The readings for tomorrow include the famous “loaves and fishes” feeding of the multitude.
Nehemiah 9:16-20
Psalm 78:1-29 or 78:14-20, 23-2
Romans 8:35-39
Matthew 14:13-21
The Collect
Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Old Testament
Nehemiah 9:16-20
Ezra blessed the Lord, and said, “Our ancestors acted presumptuously and stiffened their necks and did not obey your commandments; they refused to obey, and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them; but they stiffened their necks and determined to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and you did not forsake them. Even when they had cast an image of a calf for themselves and said, `This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed great blasphemies, you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness; the pillar of cloud that led them in the way did not leave them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night that gave them light on the way by which they should go. You gave your good spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and gave them water for their thirst.
The Psalm
Psalm 78:1-29 or 78:14-20, 23-25
Page 694 , BCP
Attendite, popule
1
Hear my teaching, O my people; *
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.2
I will open my mouth in a parable; *
I will declare the mysteries of ancient times.3
That which we have heard and known,
and what our forefathers have told us, *
we will not hide from their children.4
We will recount to generations to come
the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the LORD, *
and the wonderful works he has done.5
He gave his decrees to Jacob
and established a law for Israel, *
which he commanded them to teach their children;6
That the generations to come might know,
and the children yet unborn; *
that they in their turn might tell it to their children;7
So that they might put their trust in God, *
and not forget the deeds of God,
but keep his commandments;8
And not be like their forefathers,
a stubborn and rebellious generation, *
a generation whose heart was not steadfast,
and whose spirit was not faithful to God.9
The people of Ephraim, armed with the bow, *
turned back in the day of battle;10
They did not keep the covenant of God, *
and refused to walk in his law;11
They forgot what he had done, *
and the wonders he had shown them.12
He worked marvels in the sight of their forefathers, *
in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.13
He split open the sea and let them pass through; *
he made the waters stand up like walls.14
He led them with a cloud by day, *
and all the night through with a glow of fire.15
He split the hard rocks in the wilderness *
and gave them drink as from the great deep.16
He brought streams out of the cliff, *
and the waters gushed out like rivers.17
But they went on sinning against him, *
rebelling in the desert against the Most High.18
They tested God in their hearts, *
demanding food for their craving.19
They railed against God and said, *
“Can God set a table in the wilderness?20
True, he struck the rock, the waters gushed out, and the gullies overflowed; *
but is he able to give bread
or to provide meat for his people?”21
When the LORD heard this, he was full of wrath; *
a fire was kindled against Jacob,
and his anger mounted against Israel;22
For they had no faith in God, *
nor did they put their trust in his saving power.23
So he commanded the clouds above *
and opened the doors of heaven.24
He rained down manna upon them to eat *
and gave them grain from heaven.25
So mortals ate the bread of angels; *
he provided for them food enough.26
He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens *
and led out the south wind by his might.27
He rained down flesh upon them like dust *
and winged birds like the sand of the sea.28
He let it fall in the midst of their camp *
and round about their dwellings.29
So they ate and were well filled, *
for he gave them what they craved.
The Epistle
Romans 8:35-39
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all day long;
we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.”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 Gospel
Matthew 14:13-21
Jesus 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, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. When 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 he 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.