First Reading

Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans (Rom 12: 5-16ab)

We are parts of one another.

Brothers and sisters:
We, though many, are one Body in Christ
and individually parts of one another.
Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us,
let us exercise them:
if prophecy, in proportion to the faith;
if ministry, in ministering;
if one is a teacher, in teaching;
if one exhorts, in exhortation;
if one contributes, in generosity;
if one is over others, with diligence;
if one does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Let love be sincere;
hate what is evil,
hold on to what is good;
love one another with mutual affection;
anticipate one another in showing honor.
Do not grow slack in zeal,
be fervent in spirit,
serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope,
endure in affliction,
persevere in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the holy ones,
exercise hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you,
bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice,
weep with those who weep.
Have the same regard for one another;
do not be haughty but associate with the lowly.

— The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 131: 1bcde, 2, 3

In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.

O LORD, my heart is not proud,
nor are my eyes haughty;
I busy not myself with great things,
nor with things too sublime for me.

Nay rather, I have stilled and quieted
my soul like a weaned child.
Like a weaned child on its mother’s lap,
so is my soul within me.

O Israel, hope in the LORD,
both now and forever.

Gospel

Alleluia, alleluia.

Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest, says the Lord.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke (Lk 14: 15-24)

Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled. 

One of those at table with Jesus said to him,

“Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God.”

He replied to him,

“A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many.
When the time for the dinner came,
he dispatched his servant to say to those invited,

‘Come, everything is now ready.’

But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves.
The first said to him,

‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it;
I ask you, consider me excused.’

And another said,

‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen
and am on my way to evaluate them;
I ask you, consider me excused.’

And another said,

‘I have just married a woman,
and therefore I cannot come.’

The servant went and reported this to his master.
Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant,

‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town
and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’

The servant reported,

‘Sir, your orders have been carried out
and still there is room.’

The master then ordered the servant,

‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows
and make people come in that my home may be filled.
For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.’”

— The Gospel of the Lord.

First Reading

Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans (Rom 11: 29-36)

God delivered all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.

Brothers and sisters:
The gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.

Just as you once disobeyed God
but have now received mercy
because of their disobedience,
so they have now disobeyed in order that,
by virtue of the mercy shown to you,
they too may now receive mercy.
For God delivered all to disobedience,
that he might have mercy upon all.

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 Lord
or who has been his counselor?
Or who has given him anything
that he may be repaid?

For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To God be glory forever. Amen.

— The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 69: 30-31, 33-34, 36

Lord, in your great love, answer me.

But I am afflicted and in pain;
let your saving help, O God, protect me.
I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving.

“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.”

For God will save Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah.
They shall dwell in the land and own it,
and the descendants of his servants shall inherit it,
and those who love his name shall inhabit it.

Gospel

Alleluia, alleluia.

If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, says the Lord.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke (Lk 14: 12-14)

Do not invite your friends. Invite the poor, the crippled.

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees.
He said to the host who invited him,

“When you hold a lunch or a dinner,
do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters
or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors,
in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.
Rather, when you hold a banquet,
invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.
For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

— The Gospel of the Lord.

First Reading

Book of Malachi (Mal 1: 14b — 2: 2b, 8-10)

You have turned aside from the way, and have caused many to falter by your instruction.

A great King am I, says the LORD of hosts,
and my name will be feared among the nations.
And now, O priests, this commandment is for you:
If you do not listen,
if you do not lay it to heart,
to give glory to my name, says the LORD of hosts,
I will send a curse upon you
and of your blessing I will make a curse.
You have turned aside from the way,
and have caused many to falter by your instruction;
you have made void the covenant of Levi,
says the LORD of hosts.
I, therefore, have made you contemptible
and base before all the people,
since you do not keep my ways,
but show partiality in your decisions.
Have we not all the one father?
Has not the one God created us?
Why then do we break faith with one another,
violating the covenant of our fathers?

— The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 131: 1, 2, 3

In you, Lord, I have found my peace.

O LORD, my heart is not proud,
nor are my eyes haughty;
I busy not myself with great things,
nor with things too sublime for me.

Nay rather, I have stilled and quieted
my soul like a weaned child.
Like a weaned child on its mother’s lap,
so is my soul within me.

O Israel, hope in the LORD,
both now and forever.

Second Reading

First Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians (1 Thes 2: 7b-9, 13)

We were determined to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our very selves as well.

Brothers and sisters:
We were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children.
With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you
not only the gospel of God, but our very selves as well,
so dearly beloved had you become to us.
You recall, brothers and sisters, our toil and drudgery.
Working night and day in order not to burden any of you,
we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.

And for this reason we too give thanks to God unceasingly,
that, in receiving the word of God from hearing us,
you received not a human word but, as it truly is, the word of God,
which is now at work in you who believe.

— The word of the Lord.

Gospel

Alleluia, alleluia.

You have but one Father in heaven and one master, the Christ.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew (Mt 23: 1-12)

They preach but they do not practice.

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,

“The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people’s shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called ‘Master’;
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

— The Gospel of the Lord.