Gospel: August 2, 2026
August 2, 2026 (Sunday)
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Psalter: Week 2 (Green)
Ps 145:8-9, 15-16, 17-18
The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
1st Reading: Isaiah 55:1-3
2nd Reading: Roma 8:35, 37-39
Gospel: Matthew 14:13-21
When Jesus heard of it, he set out by boat for a secluded place, to be alone. But the people heard of it, and they followed him on foot from their towns. When Jesus went ashore, he saw the crowd gathered there, and he had compassion on them. And he healed their sick.
Late in the afternoon, his disciples came to him and said, “We are in a lonely place and it is now late. You should send these people away, so that they can go to the villages and buy something for themselves to eat.”
But Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat.”They answered, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fishes.” Jesus said to them, “Bring them here to me.” Then he made everyone sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fishes, raised his eyes to heaven, pronounced the blessing, broke the loaves, and handed them to the disciples to distribute to the people. And they all ate, and everyone had enough; then the disciples gathered up the leftovers, filling 12 baskets. About 5,000 men had eaten there, besides women and children.
Lectio Divina:
Share our “five loaves and two fish.”
Read: The prophet Isaiah invites all to return through the imagery of a banquet. The covenant that God established with David is now extended beyond his dynasty. Meanwhile, in the second reading, Paul tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of God that we have in Christ Jesus. This culminates in Matthew’s account of the miracle of feeding the 5,000 with the five loaves and two fish offered to him, foreshadowing the heavenly banquet.
Reflect: Given the considerable number of people before them, the apostles felt overwhelmed. How could they feed everyone? They only had five loaves and two fish, so they asked the Master to dismiss the crowd. It is easy to pray and ask the Lord to act when confronted with our needs or the needs of others. However, the Lord wants us to take action. He desires to involve us, asking what we have. Jesus can perform miracles in our lives and the lives of others, but He prefers to do so with our cooperation. In His work of salvation, Jesus wants you and me to get involved and share our “five loaves and two fish” so that others may be blessed.
Pray: Lord, help me realize that I possess something that can bless others.
Act: Consider practical ways to support the poor in your community.
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