March 11 (Numbers 7; Psalm 66; John 6)

A reading from the Book of Numbers.

On the day when Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle and had anointed and consecrated

it with all the ternishings and had anointed and consecrated the altar with all the

tutenzels, the chiefs of Israel, heads of their fathers' houses, who were the chiefs

of the tribes, who were over those who were listed approached and brought their offerings

before the Lord, six wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon for every two of the chiefs and

for each one in ox.

He brought them before the tabernacle, then the Lord said to Moses,

except these from them, that they may be used in the service of the Ten of Meeting and

give them to the Levites to each man according to his service.

So Moses took the wagons and the oxen and gave them to the Levites.

Two wagons and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershine, according to their service,

and four wagons and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Morari, according to their service,

under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because they were charged with the service of the

holy things that had to be carried on the shoulder, and the chiefs offered offerings for the

dedication of the altar on the day it was anointed, and the chiefs offered their offering

before the altar, and the Lord said to Moses,

they shall offer their offerings, one chief each day, for the dedication of their altar.

He who offered his offering the first day was Nashon, the son of a minedab of the tribe

of Judah, and his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver

basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine

flour mixed with oil for grain offering, one golden dish of 10 shekels full of incense,

one bull from the herd, one ram one male lamb a year old for burnt offering, one male

goat for sin offering, and for the sacrifice of peace offerings to oxen, five rams, five

male goats, and five male lambs a year old.

This was the offering of Nashon, the son of a minedab.

On the second day Nathaniel, the son of Zua, the chief of Issacar, made an offering.

He offered for his offering one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin

of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine

flour mixed with oil for grain offering, one golden dish of 10 shekels full of incense,

one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old for burnt offering, one male

goat for sin offering, and for the sacrifice of peace offerings to oxen, five rams, five

male goats, and five male lambs a year old.

This was the offering of Nathaniel, the son of Zua.

On the third day Eliyah, the son of Helan, the chief of the people of Zebulin, his offering

was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according

to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for

grain offering, one golden dish of 10 shekels full of incense, one bull from the herd, one

ram, one male lamb a year old for burnt offering, one male goat for sin offering, and for the

sacrifice of peace offerings to oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs

a year old.

This was the offering of Eliyah, the son of Helan.

On the fourth day Eliyah, the son of Shedir, the chief of the people of Rubin, his offering

was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according

to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for grain

offering, one golden dish of 10 shekels full of incense, one bull from the herd, one

ram, one male lamb a year old for burnt offering, one male goat for sin offering, and for

the sacrifice of peace offerings to oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs

a year old.

This was the offering of Belizeir, the son of Shedir.

On the fifth day Shalumiil, the son of Zura Shadai, the chief of the people of Simeon,

his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70

shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed

with oil for grain offering, one golden dish of 10 shekels full of incense, one bull from

the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old for burnt offering, one male goat for sin offering,

and for the sacrifice of peace offerings to oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male

lambs a year old.

This was the offering of Shalumiil, the son of Zura Shadai.

On the sixth day Alaya Saf, the son of duel, the chief of the people of Gad, his offering

was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels,

according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with

oil for grain offering, one golden dish of 10 shekels full of incense, one bull from

the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old for burnt offering, one male goat for sin offering,

and for the sacrifice of peace offerings to oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five

male lambs a year old.

This was the offering of Alaya Saf, the son of duel.

On the seventh day Alishama, the son of a myhood, the chief of the people of Ephraim, his

offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels,

according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil

for grain offering, one golden dish of 10 shekels full of incense, one bull from the herd,

one ram, one male lamb a year old for burnt offering, one male goat for sin offering,

and for the sacrifice of peace offerings to oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five

male lambs a year old.

This was the offering of Alishama, the son of a myhood.

On the eighth day, Gamelio, the son of Pedazza, the chief of the people of Manasa, his offering

was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according

to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for grain

offering, one golden dish of 10 shekels full of incense, one bull from the herd, one ram,

one male lamb a year old for burnt offering, one male goat for sin offering, and for the

sacrifice of peace offerings to oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs

a year old.

This was the offering of Gamelio, the son of Pedazza.

On the ninth day, Abaiton, the son of Gideonai, the chief of the people of Benjamin, his

offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70

shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed

with oil for grain offering, one golden dish of 10 shekels full of incense, one bull

from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old for burnt offering, one male goat for

sin offering, and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male

goats, and five male lambs a year old.

This was the offering of Abaiton, the son of Gideonai.

On the tenth day, A. A. Hazer, the son of Emma Shaddai, the chief of the people of Dan,

his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70

shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.

Both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for grain offering, one golden dish of

10 shekels full of incense, one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old

for burnt offering, one male goat for sin offering, and for the sacrifice of peace offerings,

two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old.

This was the offering of A. A. Hazer, the son of Emma Shaddai.

On the eleventh day, Peggy old, the son of Okran, the chief of the people of Asher, his

offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels,

according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with

oil for grain offering.

One golden dish of 10 shekels full of incense, one bull from the herd, one ram, one male

lamb a year old for burnt offering, one male goat for sin offering, and for the sacrifice

of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old.

This was the offering of Peggy old, the son of Okran.

On the twelfth day, a hyre, the son of Enan, the chief of the people of Naftalai, his

offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels,

according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with

oil for grain offering, one golden dish of 10 shekels full of incense, one bull from

the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old for burnt offering, one male goat for sin offering,

and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five

male lambs a year old.

This was the offering of a hyre, the son of Enan.

This was the dedication offering for the altar on the day when it was anointed, from the

chiefs of Israel, 12 silver plates, 12 silver basins, 12 golden dishes, each silver plate

weighing 130 shekels in each basin 70, all the silver of the vessels, 2,400 shekels according

to the shekel of the sanctuary, the 12 golden dishes full of incense weighing 10 shekels

a piece according to the shekel of the sanctuary, all the gold of the dishes being 120 shekels,

all the cattle for the burnt offering, 12 bulls, 12 rams, 12 male lambs a year old with

their grain offering, and 12 male goats for sin offering, and all the cattle for the sacrifice

of peace offerings, 24 bulls, the ram 60, the male goat 60, the male lambs a year old

60.

This was the dedication offering for the altar after it was anointed, and when Moses went

into the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from

above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony from between the two cherubim,

and it spoke to him, a reading from the book of Psalms, to the choir master, a song,

a song, shout for joy to God, all the earth, sing the glory of his name, give to him glorious

praise, say to God, how awesome are your deeds, so great is your power that your enemies

come cringing to you, all the earth worships you, and sings praises to you, they sing praises

to your name, say la.

Come and see what God has done, he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man,

he turned the sea into dry land, they pass through the river on foot, there did we rejoicing

him, who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations, let not the

rebellious exhaust themselves, say la.

Less our God old peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard, who has kept our soul

among the living and has not let our feet slip, for you oh God have tested us, you have

tried us as silver is tried, you brought us into the net, you laid a crushing burden

on our backs, you let men ride over our heads, we went through fire and through water, yet

you have brought us out to a place of abundance, I will come into your house with burn offerings,

I will perform my vows to you, that which my lips uttered, and my mouth promised when

I was in trouble, I will offer to you burn offerings of fat and animals, with the smoke

of the sacrifice of rams, I will make an offering of bulls and goats, say la.

Come and hear all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul, I cried

to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue, if I had cherished iniquity in

my heart the Lord would not have listened, but truly God has listened, he has attended to

the voice of my prayer, blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed

his steadfast love from me, a reading from the gospel according to John.

After this Jesus went away to the other side of the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of

Tiberias, and a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was

doing on the sick, Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples,

now the Passover, the feast of the Jews was at hand, lifting up his eyes then, and

seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, where are we to

buy bread, so that these people may eat?

He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do, Philip answered him,

200 denari worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, there was a boy here

who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?

Jesus said, have the people sit down.

Now there was much grass in the place, so the men sat down, about 5,000 in number.

Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those

who were seated, so also the fish as much as they wanted, and when they had eaten their

feel, he told his disciples, gather up the leftover fragments that nothing may be lost.

So they gathered them up and filled 12 baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves

left by those who had eaten.

When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, this is indeed the prophet

who was to come into the world, perceiving then that they were about to come and take

him by force to make him king.

Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat and started across

the sea to cavernium.

It was now dark and Jesus had not yet come to them.

The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing.

When they had rode about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming

near the boat and they were frightened, but he said to them, it is I do not be afraid.

Then they were glad to take him into the boat and immediately the boat was at the land

of which they were going.

On the next day, the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there

had been only one boat there and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples,

but that his disciples had gone away alone.

Other boats from Tiberius came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the

Lord had given thanks.

So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there nor his disciples, they themselves got

into the boats and went to cavernium, seeking Jesus.

When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, Rabbi, when did you

come here?

Jesus answered them, truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me not because you saw

signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.

Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life,

which the Son of Man will give to you, for on him God the Father has set his seal.

Then they said to him, what must we do to be doing the works of God?

Jesus answered them, this is the work of God that you believe in him whom he has sent.

So they said to him, then what sign do you do that we may see and believe you?

What work do you perform?

Our Father's ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written, he gave them bread from

heaven to eat.

Jesus then said to them, truly, truly, I say to you,

it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true

bread from heaven, for the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life

to the world.

They said to him, Sir, give us this bread always.

Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and

whoever believes in me shall never thirst, but I said to you that you have seen me and

yet do not believe, all that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to

me I will never cast out, for I have come down from heaven not to do my own will, but

the will of him who sent me, and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose

nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day, for this is the

will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the sun and believes in him should have eternal

life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

So the Jews grumbled about him because he said, I am the bread that came down from heaven.

They said, is not this Jesus, the Son of Joseph, whose Father and Mother we know?

How does he now say, I have come down from heaven?

Jesus answered them, do not grumble among yourselves, no one can come to me unless the

Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day.

It is written in the prophets, and they will all be taught by God, everyone who has heard

and learned from the Father comes to me, not that anyone has seen the Father except

he who is from God, he has seen the Father, truly, truly I say to you, whoever believes

has eternal life, I am the bread of life, your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness,

and they died.

This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven.

If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever, and the bread that I will give for

the life of the world is my flesh.

The Jews then disputed among themselves saying, how can this man give us his flesh to eat?

So Jesus said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the son

of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you, whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks

my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink, whoever feeds on my flesh and

drinks my blood abides in me and I in him.

Jesus is a living father sent me, and I live because of the father, so whoever feeds

on me, he also will live because of me.

This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate and died,

whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.

Jesus said these things in the synagogue as he taught at Capernaum.

When many of his disciples heard it, they said, this is a hard saying, who can listen

to it, but Jesus knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this said

to them, do you take offense at this?

Then what if you were to see the son of man ascending to where he was before?

It is the spirit who gives life, the flesh is no help at all, the words that I have spoken

to you are spirit and life, but there are some of you who do not believe.

For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe and who it was who

would betray him, and he said, this is why I told you that no one can come to me unless

it is granted him by the Father.

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him, so Jesus said

to the Twelve, do you want to go away as well?

Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go?

You have the words of eternal life and we have believed and have come to know that you

are the Holy One of God.

Jesus answered them, did I not choose you, the Twelve, and yet one of you is a devil.

He spoke of Judas, the son of Simon scarred, for he, one of the Twelve, was going to betray

him.