Daily Readings - Sun Jun 19 2022

¹⁸Then in truth, Melchizedek, the king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine, for he was a priest of the Most High God¹⁹he blessed him, and he said: "Blessed be Abram by the Most High God, who created heaven and earth²⁰And blessed be the Most High God, through whose protection the enemies are in your hands." And he gave him tithes from everything

1 Corinthians

Chapter 11

²³For I have received from the Lord what I have also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus, on the same night that he was handed over, took bread²⁴and giving thanks, he broke it, and said: "Take and eat. This is my body, which shall be given up for you. Do this in remembrance of me.²⁵Similarly also, the cup, after he had eaten supper, saying: "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.²⁶For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord, until he returns

Luke

Chapter 9

¹¹But when the crowd had realized this, they followed him. And he received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God. And those who were in need of cures, he healed¹²Then the day began to decline. And drawing near, the twelve said to him: "Dismiss the crowds, so that, by going into the surrounding towns and villages, they may separate and find food. For we are here in a deserted place.¹³But he said to them, "You give them something to eat." And they said, "There is with us no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we are to go and buy food for this entire multitude.¹⁴Now there were about five thousand men. So he said to his disciples, "Have them recline to eat in groups of fifty.¹⁵And they did so. And they caused them all to recline to eat¹⁶Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish, he gazed up to heaven, and he blessed and broke and distributed them to his disciples, in order to set them before the crowd¹⁷And they all ate and were satisfied. And twelve baskets of fragments were taken up, which were left over from them

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter powerful narratives that weave together themes of trust, divine provision, and the sacred meal. The story of Melchizedek in Genesis introduces us to a priest-king who offers bread and wine, prefiguring the Eucharistic sacrifice. This ancient ritual points to the deeper reality of God's presence and provision, setting the stage for the ultimate sacrifice of Christ. In 1 Corinthians, Paul recounts the institution of the Eucharist, where Jesus takes bread and wine, giving them new meaning as His body and blood. This sacred meal is not just a remembrance but a living encounter with Christ, sustaining us on our journey. It calls us to gratitude and recognition of God's abiding presence in our lives. The Gospel from Luke illustrates Jesus' compassion and power as He feeds the multitude with scarce resources. This miracle is more than a display of might; it's an invitation to trust in God's providence. Just as the disciples learned to rely on Jesus, we too are called to trust in His abundance, even in times of scarcity. Let us approach each day with faith, remembering that God's grace can transform our meager offerings into abundant life.