6th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Holy Mother Church reminds us to-day of the effects of the two great Sacraments: Baptism and the Eucharist, which she has conferred at Easter and Whitsunday. 

Introit

The Introit of this day’s Mass is the prayer of a soul that trusts in God’s powerful and merciful protection: 

The Lord is the strength of his people; the Protector of the Salvation of his Anointed.

Save, Oh Lord, thy people, and bless thy inheritance, and govern them for ever. 

To thee, O Lord, will I cry out. O my God, be not silent: refuse not to answer me, lest I become like those who descend into the pit.  (From psalm 27) 

And now for the Collect,

O God of all power, to whom entirely belongeth whatever is best: implant in our hearts the love of Thy name, and grant us an increase of religion that Thou mayest improve in us what is good, and preserve what Thou thus improves by the practice of piety. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ. 

The Epistle – 

Romans chapter 6 verses 3 – 11

Brethren, All we who are baptized in Christ Jesus, are baptized in his death.

For we are buried together with him by baptism unto death: that as Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father so we also may walk in newness of life. 

For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection. 

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin may be destroyed, to the end that we may serve sin no longer. For he that is dead is justified from sin. 

Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall live also together with Christ. Knowing that Christ, rising again from the dead, dieth now no more, death shall no more have, dominion over him. 

For in that he died to sin, he died once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. So do you also reckon that you are dead indeed to sin, but alive unto God, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Now for the  Gradual 

Return, O Lord, a little and be entreated in favour of Thy servants.

Lord Thou hast been our refuge from generation to generation  Alleluia. Alleluia.

In Thee O Lord, I have hoped, let me never be confounded: deliver me in Thy justice, and release me: bow down Thine ear to me, make haste to deliver me.  Alleluia.

We will now listen to the  GOSPEL

Mark. Chapter 8 verses 1 to 9 

At that time: When there was a great multitude with Jesus, they had nothing to eat: calling his disciples together, he saith to them:

I have compassion on the multitude; for behold, they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat : and if I send them away fasting to their own home, they will faint in the way : for some of them came from afar off. And his disciples answered him: From whence can any one fill them here with bread in the wilderness? 

And he asked them: How many loaves have ye? They said: Seven. And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground : and taking the seven loaves,

giving thanks he broke, and gave to his disciples for to set before them, and they set them before the people.

And they had a few little fishes; and he blessed them, and commanded them to be set before them. 

And they did eat and were filled, and they took up that which was left of the fragments, seven baskets. And they that had eaten, were about four thousand : and he sent them away. 

Here is the,  Offertory prayer:  

Perfect Thou my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps be not moved.  

Incline Thine ear, and hear my words: shew forth Thy wonderful mercies, Thou who saves them, that trust in Thee, O Lord. Amen

In a low voice the priest prays the part of the Mass known as the Secret