Daily Bible Readings

July 31, 2011
1st READING
All our bodily desires are a reflection of more profound and powerful spiritual ones. Our thirst for water is a thirst for love; our hunger is a longing for true spiritual nourishment; our sexual urges a longing for union with God. By restraining our bodily desires through fasting, we allow the deeper desires to emerge and then experience how wonderfully God meets these deepest longings.

Isaiah 55:1-3
1 Thus says the Lord: All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk! 2 Why spend your money for what is not bread; your wages for what fails to satisfy? Heed me, and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare. 3 Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life. I will renew with you the everlasting covenant, the benefits assured to David.

P S A L M

Psalms 145:8-9, 15-16, 17-18
R: The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
8 The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. 9 The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works. (R) 15 The eyes of all look hopefully to you, and you give them their food in due season; 16 you open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. (R) 17 The LORD is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. 18 The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. (R)

2nd READING

St. John of the Cross uses the image of a flame burning in our hearts to describe how God dwells in us through the Holy Spirit. All the trials, hardships, temptations, suffering and pain we endure are the wood that will enkindle the fire of love in our hearts to make it grow greater. Hence, as St. Paul says, nothing can separate us from God’s love since everything can be used to draw us deeper into His love.

Romans 8:35, 37-39
35 Brothers and sisters: What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? 37 No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

G O S P E L

How often are we faced with situations that are beyond our capacity and resources? Yet this does not excuse us from doing what we can. From this story, we can see that when we offer what we can to the Lord, He can turn our “little” into “much” and meet all the needs.

ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
R: Alleluia, alleluia

Matthew 14:13-21
13 When Jesus heard 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. 14 When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. 15 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.” 16 Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.” 17 But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.” 18 Then he said, “Bring them here to me,” 19 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. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over — twelve wicker baskets full. 21 Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.

my reflections
t h i n k : When we offer what we can to the Lord, He can turn our “little” into “much” and meet all the needs.

God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
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T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________

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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Ecclesiastes 1-4
SABBATH PAUSE
My weekly time with God
THANK YOU LIST
Things to be grateful for from the past week
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SPECIAL NEEDS
Things to ask God for in the coming week
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HIDDEN TREASURE
Most important word God told me this week
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