First Reading

Reading from the Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:34-42

In those days, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law respected by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin, ordered the apostles to be led out for a short time, and said to the assembly:

«Fellow Israelites, consider carefully what you are about to do to these men. Not long ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be someone important, and he attracted about four hundred men. He was killed, and all his followers were dispersed and came to nothing. After him, in the days of the census, Judas the Galilean rose up and led people after him, but he too perished and all his followers were scattered. In the present case, I advise you: Do not try to stop these men; let them go. For if this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!»

The others followed his advice: they had the apostles brought in, had them flogged, ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them. They left the Sanhedrin rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus.

And all day long, both in the temple and in their homes, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

Gospel

Reading from the holy Gospel according to Saint John

John 6:1-15

At that time, Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee, or Tiberias. A large crowd followed him, because they had seen 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 denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get 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.

At that time the people, when they saw the sign he had done, 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.