Daily Readings

We ask you, brothers and sisters,with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christand our assembling with him,not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly,or to be alarmed either by a “spirit,” or by an oral statement,or by a letter allegedly from usto the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand.Let no one deceive you in any way.

To this end he has also called you through our Gospelto possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.Therefore, brothers and sisters, stand firmand hold fast to the traditions that you were taught,either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father,who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragementand good hope through his grace,encourage your hearts and strengthen themin every good deed and word. 

R. (13b) The Lord comes to judge the earth.Say among the nations: The LORD is king.He has made the world firm, not to be moved;he governs the peoples with equity.R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;let the sea and what fills it resound;let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!Then shall all the trees of the forest exult.R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.Before the LORD, for he comes;for he comes to rule the earth.He shall rule the world with justiceand the peoples with his constancy.R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.The word of God is living and effective,able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus said:“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin,and have neglected the weightier things of the law:judgment and mercy and fidelity.But these you should have done, without neglecting the others.Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.You cleanse the outside of cup and dish,but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence.Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup,so that the outside also may be clean.”

The angel spoke to me, saying,"Come here.I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."He took me in spirit to a great, high mountainand showed me the holy city Jerusalemcoming down out of heaven from God.It gleamed with the splendor of God.Its radiance was like that of a precious stone,like jasper, clear as crystal.It had a massive, high wall,with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationedand on which names were inscribed,the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.There were three gates facing east,three north, three south, and three west.The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation,on which were inscribed the twelve namesof the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. 

R. (12) Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,and let your faithful ones bless you.Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdomand speak of your might.R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.Making known to men your mightand the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,and your dominion endures through all generations.R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.The LORD is just in all his waysand holy in all his works.The LORD is near to all who call upon him,to all who call upon him in truth.R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Rabbi, you are the Son of God;you are the King of Israel.R. Alleluia, alleluia. 

Philip found Nathanael and told him,"We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law,and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth."But Nathanael said to him,"Can anything good come from Nazareth?"Philip said to him, "Come and see."Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,"Here is a true child of Israel.There is no duplicity in him."Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him,"Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree."Nathanael answered him,"Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."Jesus answered and said to him,"Do you believebecause I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?You will see greater things than this."And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you,you will see heaven opened and the angels of Godascending and descending on the Son of Man." 

Thus says the LORD to Shebna, master of the palace:"I will thrust you from your officeand pull you down from your station.On that day I will summon my servantEliakim, son of Hilkiah;I will clothe him with your robe,and gird him with your sash,and give over to him your authority.He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem,and to the house of Judah.I will place the key of the House of David on Eliakim's shoulder;when he opens, no one shall shut,when he shuts, no one shall open.I will fix him like a peg in a sure spot,to be a place of honor for his family."

R. (8bc) Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,for you have heard the words of my mouth;in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;I will worship at your holy temple.R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.I will give thanks to your name,because of your kindness and your truth:When I called, you answered me;you built up strength within me.R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.The LORD is exalted, yet the lowly he sees,and the proud he knows from afar.Your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;forsake not the work of your hands.R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands. 

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!For who has known the mind of the Lordor who has been his counselor?Or who has given the Lord anythingthat he may be repaid?For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Churchand the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.R. Alleluia, alleluia. 

Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi andhe asked his disciples,"Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter said in reply,"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus said to him in reply,"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter,and upon this rock I will build my church,and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Then he strictly ordered his disciplesto tell no one that he was the Christ.