Readings

Proper readings

First Reading
Mic 5:1-4a

The time when she who is to give birth has borne.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Micah

The LORD says:
   You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah,
      too small to be among the clans of Judah,
   From you shall come forth for me one
      who is to be ruler in Israel;
   Whose origin is from of old,
      from ancient times.
   (Therefore the LORD will give them up, until the time
      when she who is to give birth has borne,
   And the rest of his brethren shall return
      to the children of Israel.)
   He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock
      by the strength of the LORD,
      in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;
   And they shall remain, for now his greatness
      shall reach to the ends of the earth;
      he shall be peace.

Or:

Rom 8:28-30

For those he knew he also predestined.

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans

Brothers and sisters:
We know that all things work for good for those who love God,
   who are called according to his purpose.
For those he foreknew he also predestined
   to be conformed to the image of his Son,
   so that he might be the firstborn
   among many brothers.
And those he predestined he also called;
   and those he called he also justified;
   and those he justified he also glorified.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 13:6ab, 6c

R. :

℟. (Isaiah 61:10) With delight I rejoice in the Lord.

Though I trusted in your mercy,
   let my heart rejoice in your salvation.

℟. With delight I rejoice in the Lord.

Let me sing of the LORD, “He has been good to me.”

℟. With delight I rejoice in the Lord.

Acclamation before the Gospel

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise;
from you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God.

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mt 1:1-16, 18-23 or Mt 1:18-23

For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.

✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac,
   Isaac the father of Jacob,
   Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,
   whose mother was Tamar.
Perez became the father of Hezron,
   Hezron the father of Ram,
   Ram the father of Amminadab.
   Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
   Nahshon the father of Salmon,
   Salmon the father of Boaz,
   whose mother was Rahab.
Boaz became the father of Obed,
whose mother was Ruth.
Obed became the father of Jesse,
Jesse the father of David the king.

David became the father of Solomon,
   whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.
Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,
   Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
   Abijah the father of Asaph.
Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,
   Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
   Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham,
   Jotham the father of Ahaz,
   Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,
   Manasseh the father of Amos,
   Amos the father of Josiah.
Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers
   at the time of the Babylonian exile.

After the Babylonian exile,
   Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,
   Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
   Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.
Abiud became the father of Eliakim,
   Eliakim the father of Azor,
   Azor the father of Zadok.
Zadok became the father of Achim,
   Achim the father of Eliud,
   Eliud the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar became the father of Matthan,
   Matthan the father of Jacob,
   Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah.

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
   but before they lived together,
   she was found with child through the holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
   yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
   decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
   the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
    “Joseph, son of David,
   do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
   that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
   because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
   what the Lord had said through the prophet:

      Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
           and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means “God is with us.”

Or:

[Short Form]

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
   but before they lived together,
   she was found with child through the holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
   yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
   decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
   the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
    “Joseph, son of David,
   do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
   that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
   because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
   what the Lord had said through the prophet:

      Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
           and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means “God is with us.”

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:

The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Then he kisses the book, saying quietly:

Through the words of the Gospel
may our sins be wiped away.

Weekday readings

First Reading
Col 1:24:2:3

I am a minister of the Church to bring to completion the mystery hidden from ages past.

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Colossians

Brothers and sisters:
I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake,
   and in my flesh I am filling up
   what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ
   on behalf of his Body, which is the Church,
   of which I am a minister
   in accordance with God’s stewardship given to me
   to bring to completion for you the word of God,
   the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past.
But now it has been manifested to his holy ones,
   to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory
   of this mystery among the Gentiles;
   it is Christ in you, the hope for glory.
It is he whom we proclaim,
   admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom,
   that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
For this I labor and struggle,
   in accord with the exercise of his power working within me.

For I want you to know how great a struggle I am having for you
   and for those in Laodicea
   and all who have not seen me face to face,
   that their hearts may be encouraged
   as they are brought together in love,
   to have all the richness of assured understanding,
   for the knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ,
   in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 62:6-7, 9

R. :

℟. (8) In God is my safety and my glory.

Only in God be at rest, my soul,
   for from him comes my hope.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
   my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed.

℟. In God is my safety and my glory.

Trust in him at all times, O my people!
   Pour out your hearts before him;
   God is our refuge!

℟. In God is my safety and my glory.

Acclamation before the Gospel
Jn 10:27

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Lk 6:6-11

The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely to see if he would cure on the sabbath.

✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught,
   and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.
The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely
   to see if he would cure on the sabbath
   so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.
But he realized their intentions
   and said to the man with the withered hand,
   “Come up and stand before us.”
And he rose and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them,
   “I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath
   rather than to do evil,
   to save life rather than to destroy it?”
Looking around at them all, he then said to him,
   “Stretch out your hand.”
He did so and his hand was restored.
But they became enraged
   and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:

The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Then he kisses the book, saying quietly:

Through the words of the Gospel
may our sins be wiped away.