Daily Readings - Sun Jun 23 2019
Genesis
18Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High,19and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.20And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
1 Corinthians
23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
Luke
11but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.12Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, "Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here."13He replied, "You give them something to eat."14They answered, "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish--unless we go and buy food for all this crowd." (About five thousand men were there.)15But he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each." The disciples did so, and everybody sat down.16Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to set before the people.17They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter three distinct yet interconnected narratives that guide us toward a deeper understanding of faith, trust, and gratitude. The first reading from Genesis introduces Melchizedek, a priest-king who offers bread and wine, prefiguring the Eucharistic sacrifice. This ancient ritual underscores the theme of divine provision and the role of the priestly figure in mediating God's blessings.
The second reading from 1 Corinthians shifts our focus to the institution of the Eucharist by Jesus at the Last Supper. Paul's account emphasizes the sacred nature of this meal, where bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ, symbolizing the new covenant. This passage invites us to reflect on the Eucharist as a source of spiritual nourishment and a call to unity and remembrance of Christ's sacrifice.
In the Gospel, Luke recounts the miracle of the feeding of the 5000, where Jesus transforms five loaves and two fish into an abundance of food. This act of multiplication not only demonstrates Jesus' divine power but also highlights His compassion and willingness to provide for those in need. The leftovers, twelve baskets, remind us of God's generosity and the call to share our resources with others.
These readings weave together themes of trust in divine providence and the importance of gratitude. Just as the disciples trusted Jesus with their meager resources, we are encouraged to trust in God's plan, even in times of uncertainty. The Eucharist, as a gift from God, invites us to live with gratitude, recognizing the abundance of God's love and mercy.
As we reflect on these readings, let us embrace a life of generosity and thanksgiving. May we, like Melchizedek and Jesus, be instruments of God's grace, sharing our blessings with others and trusting in His providence. Let us approach the Eucharist with reverence, remembering Christ's sacrifice, and live each day with hearts full of gratitude and hands ready to serve.