— — — —

Gospel Reading:
Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

 During those days another large crowd gathered.
Since they had nothing to eat,
Jesus called his disciples to him and said,
 “I have compassion for these people;
they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat.
 If I send them home hungry,
they will collapse on the way,
because some of them have come a long distance.”

 His disciples answered,
“But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”

“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

“Seven,” they replied.

 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground.
When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks,
he broke them and gave them to his disciples
to distribute to the people, and they did so.
 They had a few small fish as well;
he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them.
The people ate and were satisfied.
Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls
of broken pieces that were left over.
About four thousand were present.
After he had sent them away,
he got into the boat with his disciples
and went to the region of Dalmanutha.

The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus.
To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven.
He sighed deeply and said,
“Why does this generation ask for a sign?
Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.”
 Then he left them,
got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.
(Mark 8:1-13).

* * *

God sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
We saw his son and are now telling others about him.
(1 John 4:14 NIV)

   — — — —

Gospel Reading:
Jesus Heals a Deaf and Mute Man

Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon,
down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.
There some people brought to him a man who was deaf
and could hardly talk,
and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.

After he took him aside,
away from the crowd,
Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears.
Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue.
 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him,
“Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”).
At this, the man’s ears were opened,
his tongue was loosened
and he began to speak plainly.

Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone.
But the more he did so,
the more they kept talking about it.
 People were overwhelmed with amazement.
“He has done everything well,” they said.
“He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
(Mark 7:31-37).

* * *

God sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
We saw his son and are now telling others about him.
(1 John 4:14 NIV)

   — — — —

Gospel Reading:
Jesus Honors a Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith

Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre.
He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it;
yet he could not keep his presence secret. 
In fact, as soon as she heard about him,
a woman whose little daughter was possessed
by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet.
 The woman was a Greek,
born in Syrian Phoenicia.
She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.

 “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, 
“for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

“Lord,” she replied,
“even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

Then he told her, 
“For such a reply, you may go;
the demon has left your daughter.”

She went home and found her child lying on the bed,
and the demon gone.
(Mark 7:24-30).

* * *

God sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
We saw his son and are now telling others about him.
(1 John 4:14 NIV)

   — — — —

Gospel Reading:
Jesus Walks on the Water

Immediately Jesus made his disciples
get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida,
while he dismissed the crowd.
 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.

 Later that night,
the boat was in the middle of the lake,
and he was alone on land.
 He saw the disciples straining at the oars,
because the wind was against them.
Shortly before dawn he went out to them,
walking on the lake.
He was about to pass by them, 
but when they saw him walking on the lake,
they thought he was a ghost. 
They cried out,
 because they all saw him and were terrified.

Immediately he spoke to them and said,
 “Take courage! It is I.
Don’t be afraid.” 
Then he climbed into the boat with them,
and the wind died down. 
They were completely amazed,
 for they had not understood about the loaves;
their hearts were hardened.

 When they had crossed over,
they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. 
As soon as they got out of the boat,
people recognized Jesus.
 They ran throughout that whole region
and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.
 And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—
they placed the sick in the marketplaces.
They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak,
 and all who touched it were healed.
(Mark 6:45-56).

* * *

God sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
We saw his son and are now telling others about him.
(1 John 4:14 NIV)