Daily Readings

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.”

Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,to the holy ones who are in Ephesusand faithful in Christ Jesus:grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,who has blessed us in Christwith every spiritual blessing in the heavens,as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,to be holy and without blemish before him.In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ,in accord with the favor of his will,for the praise of the glory of his gracethat he granted us in the beloved.

In Christ we have redemption by his Blood,the forgiveness of transgressions,in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us.In all wisdom and insight, he has made known to usthe mystery of his will in accord with his favorthat he set forth in him as a plan for the fullness of times,to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth.

R. (2a) The Lord has made known his salvation.Sing to the LORD a new song,for he has done wondrous deeds;His right hand has won victory for him,his holy arm.R. The Lord has made known his salvation.The LORD has made his salvation known:in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulnesstoward the house of Israel.R. The Lord has made known his salvation.All the ends of the earth have seenthe salvation by our God.Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;break into song; sing praise.R. The Lord has made known his salvation.Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,with the harp and melodious song.With trumpets and the sound of the hornsing joyfully before the King, the LORD.R. The Lord has made known his salvation.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;no one comes to the Father except through me.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Lord said:“Woe to you who build the memorials of the prophets whom your fathers killed.Consequently, you bear witness and give consentto the deeds of your ancestors,for they killed them and you do the building.Therefore, the wisdom of God said,‘I will send to them prophets and Apostles;some of them they will kill and persecute’in order that this generation might be chargedwith the blood of all the prophetsshed since the foundation of the world,from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariahwho died between the altar and the temple building.Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood!Woe to you, scholars of the law!You have taken away the key of knowledge.You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.”When Jesus left, the scribes and Phariseesbegan to act with hostility toward himand to interrogate him about many things,for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.