Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today the Church celebrates the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The assigned readings are 2 Kings 4:42-44, Ephesians 4:1-6, and John 6:1-15. The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm145 (Psalm 145:10-11, 15-18).

For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:

YouTube: Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 145 Praise to the Goodness and Greatness of God

The Gospel reading is as follows:

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, "Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?" He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do.

Philip answered him, "Two hundred days' wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little."

One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?"

Jesus said, "Have the people recline."

Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted.

When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, "Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted." So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.

When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, "This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world."

Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

Reflections on these readings:

Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Salesian Sunday Reflections: Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (July 29, 2018)

Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Sundays Salesian: Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (July 29, 2018)

Community in Mission: What Are Your Five Loaves and Two Fishes? A Homily for the 17th Sunday of the Year (28 JUL 18)

Crossroads Initiative: Hidden Meaning of the Loaves & Fishes

The Sacred Page: The Bread of Life: 17th Sunday in OT (28 JUL 18)

The Sacred Page: The Feeding of the 5,000 (The Mass Readings Explained) (23 JUL 18)

The Deacon's Bench: 'I am Catholic': Homily for July 29, 2018, 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (28 JUL 18)

St. Paul Center: Bread Left Over: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Word on Fire: The Mystery of the Mass (Cycle B * Ordinary Time * Week 17)

Spirituality of the Readings: The Call (Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time B)

In Exile: Feed The Hungry (Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time B)

Let the Scriptures Speak: The Prophet-King Will Shepherd His People (Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time B)

The Word Encountered: The Bread of Life (Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time B)

Historical Cultural Context: A Need to Know (Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time B)

Thoughts from the Early Church: Commentary by Augustine (Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time B)