Daily Readings

Brothers and sisters:Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion,for God loves a cheerful giver.Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you,so that in all things, always having all you need,you may have an abundance for every good work.As it is written:He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;his righteousness endures forever.The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for foodwill supply and multiply your seedand increase the harvest of your righteousness.

R. (5) Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.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 is gracious and lends to those in need.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 is gracious and lends to those in need.An evil report he shall not fear;his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.His heart is steadfast; he shall not feartill he looks down upon his foes.R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.Lavishly he gives to the poor, his generosity shall endure forever;his horn shall be exalted in glory.R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Whoever follows me will not walk in darknessbut will have the light of life, says the Lord.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus said to his disciples:“Amen, amen, I say to you,unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,it remains just a grain of wheat;but if it dies, it produces much fruit.Whoever loves his life loses it,and whoever hates his life in this worldwill preserve it for eternal life.Whoever serves me must follow me,and where I am, there also will my servant be.The Father will honor whoever serves me.”

At the mountain of God, Horeb,Elijah came to a cave where he took shelter. Then the LORD said to him,“Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD;the LORD will be passing by.” A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountainsand crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake—but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire—but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this,Elijah hid his face in his cloakand went and stood at the entrance of the cave.

R. (8) Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.I will hear what God proclaims;the LORD — for he proclaims peace.Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,glory dwelling in our land.R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.Kindness and truth shall meet;justice and peace shall kiss.Truth shall spring out of the earth,and justice shall look down from heaven.R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.The LORD himself will give his benefits;our land shall yield its increase.Justice shall walk before him,and prepare the way of his steps.R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

Brothers and sisters:I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie;my conscience joins with the Holy Spirit in bearing me witnessthat I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christfor the sake of my own people,my kindred according to the flesh. They are Israelites;theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants,the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;theirs the patriarchs, and from them,according to the flesh, is the Christ,who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.I wait for the Lord;my soul waits for his word.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boatand precede him to the other side,while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone. Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night,he came toward them walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply,“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter,and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,“Truly, you are the Son of God.”

Are you not from eternity, O LORD,my holy God, immortal?O LORD, you have marked him for judgment,O Rock, you have readied him punishment!Too pure are your eyes to look upon evil,and the sight of misery you cannot endure.Why, then, do you gaze on the faithless in silencewhile the wicked man devoursone more just than himself?You have made man like the fish of the sea,like creeping things without a ruler.He brings them all up with his hook,he hauls them away with his net,He gathers them in his seine;and so he rejoices and exults.Therefore he sacrifices to his net,and burns incense to his seine;for thanks to them his portion is generous,and his repast sumptuous.Shall he, then, keep on brandishing his swordto slay peoples without mercy?I will stand at my guard post,and station myself upon the rampart,And keep watch to see what he will say to me,and what answer he will give to my complaint.

Then the LORD answered me and said:Write down the visionClearly upon the tablets,so that one can read it readily.For the vision still has its time,presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint;If it delays, wait for it,it will surely come, it will not be late.The rash man has no integrity;but the just man, because of his faith, shall live.

R. (11b) You forsake not those who seek you, O Lord.The LORD sits enthroned forever;he has set up his throne for judgment.He judges the world with justice;he governs the peoples with equity.R. You forsake not those who seek you, O Lord.The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed,a stronghold in times of distress.They trust in you who cherish your name,for you forsake not those who seek you, O LORD.R. You forsake not those who seek you, O Lord.Sing praise to the LORD enthroned in Zion;proclaim among the nations his deeds;For the avenger of blood has remembered;he has not forgotten the cry of the poor.R. You forsake not those who seek you, O Lord.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed deathand brought life to light through the Gospel.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

A man came up to Jesus, knelt down before him, and said,“Lord, have pity on my son, who is a lunatic and suffers severely;often he falls into fire, and often into water.I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.”Jesus said in reply,“O faithless and perverse generation, how long will I be with you?How long will I endure you?  Bring the boy here to me.”Jesus rebuked him and the demon came out of him,and from that hour the boy was cured.Then the disciples approached Jesus in private and said,“Why could we not drive it out?”He said to them, “Because of your little faith.Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed,you will say to this mountain,‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.Nothing will be impossible for you.”