Daily Readings

Moses said to the people:"You are a people sacred to the LORD, your God;he has chosen you from all the nations on the face of the earthto be a people peculiarly his own.It was not because you are the largest of all nationsthat the LORD set his heart on you and chose you,for you are really the smallest of all nations.It was because the LORD loved youand because of his fidelity to the oath he had sworn your fathers,that he brought you out with his strong handfrom the place of slavery,and ransomed you from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.Understand, then, that the LORD, your God, is God indeed,the faithful God who keeps his merciful covenantdown to the thousandth generationtoward those who love him and keep his commandments,but who repays with destruction a person who hates him;he does not dally with such a one,but makes them personally pay for it.You shall therefore carefully observe the commandments,the statutes and the decrees that I enjoin on you today." 

R. (cf. 17) The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.Bless the LORD, O my soul;all my being, bless his holy name.Bless the LORD, O my soul;and forget not all his benefits.R. The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.He pardons all your iniquities,heals all your ills.He redeems your life from destruction,crowns you with kindness and compassion.R. The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.Merciful and gracious is the LORD,slow to anger and abounding in kindness.Not according to our sins does he deal with us,nor does he requite us according to our crimes.R. The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him. 

Beloved, let us love one another,because love is of God;everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.In this way the love of God was revealed to us:God sent his only Son into the worldso that we might have life through him.In this is love:not that we have loved God, but that he loved usand sent his Son as expiation for our sins.Beloved, if God so loved us,we also must love one another.No one has ever seen God.Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us,and his love is brought to perfection in us.This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us,that he has given us of his Spirit.Moreover, we have seen and testifythat the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,God remains in him and he in God.We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.God is love, and whoever remains in loveremains in God and God in him. 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Take my yoke upon you, says the Lord;and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.R. Alleluia, alleluia. 

At that time Jesus exclaimed:"I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,for although you have hidden these thingsfrom the wise and the learnedyou have revealed them to little ones.Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father,and no one knows the Father except the Sonand anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,for I am meek and humble of heart;and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." 

In those days a great number who believed turned to the Lord.The news about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem,and they sent Barnabas to go to Antioch.When he arrived and saw the grace of God,he rejoiced and encouraged them allto remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart,for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith.And a large number of people was added to the Lord.Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul,and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch.For a whole year they met with the Churchand taught a large number of people,and it was in Antioch that the discipleswere first called Christians.Now there were in the Church at Antioch prophets and teachers:Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger,Lucius of Cyrene,Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saulfor the work to which I have called them.”Then, completing their fasting and prayer,they laid hands on them and sent them off. 

R. (see 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.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 revealed to the nations his saving power.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 revealed to the nations his saving power.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 revealed to the nations his saving power.Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,with the harp and melodious song.With trumpets and the sound of the hornsing joyfully before the King, the LORD.R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power. 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.I give you a new commandment:love one another as I have loved you.R. Alleluia, alleluia. 

Jesus said to his disciples: "I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses thatof the scribes and Pharisees,you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven."You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brotherwill be liable to judgment,and whoever says to his brother, Raqa,will be answerable to the Sanhedrin,and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna.Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar,and there recall that your brotherhas anything against you,leave your gift there at the altar,go first and be reconciled with your brother,and then come and offer your gift.Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him.Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge,and the judge will hand you over to the guard,and you will be thrown into prison.Amen, I say to you,you will not be released until you have paid the last penny." 

Ahab sent to all the children of Israeland had the prophets assemble on Mount Carmel.Elijah appealed to all the people and said,"How long will you straddle the issue?If the LORD is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him."The people, however, did not answer him.So Elijah said to the people,"I am the only surviving prophet of the LORD,and there are four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal.Give us two young bulls.Let them choose one, cut it into pieces, and place it on the wood,but start no fire.I shall prepare the other and place it on the wood,but shall start no fire.You shall call on your gods, and I will call on the LORD.The God who answers with fire is God."All the people answered, "Agreed!"Elijah then said to the prophets of Baal,"Choose one young bull and prepare it first,for there are more of you.Call upon your gods, but do not start the fire."Taking the young bull that was turned over to them, they prepared itand called on Baal from morning to noon, saying,"Answer us, Baal!"But there was no sound, and no one answering.And they hopped around the altar they had prepared.When it was noon, Elijah taunted them:"Call louder, for he is a god and may be meditating,or may have retired, or may be on a journey.Perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened."They called out louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears,as was their custom, until blood gushed over them.Noon passed and they remained in a prophetic stateuntil the time for offering sacrifice.But there was not a sound;no one answered, and no one was listening.Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come here to me."When the people had done so, he repaired the altar of the LORDthat had been destroyed.He took twelve stones, for the number of tribes of the sons of Jacob,to whom the LORD had said, "Your name shall be Israel."He built an altar in honor of the LORD with the stones,and made a trench around the altarlarge enough for two measures of grain.When he had arranged the wood,he cut up the young bull and laid it on the wood."Fill four jars with water," he said,"and pour it over the burnt offering and over the wood.""Do it again," he said, and they did it again."Do it a third time," he said,and they did it a third time.The water flowed around the altar,and the trench was filled with the water.At the time for offering sacrifice,the prophet Elijah came forward and said,"LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,let it be known this day that you are God in Israeland that I am your servantand have done all these things by your command.Answer me, LORD!Answer me, that this people may know that you, LORD, are Godand that you have brought them back to their senses."The LORD's fire came downand consumed the burnt offering, wood, stones, and dust,and it lapped up the water in the trench.Seeing this, all the people fell prostrate and said,"The LORD is God! The LORD is God!"

R. (1b) Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you."R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.They multiply their sorrowswho court other gods.Blood libations to them I will not pour out,nor will I take their names upon my lips.R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.O LORD, my allotted portion and cup,you it is who hold fast my lot.I set the LORD ever before me;with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.You will show me the path to life,fullness of joys in your presence,the delights at your right hand forever.R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope. 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Teach me your paths, my God,and guide me in your truth.R. Alleluia, alleluia. 

Jesus said to his disciples:"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letterwill pass from the law,until all things have taken place.Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandmentsand teaches others to do sowill be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.But whoever obeys and teaches these commandmentswill be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven."