Readings

Proper readings

First Reading
Eph 4:1-7, 11-13

For the work of ministry, for the building up of the Body of Christ.

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians

Brothers and sisters:
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
   urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
   with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
   bearing with one another through love,
   striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit
   through the bond of peace:
   one Body and one Spirit,
   as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
   one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
   one God and Father of all,
   who is over all and through all and in all.

But grace was given to each of us
   according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets,
   others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,
   to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,
   for building up the Body of Christ,
   until we all attain to the unity of faith
   and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,
   to the extent of the full stature of Christ.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 40:2 and 4, 7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 11

R. :

℟. (8a and 9a) Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

I have waited, waited for the LORD,
   and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.
And he put a new song into my mouth,
   a hymn to our God.

℟. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
   but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
   then said I, “Behold I come.”

℟. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
  and your law is within my heart!”

℟. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
   I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.

℟. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

Your justice I kept not hid within my heart;
   your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken of;
I have made no secret of your kindness and your truth
   in the vast assembly.

℟. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

Acclamation before the Gospel

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

The seed is the word of God. Christ is the sower;
all who come to him will live for ever.

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mk 4:1-10, 13-20

The sower went out to sow.

✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea.
A very large crowd gathered around him
   so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down.
And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.
And he taught them at length in parables,
   and in the course of his instruction he said to them,
   “Hear this! A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
   and the birds came and ate it up.
Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.
And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns,
   and the thorns grew up and choked it
   and it produced no grain.
And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.
It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”
He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”

And when he was alone,
   those present along with the Twelve
   questioned him about the parables.
Jesus answered them,
   “Do you not understand this parable?
Then how will you understand any of the parables?
The sower sows the word.
These are the ones on the path where the word is sown.
As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once
   and takes away the word sown in them.
And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who,
   when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy.
But they have no root; they last only for a time.
Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
   they quickly fall away.
Those sown among thorns are another sort.
They are the people who hear the word,
   but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches,
   and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word,
   and it bears no fruit.
But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it
   and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

Or shorter version:
Mk 4:1-9

✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea.
A very large crowd gathered around him
   so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down.
And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.
And he taught them at length in parables,
   and in the course of his instruction he said to them,
   “Hear this! A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
   and the birds came and ate it up.
Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.
And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns,
   and the thorns grew up and choked it
   and it produced no grain.
And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.
It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”
He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”

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
1 Tm 1:15-17

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy

Beloved:
This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance:
   Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
Of these I am the foremost.
But for that reason I was mercifully treated,
   so that in me, as the foremost,
   Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example
   for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life.
To the king of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God,
   honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 113:1b-2, 3-4, 5 and 6-7

R. :

℟. (2) Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.

Praise, you servants of the LORD,
   praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
   both now and forever.

℟. Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.

From the rising to the setting of the sun
   is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD;
   above the heavens is his glory.

℟. Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.

Who is like the LORD, our God,
   and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
He raises up the lowly from the dust;
   from the dunghill he lifts up the poor.

℟. Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.

Acclamation before the Gospel
Jn 14:23

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him.

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Lk 6:43-49

Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord,” but do not do what I command?

✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

Jesus said to his disciples:
“A good tree does not bear rotten fruit,
   nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.
For every tree is known by its own fruit.
For people do not pick figs from thornbushes,
   nor do they gather grapes from brambles.
A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good,
   but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil;
   for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.

“Why do you call me, "Lord, Lord," but not do what I command?
I will show you what someone is like who comes to me,
   listens to my words, and acts on them.
That one is like a man building a house,
   who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock;
   when the flood came, the river burst against that house
   but could not shake it because it had been well built.
But the one who listens and does not act
   is like a person who built a house on the ground
   without a foundation.
When the river burst against it,
   it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.”

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.