Daily Readings

Thus says the LORD to his anointed, Cyrus,whose right hand I grasp,subduing nations before him,and making kings run in his service,opening doors before himand leaving the gates unbarred:For the sake of Jacob, my servant,of Israel, my chosen one,I have called you by your name,giving you a title, though you knew me not.I am the LORD and there is no other,there is no God besides me.It is I who arm you, though you know me not,so that toward the rising and the setting of the sunpeople may know that there is none besides me.I am the LORD, there is no other. 

R. (7b) Give the Lord glory and honor.Sing to the LORD a new song;sing to the LORD, all you lands.Tell his glory among the nations;among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.R. Give the Lord glory and honor.For great is the LORD and highly to be praised;awesome is he, beyond all gods.For all the gods of the nations are things of nought,but the LORD made the heavens.R. Give the Lord glory and honor.Give to the LORD, you families of nations,give to the LORD glory and praise;give to the LORD the glory due his name!Bring gifts, and enter his courts.R. Give the Lord glory and honor.Worship the LORD, in holy attire;tremble before him, all the earth;say among the nations: The LORD is king,he governs the peoples with equity.R. Give the Lord glory and honor. 

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church of the Thessaloniansin God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:grace to you and peace.We give thanks to God always for all of you,remembering you in our prayers,unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of loveand endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ,before our God and Father,knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God,how you were chosen.For our gospel did not come to you in word alone,but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction. 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Shine like lights in the worldas you hold on to the word of life.R. Alleluia, alleluia. 

The Pharisees went offand plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech. They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying,"Teacher, we know that you are a truthful manand that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion,for you do not regard a person's status.Tell us, then, what is your opinion:Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?" Knowing their malice, Jesus said,"Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin that pays the census tax." Then they handed him the Roman coin. He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?" They replied, "Caesar's."At that he said to them,"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesarand to God what belongs to God." 

Brothers and sisters:Hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesusand of your love for all the holy ones,I do not cease giving thanks for you,remembering you in my prayers,that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelationresulting in knowledge of him.May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call,what are the riches of gloryin his inheritance among the holy ones,and what is the surpassing greatness of his powerfor us who believe,in accord with the exercise of his great might,which he worked in Christ,raising him from the deadand seating him at his right hand in the heavens,far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion,and every name that is namednot only in this age but also in the one to come.And he put all things beneath his feetand gave him as head over all things to the Church,which is his Body,the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

R. (7) You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.O LORD, our LORD,how glorious is your name over all the earth!You have exalted your majesty above the heavens.Out of the mouths of babes and sucklingsyou have fashioned praise because of your foes.R. You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers,the moon and the stars which you set in place—What is man that you should be mindful of him,or the son of man that you should care for him?R. You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.You have made him little less than the angels,and crowned him with glory and honor.You have given him rule over the works of your hands, putting all things under his feet.R. You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord,and you also will testify.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus said to his disciples:  “I tell you,everyone who acknowledges me before othersthe Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.But whoever denies me before otherswill be denied before the angels of God.

“Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven,but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spiritwill not be forgiven.When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities,do not worry about how or what your defense will beor about what you are to say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.”

Brothers and sisters:In Christ we were also chosen,destined in accord with the purpose of the Onewho accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,so that we might exist for the praise of his glory,we who first hoped in Christ.In him you also, who have heard the word of truth,the Gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him,were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,which is the first installment of our inheritancetoward redemption as God’s possession, to the praise of his glory.

R.  (12) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.Exult, you just, in the LORD;praise from the upright is fitting.Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.For upright is the word of the LORD,and all his works are trustworthy.He loves justice and right;of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.From heaven the LORD looks down;he sees all mankind.R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.May your kindness, LORD, be upon us;who have put our hope in you.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

At that time:So many people were crowding together that they were trampling one another underfoot.Jesus began to speak, first to his disciples,“Beware of the leaven–that is, the hypocrisy–of the Pharisees.

“There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed,nor secret that will not be known.Therefore whatever you have said in the darknesswill be heard in the light,and what you have whispered behind closed doorswill be proclaimed on the housetops.I tell you, my friends,do not be afraid of those who kill the bodybut after that can do no more.I shall show you whom to fear.Be afraid of the one who after killinghas the power to cast into Gehenna;yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins?Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.Do not be afraid.You are worth more than many sparrows.”