First Reading

The Wisom of Ben Sira (Sirarch 5: 1-8)

Delay not your conversion to the LORD.

Rely not on your wealth;
say not:

“I have the power.”

Rely not on your strength
in following the desires of your heart.
Say not:

“Who can prevail against me?
or, Who will subdue me for my deeds?”

for God will surely exact the punishment.
Say not:

“I have sinned, yet what has befallen me?”

for the Most High bides his time.
Of forgiveness be not overconfident,
adding sin upon sin.
Say not:

“Great is his mercy;
my many sins he will forgive.”

For mercy and anger alike are with him;
upon the wicked alights his wrath.
Delay not your conversion to the LORD,
put it not off from day to day.
For suddenly his wrath flames forth;
at the time of vengeance you will be destroyed.
Rely not upon deceitful wealth,
for it will be no help on the day of wrath.

— The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 1: 1-4, 6

Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.

He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.

Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.

Gospel

Alleluia, alleluia.

Receive the word of God, not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark (Mark 9: 41-50)

It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna.

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.

Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.

Everyone will be salted with fire.
Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid,
with what will you restore its flavor?
Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another.”

— The Gospel of the Lord.

First Reading

The Wisdom of Ben Sira (Sirach 4: 11-19)

Those who love wisdom, the LORD loves.

Wisdom breathes life into her children
and admonishes those who seek her.
He who loves her loves life;
those who seek her will be embraced by the Lord.
He who holds her fast inherits glory;
wherever he dwells, the LORD bestows blessings.
Those who serve her serve the Holy One;
those who love her the LORD loves.
He who obeys her judges nations;
he who hearkens to her dwells in her inmost chambers.
If one trusts her, he will possess her;
his descendants too will inherit her.
She walks with him as a stranger
and at first she puts him to the test;
Fear and dread she brings upon him
and tries him with her discipline
until she try him by her laws and trust his soul.
Then she comes back to bring him happiness
and reveal her secrets to them
and she will heap upon him
treasures of knowledge and an understanding of justice.
But if he fails her, she will abandon him
and deliver him into the hands of despoilers.

— The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 119: 165, 168, 171, 172, 174, 175

O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.

Those who love your law have great peace,
and for them there is no stumbling block.

I keep your precepts and your decrees,
for all my ways are before you.

My lips pour forth your praise,
because you teach me your statutes.

May my tongue sing of your promise,
for all your commands are just.

I long for your salvation, O LORD,
and your law is my delight.

Let my soul live to praise you,
and may your ordinances help me.

Gospel

Alleluia, alleluia.

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

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark (Mark 9: 38-40)

Whoever is not against us is for us.

John said to Jesus,

“Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.”

Jesus replied,

“Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.”

— The Gospel of the Lord.

First Reading

Book of Sirach (Sir 2: 1-11)

Prepare yourself for temptation.

My son, when you come to serve the LORD,
stand in justice and fear,
prepare yourself for trials.
Be sincere of heart and steadfast,
incline your ear and receive the word of understanding,
undisturbed in time of adversity.
Wait on God, with patience, cling to him, forsake him not;
thus will you be wise in all your ways.
Accept whatever befalls you,
when sorrowful, be steadfast,
and in crushing misfortune be patient;
For in fire gold and silver are tested,
and worthy people in the crucible of humiliation.
Trust God and God will help you;
trust in him, and he will direct your way;
keep his fear and grow old therein.

You who fear the LORD, wait for his mercy,
turn not away lest you fall.
You who fear the LORD, trust him,
and your reward will not be lost.
You who fear the LORD, hope for good things,
for lasting joy and mercy.
You who fear the LORD, love him,
and your hearts will be enlightened.
Study the generations long past and understand;
has anyone hoped in the LORD and been disappointed?
Has anyone persevered in his commandments and been forsaken?
has anyone called upon him and been rebuffed?
Compassionate and merciful is the LORD;
he forgives sins, he saves in time of trouble
and he is a protector to all who seek him in truth.

— The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm (Ps 37: 3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40)

Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.

Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart's requests.

The LORD watches over the lives of the wholehearted;
their inheritance lasts forever.
They are not put to shame in an evil time;
in days of famine they have plenty.

Turn from evil and do good,
that you may abide forever;
For the LORD loves what is right,
and forsakes not his faithful ones.

The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.

Gospel

Alleluia. Alleluia.

May I never boast except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.

Alleluia.

Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark (Mk 9: 30-37)

The Son of man will be betrayed. If anyone would be first, he must be last.

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it.
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,

“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.”

But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,

“What were you arguing about on the way?”

But they remained silent.
For they had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest.

Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,

“If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”

Taking a child, he placed it in their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,

“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me.”

— The Gospel of the Lord.