Readings

Proper readings

First Reading
Wis 3:1-9

As sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.

A reading from the Book of Wisdom

The souls of the just are in the hand of God,
   and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
   and their passing away was thought an affliction
   and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.
For if before men, indeed, they be punished,
   yet is their hope full of immortality;
chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
   because God tried them
   and found them worthy of himself.
As gold in the furnace, he proved them,
   and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
In the time of their visitation they shall shine,
   and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;
they shall judge nations and rule over peoples,
   and the LORD shall be their King forever.
Those who trust in him shall understand truth,
   and the faithful shall abide with him in love:
because grace and mercy are with his holy ones,
   and his care is with his elect.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6

R. :

℟. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
  or:
℟. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
   In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
   he refreshes my soul.

℟. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
  or:
℟. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.

He guides me in right paths
   for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
   I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
   that give me courage.

℟. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
  or:
℟. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.

You spread the table before me
   in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows.

℟. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
  or:
℟. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.

Only goodness and kindness follow me
   all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
   for years to come.

℟. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
  or:
℟. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.

Second Reading
Rom 5:5-11

Justified by his Blood, we will be saved through Christ from the wrath.

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans

Brothers and sisters:
Hope does not disappoint,
   because the love of God has been poured out into our heart
   through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
For Christ, while we were still helpless,
   died at the appointed time for the ungodly.
Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,
   though perhaps for a good person
   one might even find courage to die.
But God proves his love for us
   in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
How much more then, since we are now justified by his Blood,
   will we be saved through him from the wrath.
Indeed, if, while we were enemies,
   we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,
   how much more, once reconciled,
   will we be saved by his life.
Not only that,
   but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
   through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Or:

Rom 6:3-9

Let us walk in newness of life.

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans

Brothers and sisters:
Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus
   were baptized into his death?
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
   so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
   by the glory of the Father,
   we too might live in newness of life.

For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his,
   we shall also be united with him in the resurrection.
We know that our old self was crucified with him,
   so that our sinful body might be done away with,
   that we might no longer be in slavery to sin.
For a dead person has been absolved from sin.
If, then, we have died with Christ,
   we believe that we shall also live with him.
We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more;
   death no longer has power over him.

The word of the Lord.

Acclamation before the Gospel
Mt 25:14

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Come, you who are blessed by my Father;
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Jn 6:37-40

Everyone who believes in the Son will have eternal life and I shall raise him up on the last day.

✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

Jesus said to the crowds:
“Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
   and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
   because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
   but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
   that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
   but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
   that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
   may have eternal life,
   and I shall raise him on the last day.”

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
Phil 2:1-4

Complete my joy by being of the same mind.

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians

Brothers and sisters:
If there is any encouragement in Christ,
   any solace in love,
   any participation in the Spirit,
   any compassion and mercy,
   complete my joy by being of the same mind,
   with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing.
Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory;
   rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves,
   each looking out not for his own interests,
   but also everyone for those of others.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 131:1bcde, 2, 3

R. :

℟. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.

O LORD, my heart is not proud,
   nor are my eyes haughty;
I busy not myself with great things,
   nor with things too sublime for me.

℟. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.

Nay rather, I have stilled and quieted
   my soul like a weaned child.
Like a weaned child on its mother’s lap,
   so is my soul within me.

℟. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.

O Israel, hope in the LORD,
   both now and forever.

℟. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.

Acclamation before the Gospel
Jn 8:31b-32

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart.

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Lk 14:12-14

Do not invite your friends, but those who are poor and crippled.

✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
   at the home of one of the leading Pharisees.
He said to the host who invited him,
   “When you hold a lunch or a dinner,
   do not invite your friends or your brothers
   or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors,
   in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.
Rather, when you hold a banquet,
   invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
   blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.
For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

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.