Daily Readings

When one finds a worthy wife,her value is far beyond pearls.Her husband, entrusting his heart to her,has an unfailing prize.She brings him good, and not evil,all the days of her life.She obtains wool and flaxand works with loving hands.She puts her hands to the distaff,and her fingers ply the spindle.She reaches out her hands to the poor,and extends her arms to the needy.Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting;the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.Give her a reward for her labors,and let her works praise her at the city gates. 

R. (cf. 1a) Blessed are those who fear the Lord.Blessed are you who fear the LORD,who walk in his ways!For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;blessed shall you be, and favored.R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.Your wife shall be like a fruitful vinein the recesses of your home;Your children like olive plantsaround your table.R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.Behold, thus is the man blessedwho fears the LORD.The LORD bless you from Zion:may you see the prosperity of Jerusalemall the days of your life.R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord. 

Concerning times and seasons, brothers and sisters,you have no need for anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will comelike a thief at night.When people are saying, "Peace and security, "then sudden disaster comes upon them,like labor pains upon a pregnant woman,and they will not escape.But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness,for that day to overtake you like a thief. For all of you are children of the lightand children of the day.We are not of the night or of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do,but let us stay alert and sober. 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Remain in me as I remain in you, says the Lord.Whoever remains in me bears much fruit.R. Alleluia, alleluia. 

Jesus told his disciples this parable:"A man going on a journeycalled in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one--to each according to his ability.Then he went away.Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them,and made another five.Likewise, the one who received two made another two.But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the groundand buried his master's money."After a long timethe master of those servants came backand settled accounts with them.The one who had received five talents came forwardbringing the additional five.He said, 'Master, you gave me five talents.See, I have made five more.'His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.Since you were faithful in small matters,I will give you great responsibilities.Come, share your master's joy.'Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said,'Master, you gave me two talents.See, I have made two more.'His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.Since you were faithful in small matters,I will give you great responsibilities.Come, share your master's joy.'Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said,'Master, I knew you were a demanding person,harvesting where you did not plantand gathering where you did not scatter;so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground.Here it is back.'His master said to him in reply, 'You wicked, lazy servant!So you knew that I harvest where I did not plantand gather where I did not scatter?Should you not then have put my money in the bankso that I could have got it back with interest on my return?Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten.For to everyone who has,more will be given and he will grow rich;but from the one who has not,even what he has will be taken away.And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside,where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'"

Jesus told his disciples this parable:"A man going on a journeycalled in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one--to each according to his ability.Then he went away."After a long timethe master of those servants came backand settled accounts with them.The one who had received five talents came forwardbringing the additional five.He said, 'Master, you gave me five talents.See, I have made five more.'His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.Since you were faithful in small matters,I will give you great responsibilities.Come, share your master's joy.'"

Beloved, you are faithful in all you do for the brothers and sisters,especially for strangers;they have testified to your love before the Church.Please help them in a way worthy of God to continue their journey.For they have set out for the sake of the Nameand are accepting nothing from the pagans.Therefore, we ought to support such persons,so that we may be co-workers in the truth.

R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.or:R. Alleluia.Blessed the man who fears the LORD,who greatly delights in his commands.His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;the upright generation shall be blessed.R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.or:R. Alleluia.Wealth and riches shall be in his house;his generosity shall endure forever.Light shines through the darkness for the upright;he is gracious and merciful and just.R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.or:R. Alleluia.Well for the man who is gracious and lends,who conducts his affairs with justice;He shall never be moved;the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.or:R. Alleluia.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.God has called us through the Gospel,to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus told his disciples a parableabout the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, “There was a judge in a certain townwho neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say,‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought,‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering meI shall deliver a just decision for herlest she finally come and strike me.’” The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen oneswho call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

[Chosen Lady:]I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truthjust as we were commanded by the Father.But now, Lady, I ask you,not as though I were writing a new commandmentbut the one we have had from the beginning:let us love one another.For this is love, that we walk according to his commandments;this is the commandment, as you heard from the beginning,in which you should walk.

Many deceivers have gone out into the world,those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh;such is the deceitful one and the antichrist.Look to yourselves that you do not lose what we worked forbut may receive a full recompense.Anyone who is so “progressive”as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God;whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son.

R. (1b) Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!Blessed are they whose way is blameless,who walk in the law of the LORD.R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!Blessed are they who observe his decrees,who seek him with all their heart.R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord! With all my heart I seek you;let me not stray from your commands.R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!Within my heart I treasure your promise,that I may not sin against you.R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!Be good to your servant, that I may liveand keep your words.R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!Open my eyes, that I may considerthe wonders of your law.R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Stand erect and raise your headsbecause your redemption is at hand.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus said to his disciples:“As it was in the days of Noah,so it will be in the days of the Son of Man;they were eating and drinking,marrying and giving in marriage up to the daythat Noah entered the ark,and the flood came and destroyed them all.Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot:they were eating, drinking, buying,selling, planting, building;on the day when Lot left Sodom,fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all.So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed.On that day, someone who is on the housetopand whose belongings are in the housemust not go down to get them,and likewise one in the fieldmust not return to what was left behind.Remember the wife of Lot.Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it,but whoever loses it will save it.I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed;one will be taken, the other left.And there will be two women grinding meal together;one will be taken, the other left.” They said to him in reply, “Where, Lord?”He said to them, “Where the body is,there also the vultures will gather.”