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SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY  
The Collect for this day has expressions in it which seem to connect its prayer with both the Epistle and the Gospel.  The petition, "Graft in our hearts the love of Thy Name," appears to be suggested by the idea of good and evil fruit contained in the former; while "Giver of all good things" and "nourish us with all goodness" plainly point out a devotional application of the narrative which the Gospel gives of the Good Shepherd feeding His flock of four thousand with seven loaves and a few small fishes.  The bondage of sin and the service of Christ are contrasted in the Epistle, which seems to be the source of the beautiful expression, "Whose service is perfect freedom," in the second Collect at Mattins.  The same idea may be also found in the Gospel, where Christ's command that the people should sit down (though it seemed a mere arbitrary command) was followed by the reward of obedience, His bounty.