Daily Readings

Beloved:Realize that you were ransomed from your futile conduct,handed on by your ancestors,not with perishable things like silver or goldbut with the precious Blood of Christas of a spotless unblemished Lamb.He was known before the foundation of the worldbut revealed in the final time for you,who through him believe in Godwho raised him from the dead and gave him glory,so that your faith and hope are in God.Since you have purified yourselvesby obedience to the truth for sincere brotherly love,love one another intensely from a pure heart.You have been born anew,not from perishable but from imperishable seed,through the living and abiding word of God, for:"All flesh is like grass,and all its glory like the flower of the field;the grass withers,and the flower wilts;but the word of the Lord remains forever."This is the word that has been proclaimed to you. 

R. (12a) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.or:R. Alleluia.Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;praise your God, O Zion.For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;he has blessed your children within you.R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.or:R. Alleluia.He has granted peace in your borders;with the best of wheat he fills you.He sends forth his command to the earth;swiftly runs his word!R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.or:R. Alleluia.He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.He has not done thus for any other nation;his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.or:R. Alleluia. 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.The Son of Man came to serve,and to give his life as a ransom for many.R. Alleluia, alleluia. 

The disciples were on the way, going up to Jerusalem,and Jesus went ahead of them.They were amazed, and those who followed were afraid.Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell themwhat was going to happen to him."Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Manwill be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to deathand hand him over to the Gentiles who will mock him,spit upon him, scourge him, and put him to death,but after three days he will rise."Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee,came to Jesus and said to him,"Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you."He replied, "What do you wish me to do for you?"They answered him,"Grant that in your glorywe may sit one at your right and the other at your left."Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking.Can you drink the chalice that I drinkor be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"They said to him, "We can."Jesus said to them, "The chalice that I drink, you will drink,and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to givebut is for those for whom it has been prepared."When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John.Jesus summoned them and said to them,"You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentileslord it over them,and their great ones make their authority over them felt.But it shall not be so among you.Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serveand to give his life as a ransom for many." 

Beloved:Concerning the salvation of your soulsthe prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yourssearched and investigated itinvestigating the time and circumstancesthat the Spirit of Christ within them indicatedwhen it testified in advanceto the sufferings destined for Christand the glories to follow them.It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but youwith regard to the things that have now been announced to youby those who preached the Good News to youthrough the Holy Spirit sent from heaven,things into which angels longed to look.Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, live soberly,and set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to youat the revelation of Jesus Christ.Like obedient children,do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorancebut, as he who called you is holy,be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct,for it is written, Be holy because I am holy. 

R. (2a) The Lord has made known his salvation.Sing to the LORD a new song,for he has done wondrous deeds;His right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm.R. The Lord has made known his salvation.The LORD has made his salvation known:in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulnesstoward the house of Israel.R. The Lord has made known his salvation.All the ends of the earth have seenthe salvation by our God.Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;break into song; sing praise.R. The Lord has made known his salvation. 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.R. Alleluia, alleluia. 

Peter began to say to Jesus,"We have given up everything and followed you."Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you,there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sistersor mother or father or children or landsfor my sake and for the sake of the Gospelwho will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:houses and brothers and sistersand mothers and children and lands,with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first." 

After Adam had eaten of the tree,            the LORD God called to him and asked him, “Where are you?”He answered, “I heard you in the garden;            but I was afraid, because I was naked,            so I hid myself.”Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked?You have eaten, then,            from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!”The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me—            she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.”The LORD God then asked the woman,            “Why did you do such a thing?”The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”Then the LORD God said to the serpent:            “Because you have done this, you shall be banned                        from all the animals                        and from all the wild creatures;            On your belly shall you crawl,                        and dirt shall you eat                        all the days of your life.            I will put enmity between you and the woman,                        and between your offspring and hers;            He will strike at your head,                        while you strike at his heel.”The man called his wife Eve,            because she became the mother of all the living.OR:Acts 1:12-14After Jesus had been taken up to heaven,            the Apostles returned to Jerusalem            from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem,            a sabbath day’s journey away.When they entered the city            they went to the upper room where they were staying,            Peter and John and James and Andrew,            Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew,            James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot,            and Judas son of James.All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer,            together with some women,            and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. 

R. (3) Glorious things are said of you, O city of God! His foundation upon the holy mountains             the LORD loves: The gates of Zion,             more than any dwelling of Jacob. R. Glorious things are said of you, O city of God! Glorious things are said of you,             O city of God! And of Zion they shall say:             “One and all were born in her; And he who has established her             is the Most High LORD.” R. Glorious things are said of you, O city of God! They shall note, when the peoples are enrolled:             “This man was born there.” And all shall sing, in their festive dance:             “My home is within you.” R. Glorious things are said of you, O city of God!

R. Alleluia, alleluia. O joyful Virgin, who gave birth to the Lord; O blessed Mother of the Church, who nurture in us the Spirit of your Son Jesus Christ! R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother             and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,             and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved,             he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple,             “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. After this, aware that everything was now finished,             in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled,             Jesus said, “I thirst.” There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop             and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,             “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit. Now since it was preparation day,             in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,             for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,             the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken             and they be taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first             and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,             they did not break his legs,             but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,             and immediately Blood and water flowed out.