Lord of all power and might, who art the author and giver of all
good things: Graft in our hearts the love of thy name, increase
in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and of thy great
mercy keep us in the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen_.
THE EPISTLE. Rom. vi. 19.
I speak after the manner of men, because of the infirmity of your
flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness,
and to iniquity, unto iniquity; even so now yield your members
servants to righteousness, unto holiness. For when ye were the
servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had
ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of
those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become
servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end
everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death: but the gift of
God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
THE GOSPEL. St Mark viii. 1.
In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing
to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them,
I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with
me three days, and have nothing to eat: and if I send them away
fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way; for
divers of them came from far. And his disciples answered him,
From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the
wilderness? And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they
said, Seven. And he commanded the people to sit down on the
ground. And he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake,
and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set
them before the people. And they had a few small fishes; and he
blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. So they did
eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was
left seven baskets. And they that had eaten were about four
thousand. And he sent them away.