Eighteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time

Today the Church celebrates the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The assigned readings are Isaiah 55:1-3; Romans 8:35, 37-39; and Matthew 14:13-21. The Responsorial Psalm is from Psalm 145 (Psalm 145:8-9, 15-18).

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

YouTube: Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 145) The Hand of the Lord Feeds Us; He Answers All Our Needs, August 2

The Gospel reading is as follows:

When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.

When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, "This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves."

Jesus said to them, "There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves."

But they said to him, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have here."

Then he said, "Bring them here to me," and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.

Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over - twelve wicker baskets full. Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.

Reflections on these readings:

Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Sunday Reflections: 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time August 2, 2020

Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Sundays Salesian: 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (August 2, 2020)

Community in Mission: It is Easier to Wear Slippers than to Carpet the Whole of the Earth. A Meditation on the Gospel for the 18th Sunday of the Year (1 AUG 20)

St. Paul Center: Food in Due Season: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Magis Center for Catholic Spirituality: Eighteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time

The Gregorian Institute at Benedictine College: This Sunday, the Miracle God Keeps Doing Every Day (30 JUL 20)

Word on Fire: Come to the Water! (Cycle A * Ordinary Time * Week 18)

National Catholic Register: Sunday Guide: Trusting in the One Who Multiplies the Loaves and Fish (30 JUL 20)

Spirituality of the Readings: Come to the Water (18th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A)

In Exile: Fragments From Some Prophetic Loaves and Fishes (18th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A)

Glancing Thoughts: The Bread of Life (18th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A)

The Perspective of Justice: Feeding the World (18th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A) 

Let the Scriptures Speak: Dinner and a Show (18th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A)

The Word Embodied: The Higher Love (18th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A)

Historical Cultural Context: Two Banquets (18th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A)

Thoughts from the Early Church: Commentary by Ephrem (18th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A)

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the blessings You bestowed on us during the month of July - those we were aware of and those countless others we were not aware of.

Msgr. Pope on the Hidden Treasure Buried in the Field

"In [last] Sunday's Gospel we are told of a man who finds a hidden treasure buried in a field and that he goes and sells all he has to buy the filed in order to have that treasure. Why is it hidden and what does that mean for us?

"To say that the treasure, an image for the Kingdom of Heaven, is hidden is to indicate that the gift and glory that God has waiting for us is not something we can fathom. . . ."

In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected this hidden treasure and what it means as we live our lives each day.

To access Msgr. Pope's complete post, please visit:

Community in Mission: What Is the Hidden Treasure Buried in the Field? (26 JUL 20)

Reflection Starter from Pope Francis

"When someone offers us a service, we should not think that we deserve everything. Gratitude, appreciation is, first of all, good manners, but it is also a characteristic of a Christian. It is a simple but genuine sign of the Kingdom of God." - Pope Francis

Hank Williams: "Hey, Good Looking"

As this blessed week draws to a close, I offer this version of Hank Williams presenting "Hey, Good Looking":

Holy Father's Prayer Intention for August

The Holy Father's prayer intention for August is:

For the Maritime World: "We pray for all those who work and live from the sea, among them sailors, fishermen and their families."

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the graces You pour into us as we receive the sacrament of Baptism.

George Weigel on Rediscvering Baptism

"On April 29, 1951, Father Thomas Love, SJ, baptized me in the Church of Sts. Philip and James, near Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Family legend has it that I raised such a furor during the proceedings that my cousin Judy hid in a confessional. There are pictures of the christening, and a few years ago I found a lovely letter that Father Love (whom I never met) wrote me shortly afterwards. But I cannot say that I took the date of my baptism seriously until I was nudged into greater baptismal awareness in the 1980s."

In a recent commentary, George Weigel (columnist and Distinguished Senior Fellow, Ethics and Public Policy Center, Washington, DC) reflected on the sacrament of Baptism and on how we can come to a deeper appreciation of this gift during this time of plague.

To access Mr. Weigel's complete post, please visit:

Denver Catholic: Rediscovering baptism in plague time (22 APR 20)

Reflection Starter from Fred Rogers

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'" - Fred Rogers