19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

1 Kings 19:4-8 (JB)

A reading from the first book of the Kings

Strengthened by the food, he walked to the mountain of the Lord.

Elijah went into the wilderness, a day’s journey, and sitting under a furze bush wished he were dead. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘I have had enough. Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.’ Then he lay down and went to sleep. But an angel touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat.’ He looked round, and there at his head was a scone baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. But the angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat, or the journey will be too long for you.’ So he got up and ate and drank, and strengthened by that food he walked for forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

1 Kings 19:4-8 (NRSV)

A reading from the first book of Kings

Elijah went a day’s journey into the wilderness,

and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree.

He asked that he might die:

“It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life,

for I am no better than my ancestors.”

Then Elijah lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep.

Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him,

“Get up and eat.”

He looked, and there at his head

was a cake baked on hot stones,

and a jar of water.

He ate and drank, and lay down again.

The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him,

and said, “Get up and eat,”

otherwise the journey will be too much for you.”

Elijah got up, and ate and drank;

then he went in the strength of that food

forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mountain of God.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Ps 33:2-9 (JB)

R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

I will bless the Lord at all times,

his praise always on my lips;

in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.

The humble shall hear and be glad. R.

Glorify the Lord with me.

Together let us praise his name.

I sought the Lord and he answered me;

from all my terrors he set me free. R.

Look towards him and be radiant;

let your faces not be abashed.

This poor man called; the Lord heard him

and rescued him from all his distress. R.

The angel of the Lord is encamped

around those who revere him, to rescue them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

He is happy who seeks refuge in him. R.

Ephesians 4:30 – 5:2 (JB)

A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Ephesians

Walk in love, just as Christ.

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God who has marked you with his seal for you to be set free when the day comes. Never have grudges against others, or lose your temper, or raise your voice to anybody, or call each other names, or allow any sort of spitefulness. Be friends with one another, and kind, forgiving each other as readily as God forgave you in Christ.

Try, then, to imitate God, as children of his that he loves, and follow Christ by loving as he loved you, giving himself up in our place as a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Ephesians 4:30 – 5:2 (NRSV)

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Ephesians

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,

with which you were marked with a seal

for the day of redemption.

Put away from you all bitterness and wrath

and anger and wrangling and slander;

together with all malice,

and be kind to one another;

tenderhearted, forgiving one another,

as God in Christ has forgiven you.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children,

and live in love,

as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us,

a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

John 6:51 (JB)

Alleluia, alleluia!

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

whoever eats this bread will live for ever.

Alleluia!

John 6:51 (NRSV)

Alleluia, alleluia!

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

whoever eats this bread will live for ever.

Alleluia!

John 6:41-51 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

I am the living bread come down from heaven.

The Jews were complaining to each other about Jesus, because he had said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ ‘Surely this is Jesus son of Joseph’ they said. ‘We know his father and mother. How can he now say, “I have come down from heaven”?’ Jesus said in reply, ‘Stop complaining to each other.

‘No one can come to me

unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me,

and I will raise him up at the last day.

It is written in the prophets:

They will all be taught by God,

and to hear the teaching of the Father,

and learn from it,

is to come to me.

Not that anybody has seen the Father,

except the one who comes from God:

he has seen the Father.

I tell you most solemnly,

everybody who believes has eternal life.

I am the bread of life.

Your fathers ate the manna in the desert

and they are dead;

but this is the bread that comes down from heaven,

so that a man may eat it and not die.

I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.

Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;

and the bread that I shall give

is my flesh, for the life of the world.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

John 6:41-51 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to John

The people began to complain about Jesus because he said,

“I am the bread that came down from heaven.”

They were saying,

“Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph,

whose father and mother we know?

How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

Jesus answered them,

“Do not complain among yourselves.

No one can come to me

unless drawn by the Father who sent me;

and I will raise that person up on the last day.

It is written in the prophets,

‘And they shall all be taught by God.’

Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me.

Not that anyone has seen the Father

except the one who is from God;

he has seen the Father.

Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life.

“I am the bread of life.

Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.

This is the bread that comes down from heaven,

so that one may eat of it and not die.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven.

Whoever eats of this bread will live forever;

and the bread that I will give for the life of the world

is my flesh.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.