18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
First Reading
Isaiah 55:1-3 (JB)
A reading from the prophet Isaiah
Hasten and eat.
Thus says the Lord:
Oh, come to the water all you who are thirsty;
though you have no money, come!
Buy corn without money, and eat,
and, at no cost, wine and milk.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
your wages on what fails to satisfy?
Listen, listen to me and you will have good things to eat
and rich food to enjoy.
Pay attention, come to me;
listen, and your soul will live.
With you I will make an everlasting covenant
out of the favours promised to David.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Isaiah 55:1-3 (NRSV)
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah
The Lord says this:
“Everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and you that have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
“Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labour for that which does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
“Incline your ear, and come to me;
listen, so that you may live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.”
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 144:8-9, 15-18 (JB)
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us:
he answers all our needs.
The Lord is kind and full of compassion,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
How good is the Lord to all,
compassionate to all his creatures. R.
The eyes of all creatures look to you
and you give them their food in due time.
You open wide your hand,
grant the desires of all who live. R.
The Lord is just in all his ways
and loving in all his deeds.
He is close to all who call him,
call on him from their hearts. R.
Second Reading
Romans 8:35, 37-39 (JB)
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans
No creature can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ.
Nothing can come between us and the love of Christ, even if we are troubled or worried, or being persecuted, or lacking food or clothes, or being threatened or even attacked. These are the trials through which we triumph, by the power of him who loved us.
For I am certain of this: neither death nor life, no angel, no prince, nothing that exists, nothing still to come, not any power, or height or depth, nor any created thing, can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Romans 8:35, 37-39 (NRSV)
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Roman
Who will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will hardship, or distress, or persecution,
or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors
through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor rulers,
nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us
from the love of God
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation
Matthew 4:4 (JB)
Alleluia, alleluia!
No one lives on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Alleluia!
Matthew 4:4 (NRSV)
Alleluia, alleluia!
No one lives on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Alleluia!
Gospel
Matthew 14:13-21 (JB)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
They all ate and were satisfied.
When Jesus received the news of John the Baptist’s death he withdrew by boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But the people heard of this and, leaving the towns, went after him on foot. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them and healed their sick.
When evening came, the disciples went to him and said, ‘This is a lonely place, and the time has slipped by; so send the people away, and they can go to the villages to buy themselves some food.’ Jesus replied, ‘There is no need for them to go: give them something to eat yourselves.’ But they answered, ‘All we have with us is five loaves and two fish.’ ‘Bring them here to me,’ he said. He gave orders that the people were to sit down on the grass; then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven and said the blessing. And breaking the loaves he handed them to his disciples who gave them to the crowds. They all ate as much as they wanted, and they collected the scraps remaining, twelve baskets full, Those who ate numbered about five thousand men, to say nothing of women and children.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 14:13-21 (NRSV)
A reading from the holy gospel according to Matthew
When Jesus heard that Herod had beheaded John the Baptist,
he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.
But when the crowds heard it,
they followed him on foot from the towns.
When he went ashore, Jesus saw a great crowd;
and he had compassion for them and cured their sick.
Then it was evening, the disciples came to him and said,
“This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late;
send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages
and buy food for themselves.”
Jesus said to them,
“They need not go away;
you give them something to eat.”
They replied,
“We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.”
And he said, “Bring them here to me.”
Then Jesus ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish,
he looked up to heaven,
and blessed and broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples,
and the disciples gave them to the crowds.
And all ate and were filled;
and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces,
twelve baskets full.
And those who ate were about five thousand men,
besides women and children.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.