Daily Readings

Brothers and sisters:In regard to virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord,but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy.So this is what I think best because of the present distress:that it is a good thing for a person to remain as he is.Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek a separation.Are you free of a wife? Then do not look for a wife.If you marry, however, you do not sin,nor does an unmarried woman sin if she marries;but such people will experience affliction in their earthly life,and I would like to spare you that.I tell you, brothers, the time is running out.From now on, let those having wives act as not having them,those weeping as not weeping, those rejoicing as not rejoicing,those buying as not owning,those using the world as not using it fully.For the world in its present form is passing away. 

R. (11) Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear,forget your people and your father’s house.So shall the king desire your beauty;for he is your lord, and you must worship him.R. Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.All glorious is the king’s daughter as she enters;her raiment is threaded with spun gold.In embroidered apparel she is borne in to the king;behind her the virgins of her train are brought to you.R. Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.They are borne in with gladness and joy;they enter the palace of the king.The place of your fathers your sons shall have;you shall make them princes through all the land.R. Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear. 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Rejoice and leap for joy!Your reward will be great in heaven.R. Alleluia, alleluia. 

Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said:“Blessed are you who are poor,for the Kingdom of God is yours.Blessed are you who are now hungry,for you will be satisfied.Blessed are you who are now weeping,for you will laugh.Blessed are you when people hate you,and when they exclude and insult you,and denounce your name as evilon account of the Son of Man.Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophetsin the same way.But woe to you who are rich,for you have received your consolation.But woe to you who are filled now,for you will be hungry.Woe to you who laugh now,for you will grieve and weep.Woe to you when all speak well of you,for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.” 

The LORD says: You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. (Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, And the rest of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel.) He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD, his God; And they shall remain, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace.

Brothers and sisters: We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.

R. (Isaiah 61:10) With delight I rejoice in the Lord. Though I trusted in your mercy, let my heart rejoice in your salvation. R. With delight I rejoice in the Lord. Let me sing of the LORD, "He has been good to me." R. With delight I rejoice in the Lord.

R. Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise; from you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God. R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king. David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile. After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us."

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us."  

Brothers and sisters:It is widely reported that there is immorality among you,and immorality of a kind not found even among pagans–a man living with his father’s wife.And you are inflated with pride.Should you not rather have been sorrowful?The one who did this deed should be expelled from your midst.I, for my part, although absent in body but present in spirit,have already, as if present,pronounced judgment on the one who has committed this deed,in the name of our Lord Jesus:when you have gathered together and I am with you in spiritwith the power of the Lord Jesus,you are to deliver this man to Satanfor the destruction of his flesh,so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.

Your boasting is not appropriate. Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough?Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough,inasmuch as you are unleavened.For our Paschal Lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed.Therefore, let us celebrate the feast,not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness,but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;no evil man remains with you;the arrogant may not stand in your sight.You hate all evildoers.R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.You destroy all who speak falsehood;The bloodthirsty and the deceitfulthe LORD abhors.R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.But let all who take refuge in yoube glad and exult forever.Protect them, that you may be the joyof those who love your name.R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;I know them, and they follow me.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught,and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closelyto see if he would cure on the sabbathso that they might discover a reason to accuse him.But he realized their intentionsand said to the man with the withered hand,"Come up and stand before us."And he rose and stood there.Then Jesus said to them,"I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbathrather than to do evil,to save life rather than to destroy it?"Looking around at them all, he then said to him,"Stretch out your hand."He did so and his hand was restored.But they became enragedand discussed together what they might do to Jesus.