First reading 2 Kings 4:42-44 ©

They will eat, and have some left over

A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing Elisha, the man of God, bread from the
first-fruits, twenty barley loaves and fresh grain in the ear.’ ‘Give it to the people to
eat’, Elisha said. But his servant replied, ‘How can I serve this to a hundred men?’
‘Give it to the people to eat’ he insisted ‘for the Lord says this, “They will eat and
have some left over.”’ He served them; they ate and had some left over, as the Lord
had said.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 144(145):10-11,15-18 ©

You open wide your hand, O Lord, and grant our desires.
All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,
and your friends shall repeat their blessing.
They shall speak of the glory of your reign
and declare your might, O God.
You open wide your hand, O Lord, and grant our desires.
The eyes of all creatures look to you
and you give them their food in due time.
You open wide your hand,
grant the desires of all who live.
You open wide your hand, O Lord, and grant our desires.
The Lord is just in all his ways

and loving in all his deeds.
He is close to all who call him,
who call on him from their hearts.
You open wide your hand, O Lord, and grant our desires.

Second reading Ephesians 4:1-6 ©
One Body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God
I, the prisoner in the Lord, implore you to lead a life worthy of your vocation. Bear
with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience. Do all
you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together. There
is one Body, one Spirit, just as you were all called into one and the same hope when
you were called. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is Father
of all, over all, through all and within all.

Gospel Acclamation cf.Jn6:63,68
Alleluia, alleluia!
Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life;
you have the message of eternal life.
Alleluia!

Or: Lk7:16
Alleluia, alleluia!
A great prophet has appeared among us;
God has visited his people.
Alleluia!

Gospel John 6:1-15 ©

The feeding of the five thousand

Jesus went off to the other side of the Sea of Galilee – or of Tiberias – and a large
crowd followed him, impressed by the signs he gave by curing the sick. Jesus climbed
the hillside, and sat down there with his disciples. It was shortly before the Jewish
feast of Passover.
Looking up, Jesus saw the crowds approaching and said to Philip, ‘Where can we
buy some bread for these people to eat?’ He only said this to test Philip; he himself
knew exactly what he was going to do. Philip answered, ‘Two hundred denarii would
only buy enough to give them a small piece each.’ One of his disciples, Andrew,
Simon Peter’s brother, said, ‘There is a small boy here with five barley loaves and two
fish; but what is that between so many?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Make the people sit
down.’ There was plenty of grass there, and as many as five thousand men sat down.
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and gave them out to all who were sitting
ready; he then did the same with the fish, giving out as much as was wanted. When
they had eaten enough he said to the disciples, ‘Pick up the pieces left over, so that
nothing gets wasted.’ So they picked them up, and filled twelve hampers with scraps
left over from the meal of five barley loaves. The people, seeing this sign that he had
given, said, ‘This really is the prophet who is to come into the world.’ Jesus, who
could see they were about to come and take him by force and make him king, escaped
back to the hills by himself.