Daily Catholic Mass Readings for June 22, 2025
First Reading: Genesis 14.18-20
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
Psalm 110
1A Psalm of David. The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.2The Lord will send forth the scepter of your virtue from Zion. Rule in the midst of your enemies3It is with you from the beginning, in the day of your virtue, in the splendor of the saints. From conception, before the light-bearer, I begot you4The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent: "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.5The Lord is at your right hand. He has broken kings in the day of his wrath6He will judge between the nations; he will fill up ruination. He will shatter heads in the land of the many7He will drink from the torrent on the way. Because of this, he will exalt the head
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 11.23-26
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
Gospel: Luke 9.11b-17
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 faith, gratitude, and divine provision. The first reading from Genesis introduces Melchizedek, a priest-king who offers bread and wine, blessing Abram and receiving a tithe. This ancient act of worship prefigures the Eucharistic tradition, highlighting the importance of acknowledging God as the source of all blessings. The second reading from 1 Corinthians details the institution of the Eucharist, where Jesus, on the night before His passion, transforms bread and wine into His body and blood, commanding us to remember Him through this sacred meal. The Gospel from Luke recounts the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, where Jesus takes five loaves and two fish, blesses them, and satisfies the multitude, leaving an abundance of leftovers.
These readings are deeply interconnected, each shedding light on the others. Melchizedek’s offering of bread and wine in Genesis foreshadows the Eucharistic sacrifice, while the feeding miracle in Luke mirrors the abundance of God’s grace, much like the overflowing bread in the wilderness. The Eucharist, as described by Paul, is the culmination of these themes, where we participate in Christ’s sacrifice and are nourished for our journey. Together, they remind us that God’s provision is always sufficient, often exceeding our needs.
In our daily lives, these readings invite us to cultivate gratitude and trust. Like Abram, we are called to give back to God from the abundance He has given us, whether through our resources or our time. The Eucharist urges us to remember Christ’s sacrifice, integrating this remembrance into our actions and decisions. The feeding of the five thousand challenges us to approach life with faith, trusting that God can multiply even our meager offerings. May we embrace a spirit of stewardship, recognizing that all we have comes from God, and may we use these gifts wisely and generously, mirroring the divine generosity we encounter in these readings.