A Reading from the Book the Nehemiah (9:16-21)

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“But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments. They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them. Even when they had made for themselves a golden calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed great blasphemies, you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go. You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst. Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.  

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Psalm 78:14-26.

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14 He divided the sea, and let them go through; *
         he made the waters to stand on an heap.
15 In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, *
          and all the night through with a light of fire.
16 He clave the hard rocks in the wilderness, *
          and gave them drink thereof,
          as it had been out of the great depth.
17 He brought waters out of the stony rock, *
          so that it gushed out like the rivers.
18 Yet for all this they sinned more against him, *
          and provoked the Most Highest in the wilderness.
19 They tempted God in their hearts, *
          and required meat for their lust.
20 They spake against God also, saying, *
         Shall God prepare a table in the wilderness?
21 He smote the stony rock indeed, that the water gushed 

     out, and the streams flowed withal; *
          but can he give bread also, or provide flesh for his  people?
22 When the Lord heard this, he was wroth; *
        so the fire was kindled in Jacob,
          and there came up heavy displeasure against Israel;
23 Because they believed not in God, *
          and put not their trust in his help.
24 So he commanded the clouds above, *
          and opened the doors of heaven.
25 He rained down manna also upon them for to eat, *
          and gave them food from heaven.
26 So man did eat angels’ food; *
          for he sent them meat enough.

 

A Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans (8:35-39).

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Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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    The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ

           According to St. Matthew (14:13-21)

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Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.