell to all the world the story; Laud with all our might the King.

Bread of life and source of living! Lacking, still our praises ring.

This our special theme for singing, Christ the Lamb for us was slain.

At the paschal meal he taught us, To the twelve he made it plain:

Flesh as food for us was giving, Therefore let your faith not wane.

On this day of Christian feasting, With full voices we delight:

Instituting our salvation, In the sacred meal that night,

Christ the ancient law fulfilling, Fills all people with new sight.

To obey the call Jesus, Gathered we as chosen band.

Bread and wine Christ is transforming, Flesh and Blood are now at hand.

From his words and actions learning, Love we share at his command.

Gathered at this solemn table, Darkness now has taken flight.

In the bread and wine partaking, Christ is for each one the light,

Then as food to us disciples, Gives our souls a new delight.

To all people Christ is giving, Truth in word and sacrament.

By the sacrifice redeeming, All into one covenant.

One in Jesus’ name assembling: Faith and love our testament.

To our minds these signs disclosing, To our senses must unfold:

Bread is broken, Blood outpouring; Christ the myst’ry, awe untold!

Flesh and Blood to sight revealing: This the story to be told.

Undivided is his body, Yet Christ gives himself to all.

Word made flesh with us abiding, For without him we must fall.

Christ the Pasch we are consuming, One in spirit is our call.

Good and evil are all sharing, Seeds of destiny are sown.

To new life our Saviour guides us; Death prevails when on our own.

Life immortal, for those seeking, Is fulfilled in Christ alone.

When the sacred bread is broken, All receive the Christ as one.

By his love Christ is transforming, Though so many we are one;

All the scattered are united, All the lonely welcomed home.

* Come, behold, the bread of angels, This our strength on pilgrims’ way.

For the children God is giving, Manna for our bread each day.

Now the sign of Isaac telling: Christ has conquered on this day.

Hear our prayers, O kindly Shepherd, Be for us true living bread.

Grant us peace in all our doings, To our resting place be led,

Forth with all the saints now dwelling, We the body, you the Head.

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the living bread from heaven, says the Lord;

whoever eats this bread will live for ever.

Alleluia!

Luke 9:11-17 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

They all ate and were filled.

Jesus made the crowds welcome and talked to them about the kingdom of God; and he cured those who were in need of healing.

It was late afternoon when the Twelve came to him and said, ‘Send the people away, and they can go to the villages and farms round about to find lodging and food; for we are in a lonely place here.’ He replied, ‘Give them something to eat yourselves.’ But they said, ‘We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we are to go ourselves and buy food for all these people.’ For there were about five thousand men. But he said to his disciples, ‘Get them to sit down in parties of about fifty.’ They did so and made them all sit down. Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven, and said the blessing over them; then he broke them and handed them to his disciples to distribute among the crowd. They all ate as much as they wanted, and when the scraps remaining were collected they filled twelve baskets.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 9:11-17 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to Luke

Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God,

and healed those who needed to be cured.

The day was drawing to a close,

and the twelve came to him and said,

“Send the crowd away,

so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside,

to lodge and get provisions;

for we are here in a deserted place.”

But Jesus said to them,

“You give them something to eat.”

They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish-

unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.”

For there were about five thousand men.

And Jesus said to his disciples,

“Make the people sit down in groups of about fifty each.”

They did so and made them all sit down.

And taking the five loaves and the two fish,

he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them,

and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.

And all ate and were filled.

What was left over was gathered up,

twelve baskets of broken pieces.

10 ORDINARY

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.