Saint of the day · August 2
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
18ème dimanche du Temps Ordinaire (semaine II du Psautier)
Liturgical colour : Green
The Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time falls within the long stretch of the liturgical year that is dedicated to 'Ordinary Time'—a season not marked by extraordinary feasts but by a steady reflection on the life and teachings of Christ. The Sundays of Ordinary Time invite the faithful to grow in discipleship, meditating upon the Gospel and seeing how it applies to the everyday aspects of life. The Church, through the liturgy, presents scriptural readings that often focus on Jesus’ public ministry, His miracles, His parables, and His challenges to both followers and those who opposed Him. This particular Sunday typically emphasizes God’s providence and the call to trust more deeply in Him, often through Gospel stories like the feeding of the multitude or exhortations against anxiety about material needs.
Liturgical Ordinary Time is a period for spiritual maturity, challenging Christians to live out the demands of the Gospel with fidelity in routine daily life. By listening to the Word, participating in the sacraments, and bringing Gospel values into their relationships and work, believers are reminded that sanctity is not limited to momentous acts but is found also in small, faithful choices. The green vestments signal hope and growing life. The Church's commemoration of the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time is thus a call to continue the journey of faith, nourished by Christ, and to find meaning and purpose in the rhythm of ordinary days.
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The liturgical day
Mass readings
“Come, buy and eat” — Is 55, 1-3
Thus says the Lord:
All you who are thirsty,
come, here is water!
Even if you have no money,
come, buy and eat,
come, buy wine and milk
without money, without paying anything.
Why spend your money on what does not nourish,
your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen to me well, and you will eat good things,
you will feast on rich foods!
Lend your ear! Come to me!
Listen, and you will live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant:
this is the steadfast love assured to David.
– Let us acclaim the Word of God.
Ps 144 (145), 8-9, 15-16, 17-18
The Lord is tenderness and mercy,
slow to anger and full of love;
the Lord’s goodness is for all,
his tenderness for all his works.
The eyes of all look hopefully to you:
you give them food in due time;
you open your hand:
you satisfy with goodness all living things.
The Lord is just in all his ways,
faithful in all he does.
He is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call on him in truth.
“No creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ” — Rm 8, 35.37-39
Brothers and sisters,
who will separate us from the love of Christ?
distress? anguish? persecution?
hunger? poverty? danger? the sword?
But in all this we are more than conquerors
through him who loved us.
I am convinced:
neither death nor life,
neither angels nor heavenly Principalities,
neither the present nor the future,
nor Powers,
neither heights nor depths,
nor any other creature,
nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
– The word of the Lord.
“They all ate and were satisfied” — Mt 14, 13-21
At that time,
when Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist,
he withdrew by boat
to a deserted place by himself.
The crowds heard about it
and, leaving their towns, they followed him on foot.
When he disembarked, he saw a large crowd;
he was moved with compassion for them and healed their sick.
When evening came,
the disciples approached and said to him:
“The place is deserted and the hour is already late.
Send the crowd away:
so they can go to the villages to buy themselves food!”
But Jesus said to them:
“They do not need to go away.
Give them something to eat yourselves.”
So they said to him:
“We have here only five loaves and two fish.”
Jesus said:
“Bring them here to me.”
Then, ordering the crowd to sit down on the grass,
he took the five loaves and the two fish,
and, raising his eyes to heaven,
he said the blessing;
he broke the loaves,
gave them to the disciples,
and the disciples gave them to the crowd.
They all ate and were satisfied.
They collected the pieces left over:
that filled twelve baskets.
Those who had eaten were about five thousand men,
not counting women and children.
– Let us acclaim the Word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org