Daily Readings - Sun Jun 22 2025
Genesis
18And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.19And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:20And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
1 Corinthians
23For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:24And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.25After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
Luke
11And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.12And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place.13But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.14For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.15And they did so, and made them all sit down.16Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.17And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.
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.