Daily Readings

1 A Canticle of David himself, when the house was built after the captivity. Sing to the Lord a new song. Sing to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Sing to the Lord and bless his name. Announce his salvation from day to day. 3 Announce his glory among the Gentiles, his miracles among all peoples. 4 For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised. He is terrible, beyond all gods. 5 For all the gods of the Gentiles are demons, but the Lord made the heavens.

13 So then: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you close the kingdom of heaven before men. For you yourselves do not enter, and those who are entering, you would not permit to enter. 14 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you consume the houses of widows, praying long prayers. Because of this, you shall receive the greater judgment. 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and by land, in order to make one convert. And when he has been converted, you make him twice the son of Hell that you are yourselves. 16 Woe to you, blind guides, who say: ‘Whoever will have sworn by the temple, it is nothing. But whoever will have sworn by the gold of the temple is obligated.’ 17 You are foolish and blind! For which is greater: the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold? 18 And you say: ‘Whoever will have sworn by the altar, it is nothing. But whoever will have sworn by the gift that is on the altar is obligated.’ 19 How blind you are! For which is greater: the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift? 20 Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears by it, and by all that is on it. 21 And whoever will have sworn by the temple, swears by it, and by him who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits upon it.

18 But I know their works and their thoughts. I am arriving, so that I may gather them together with all nations and languages. And they will approach, and they will see my glory. 19 And I will set a sign among them. And I will send some of those who will have been saved to the Gentiles in the sea, to Africa, and to those who draw the bow in Lydia, to Italy and Greece, to islands far away, to those who have not heard of me, and to those who have not seen my glory. And they will announce my glory to the Gentiles. 20 And they will lead all of your brothers from all of the Gentiles as a gift to the Lord, on horses, and in four-horse chariots, and on stretchers, and on mules, and in coaches, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, in the same manner that the sons of Israel would carry an offering in a pure vessel into the house of the Lord. 21 And I will take from them to be priests and Levites, says the Lord.

1 Alleluia. All nations, praise the Lord. All peoples, praise him. 2 For his mercy has been confirmed over us. And the truth of the Lord remains for all eternity.

5 And you have forgotten the consolation which speaks to you like sons, saying: “My son, do not be willing to neglect the discipline of the Lord. Neither should you become weary, while being rebuked by him.” 6 For whomever the Lord loves, he chastises. And every son whom he accepts, he scourges. 7 Persevere in discipline. God presents you to himself as sons. But what son is there, whom his father does not correct?11 Now every discipline, in the present time, does not seem a gladness, of course, but a grief. But afterwards, it will repay a most peaceful fruit of justice to those who become trained in it. 12 Because of this, lift up your lazy hands and your lax knees, 13 and straighten the path of your feet, so that no one, being lame, may wander astray, but instead may be healed.

22 And he was traveling through the cities and towns, teaching and making his way to Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, are they few who are saved?” But he said to them: 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and not be able. 25 Then, when the father of the family will have entered and shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us.’ And in response, he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 And he will say to you: ‘I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity!’ 28 In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, yet you yourselves are expelled outside. 29 And they will arrive from the East, and the West, and the North, and the South; and they will recline at table in the kingdom of God. 30 And behold, those who are last will be first, and those who are first will be last.”

1 And he led me to the gate which looked toward the way of the east. 2 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel entered along the way of the east. And his voice was like the voice of many waters. And the earth was resplendent before his majesty. 3 And I saw a vision in accord with the form that I had seen when he arrived so that he might destroy the city. And the form was in accord with the sight that I had seen beside the river Chebar. And I fell upon my face. 4 And the majesty of the Lord advanced into the temple, along the way of the gate which looked toward the east. 5 And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court. And behold, the house was filled with the glory of the Lord. 6 And I heard someone speaking to me from the house, and the man who was standing beside me 7 said to me: “Son of man the place of my throne, and the place of the steps of my feet, is where I live: in the midst of the sons of Israel forever.

9 All the nations, which you have made{85:10} For you are great, and you perform wonders. You alone are God. 11 Lead me, O Lord, in your way, and I will walk in your truth. May my heart rejoice, so that it will fear your name. 12 I will confess to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart. And I will glorify your name in eternity. 13 For your mercy toward me is great, and you have rescued my soul from the lower part of Hell. 14 O God, the iniquitous have risen up against me, and the synagogue of the powerful have sought my soul, and they have not placed you in their sight.

1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds, and to his disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have sat down in the chair of Moses. 3 Therefore, all things whatsoever that they shall say to you, observe and do. Yet truly, do not choose to act according to their works. For they say, but they do not do. 4 For they bind up heavy and unbearable burdens, and they impose them on men’s shoulders. But they are not willing to move them with even a finger of their own. 5 Truly, they do all their works so that they may be seen by men. For they enlarge their phylacteries and glorify their hems. 6 And they love the first places at feasts, and the first chairs in the synagogues, 7 and greetings in the marketplace, and to be called Master by men.8 But you must not be called Master. For One is your Master, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not choose to call anyone on earth your father. For One is your Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither should you be called teachers. For One is your Teacher, the Christ. 11 Whoever is greater among you shall be your minister. 12 But whoever has exalted himself, shall be humbled. And whoever has humbled himself, shall be exalted.

1 The hand of the Lord was set upon me, and he led me away in the Spirit of the Lord, and he released me in the midst of a plain which was full of bones. 2 And he led me around, through them, on every side. Now they were very many upon the face of the plain, and they were exceedingly dry. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, do you think that these bones will live?” And I said, “O Lord God, you know.” 4 And he said to me, “Prophesy about these bones. And you shall say to them: Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord!5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will send spirit into you, and you shall live. 6 And I will set sinews upon you, and I will cause flesh to grow over you, and I will extend skin over you. And I will give you spirit, and you shall live. And you shall know that I am the Lord.” 7 And I prophesied, just as he had instructed me. But a noise occurred, as I was prophesying, and behold: a commotion. And the bones joined together, each one at its joint. 8 And I saw, and behold: sinews and flesh rose up over them; and skin was extended over them. But they had no spirit within them. 9 And he said to me: “Prophesy to the spirit! Prophesy, O son of man, and you shall say to the spirit: Thus says the Lord God: Approach, O spirit, from the four winds, and blow across these ones who were slain, and revive them.” 10 And I prophesied, just as he had instructed me. And spirit entered into them, and they lived. And they stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army. 11 And he said to me: “Son of man: All these bones are the house of Israel. They say: ‘Our bones are dried out, and our hope has perished, and we have been cut off.’ 12 Because of this, prophesy, and you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your tombs, and I will lead you away from your sepulchers, O my people. And I will lead you into the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I will have opened your sepulchers, and when I will have led you away from your tombs, O my people. 14 And I will place my Spirit within you, and you shall live. And I will cause you to rest upon your own soil. And you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and acted, says the Lord God.”

2 Let those who have been redeemed by the Lord say so: those whom he redeemed from the hand of the enemy and gathered from the regions, 3 from the rising of the sun and its setting, from the north and from the sea. 4 They wandered into solitude in a waterless place. They did not find the way of the city to be their dwelling place. 5 They were hungry, and they were thirsty. Their soul fainted within them. 6 And they cried out to the Lord in tribulation, and he rescued them in their necessity. 7 And he led them in the right way, so that they might go forth to a city of habitation. 8 Let his mercies confess to the Lord, and let his miracles confess to the sons of men. 9 For he has satisfied the empty soul, and he has satisfied the hungry soul with good things

34 But the Pharisees, hearing that he had caused the Sadducees to be silent, came together as one. 35 And one of them, a doctor of the law, questioned him, to test him: 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him: “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God from all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 But the second is similar to it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments the entire law depends, and also the prophets.”

23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was defiled among the Gentiles, which you have defiled in their midst. So may the Gentiles know that I am the Lord, says the Lord of hosts, when I will have been sanctified in you, before their eyes. 24 Certainly, I will take you away from the Gentiles, and I will gather you together from all the lands, and I will lead you into your own land. 25 And I will pour clean water over you, and you shall be cleansed from all your filth, and I will cleanse you from all your idols. 26 And I will give to you a new heart, and I will place in you a new spirit. And I will take away the heart of stone from your body, and I will give to you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will place my Spirit in your midst. And I will act so that you may walk in my precepts and keep my judgments, and so that you may fulfill them. 28 And you shall live in the land that I gave to your fathers. And you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

12 Create a clean heart in me, O God. And renew an upright spirit within my inmost being. 13 Do not cast me away from your face; and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. 14 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and confirm me with an unsurpassed spirit. 15 I will teach the unjust your ways, and the impious will be converted to you.18 For if you had desired sacrifice, I would certainly have given it, but with holocausts, you will not be delighted. 19 A crushed spirit is a sacrifice to God. A contrite and humbled heart, O God, you will not spurn.

1 And responding, Jesus again spoke to them in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who was king, who celebrated a wedding for his son. 3 And he sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding. But they were not willing to come. 4 Again, he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell the invited: Behold, I have prepared my meal. My bulls and fatlings have been killed, and all is ready. Come to the wedding.’ 5 But they ignored this and they went away: one to his country estate, and another to his business. 6 Yet truly, the rest took hold of his servants and, having treated them with contempt, killed them. 7 But when the king heard this, he was angry. And sending out his armies, he destroyed those murderers, and he burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants: ‘The wedding, indeed, has been prepared. But those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Therefore, go out to the ways, and call whomever you will find to the wedding.’ 10 And his servants, departing into the ways, gathered all those whom they found, bad and good, and the wedding was filled with guests. 11 Then the king entered to see the guests. And he saw a man there who was not clothed in a wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how is it that you have entered here without having a wedding garment?’ But he was dumbstruck. 13 Then the king said to the ministers: ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.’ ”

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:2 “Son of man, prophesy about the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy,and you shall say to the shepherds: Thus says the Lord God: Woe to theshepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the flocks be fedby the shepherds?3 You consumed the milk, and you covered yourselves with the wool,and you killed what was fattened. But my flock you did not feed.4 What was weak, you have not strengthened, and what was sick, youhave not healed. What was broken, you have not bound, and what was castaside, you have not led back again, and what was lost, you have notsought. Instead, you ruled over them with severity and with power.5 And my sheep were scattered, because there was no shepherd. Andthey became devoured by all the wild beasts of the field, and they weredispersed.6 My sheep have wandered to every mountain and to every exaltedhill. And my flocks have been scattered across the face of the earth.And there was no one who sought them; there was no one, I say, whosought them.7 Because of this, O shepherds, listen to the word of the Lord:8 As I live, says the Lord God, since my flocks have become aprey, and my sheep have been devoured by all the wild beasts of thefield, since there was no shepherd, for my shepherds did not seek myflock, but instead the shepherds fed themselves, and they did not feedmy flocks:9 because of this, O shepherds, listen to the word of the Lord:10 Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I myself will be over theshepherds. I will require my flock at their hand, and I will cause themto cease, so that they no longer refrain from feeding the flock.Neither will the shepherds feed themselves any more. And I will delivermy flock from their mouth; and it will no longer be food for them.11 For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I myself will seek my sheep, and I myself will visit them.

1. A Psalm of David. The Lord directs me, and nothing will be lacking to me.2. He has settled me here, in a place of pasture. He has led me out to the water of refreshment.3. He has converted my soul. He has led me away on the paths of justice, for the sake of his name.4. For, even if I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death,I will fear no evils. For you are with me. Your rod and your staff,they have given me consolation.5. You have prepared a table in my sight, opposite those who trouble me. You have anointed my head with oil, and my cup, which inebriates me, how brilliant it is!6. And your mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and so may I dwell in the house of the Lord for length of days.

1 “The kingdom of heaven is like the father of a family who went out in early morning to lead workers into his vineyard.2 Then, having made an agreement with the workers for one denarius per day, he sent them into his vineyard.3 And going out about the third hour, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace.4 And he said to them, ‘You may go into my vineyard, too, and what I will give you will be just.’5 So they went forth. But again, he went out about the sixth, and about the ninth hour, and he acted similarly.6 Yet truly, about the eleventh hour, he went out and found othersstanding, and he said to them, ‘Why have you stood here idle all day?’7 They say to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also may go into my vineyard.’8 And when evening had arrived, the lord of the vineyard said tohis manager, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning fromthe last, even to the first.’9 And so, when those who had arrived about the eleventh hour came forward, each received a single denarius.10 Then when the first ones also came forward, they consideredthat they would receive more. But they, too, received one denarius.11 And upon receiving it, they murmured against the father of the family,12 saying, ‘These last have worked for one hour, and you have madethem equal to us, who worked bearing the weight and heat of the day.’13 But responding to one of them, he said: ‘Friend, I caused you no injury. Did you not agree with me to one denarius?14 Take what is yours and go. But it is my will to give to this last, just as to you.15 And is it not lawful for me to do what I will? Or is your eye wicked because I am good?’16 So then, the last shall be first, and the first shall be last. For many are called, but few are chosen.”

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 2 “Son of man, say to the leader of Tyre: Thus says the Lord God: Because your heart has been exalted, and you have said, ‘I am God, and I sit in the chair of God, in the heart of the sea,’ though you are a man, and not God, and because you have presented your heart as if it were the heart of God: 3 Behold, you are wiser than Daniel; no secret is concealed from you. 4 By your wisdom and prudence, you have made yourself strong, and you have acquired gold and silver for your storehouses. 5 By the multitude of your wisdom, and by your business dealings, you have multiplied strength for yourself. And your heart has been exalted by your strength. 6 Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Because your heart has been exalted as if it were the heart of God, 7 for this reason, behold, I will lead over you foreigners, the most robust among the Gentiles. And they will bare their swords over the beauty of your wisdom, and they will defile your beauty. 8 They will destroy you and pull you down. And you will die the death of those slain in the heart of the sea. 9 So then, will you speak, in the presence of those who are destroying you, before the hand of those who are killing you, saying, ‘I am God,’ though you are a man, and not God? 10 You will die the death of the uncircumcised at the hand of foreigners. For I have spoken, says the Lord God.”

26 I said: Where are they? I will cause their memory to cease from among men. 27 But because of the wrath of the enemies, I have delayed it. Otherwise, perhaps their enemies would be arrogant and would say: “Our exalted hand, and not the Lord, has done all these things.” 28 They are a nation without counsel and without prudence.30 How is it that one pursues a thousand, and two chases ten thousand? Is it not because their God has sold them, and because the Lord has enclosed them?35 so that their foot may slip and fall. The day of perdition is near, and the time rushes to appear.’ 36 The Lord will judge his people, and he will take pity on his servants.