Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - B - July 25, 2021

42 A man from Baal Shalishah came, and brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and fresh ears of grain in his sack. He said, "Give to the people, that they may eat."

43 His servant said, "What, should I set this before a hundred men?"

But he said, "Give the people, that they may eat; for thus says YHWH, 'They will eat, and will have some left over.'"

44 So he set it before them, and they ate, and left some of it, according to the word of YHWH.

A praise psalm by David.

1 I will exalt you, my God, the King.
I will praise your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will praise you.
I will extol your name forever and ever.
3 Great is  YHWH, and greatly to be praised!
His greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation will commend your works to another,
and will declare your mighty acts.
5 Of the glorious majesty of your honor,
of your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 Men will speak of the might of your awesome acts.
I will declare your greatness.
7 They will utter the memory of your great goodness,
and will sing of your righteousness.
8  YHWH is gracious, merciful,
slow to anger, and of great loving kindness.
9  YHWH is good to all.
His tender mercies are over all his works.
10 All your works will give thanks to you,  YHWH.
Your saints will extol you.
11 They will speak of the glory of your kingdom,
and talk about your power;
12 to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts,
the glory of the majesty of his kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.
Your dominion endures throughout all generations.
  YHWH is faithful in all his words,
and loving in all his deeds.
14  YHWH upholds all who fall,
and raises up all those who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all wait for you.
You give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand,
and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17  YHWH is righteous in all his ways,
and gracious in all his works.
18  YHWH is near to all those who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear him.
He also will hear their cry, and will save them.
20  YHWH preserves all those who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of  YHWH.
Let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

1 I am being held prisoner just because I am a follower of the Lord. So, I encourage you to live the way God called you to live. 2 Be humble and gentle. Be patient with others and treat them in a loving way. 3 Be eager to let God's Spirit keep you as one, as you live in peace. 4 Remember, there is one Body you are part of. There is one Spirit who calls you to share one hope as followers of Jesus. 5 There is only one Lord, and one baptism that made us his followers. 6 There is only one God and Father of us all. He is above all creation. He works through all of us. And he lives in all of us.

1 I, a prisoner for the LORD, encourage you to walk (throughout life in a manner) worthy of the call which you were called (by God), 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, putting up with one another in love, 3 quickly going around to keep unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 (There is) one Body and one Spirit, like you were called into the one hope of your call; 5 one LORD, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of us all, the one above all, through all, and in all.

1 After Jesus returned to the area, he crossed the Sea of Galilee. 2 A large crowd followed him because they saw the ways he healed the sick. 3 Jesus climbed a hill and sat with his followers to teach them. 4 (Note the feast of Passover was near.) 5 When Jesus looked around, he saw the crowd arrive. "Where can we buy all these people bread to eat?" Jesus asked Phillip. 6 Jesus asked the question to test Phillip's faith, for he already knew what he was going to do next.

7 "Two hundred silver coins would only buy enough bread to give each person a little to eat," Phillip answered.

8 Then Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 9 "Here's a small boy with five barley rolls and two dried fish in a basket. But how can this food feed all these people?"

10 "Have everyone sit down," Jesus replied. There was a large grass area on the hillside for the five thousand men gathered. 11 Then, Jesus took the bread, said the blessing, and gave it to the people. He did the same thing with the small fish until everyone had their fill. 12 When the crowd finished eating, Jesus told his followers to gather the leftovers so none of the food would be wasted. 13 When they gathered the food together, they filled twelve baskets with leftover bread no one wanted.

14 Seeing what Jesus just did, the men in the crowd began to say, "This is the prophet God promised us!" 15 But, Jesus knew they were about to take him and make him king. So, he escaped into the hill country to be alone.

1 After these (events), JESUS went across the sea of Galilee, of Tiberias. 2 A large crowd was following HIM because they were seeing the signs he was doing upon the feeble. 3 JESUS went up a hill and sat there with HIS disciples. 4 The Passover festival of the Jews was near. 5 Having lifted up (HIS) eyes, and having seen that a large crowd came toward him, JESUS said to Phillip, "Where can we buy loaves of bread so that these (people) might eat?" 6 But HE was saying this, testing him, for HE knew what HE was about to do. 7 Phillip answered HIM, "Loaves (worth) two hundred denarii is not enough so that each one might receive a little (bread)." 8 One out of HIS disciples, Andrew, brother of Simon Peter, said to HIM, 9 "There is a small boy here who has five barley loaves and two small fish. But these (items), what are they for such (large numbers of people)?" 10 JESUS said, "Make the men recline." There was a lot of grass at the place. Then the men reclined, five thousand (in) number.

11 JESUS took the loaves of bread and, having blessed (them), gave (them) to those reclining, and likewise with the small fish, (so the people ate) as much as they wanted. 12 As they ate (their) fill, HE said to HIS disciples, "Gather the leftover pieces (of food), so that none might be wasted." 13 Then, they gathered (the food) together and filled twelve baskets of leftovers out of the five barley loaves which they had eaten their fill. 14 Having seen what sign HE did, the men were saying, "This is truly the prophet, the one coming into the world." 15 JESUS, then, having known they were about to come and take hold of him so that they might make him king, left again into the hill (country) alone.