First reading

Isaiah 49:3,5-6

I will make you the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth

A reading from the prophet Isaiah.

The Lord said to me, ‘You are my servant, Israel,

in whom I shall be glorified’;

I was honoured in the eyes of the Lord,

my God was my strength.

And now the Lord has spoken,

he who formed me in the womb to be his servant,

to bring Jacob back to him,

to gather Israel to him:

‘It is not enough for you to be my servant,

to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel;

I will make you the light of the nations

so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.’

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 39(40):2,4,7-10

R: Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

I waited, I waited for the Lord

    and he stooped down to me;

    he heard my cry.

He put a new song into my mouth,

    praise of our God.               R.

You do not ask for sacrifice and offerings,

    but an open ear.

You do not ask for holocaust and victim.

    Instead, here am I.              R.

In the scroll of the book it stands written

    that I should do your will.

My God, I delight in your law

    in the depth of my heart.   R.

Your justice I have proclaimed

    in the great assembly.

My lips I have not sealed;

    you know it, O Lord.                        R.

Second reading

1 Corinthians 1:1-3

May God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ send you grace and peace

A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians.

I, Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle, together with brother Sosthenes, send greetings to the church of God in Corinth, to the holy people of Jesus Christ, who are called to take their place among all the saints everywhere who pray to our Lord Jesus Christ; for he is their Lord no less than ours. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ send you grace and peace.

The word of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

John 1:14. 12

Alleluia, alleluia!

The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us.

He enabled those who accepted him

to become the children of God.

Alleluia!

Gospel

John 1:29-34

‘Look: there is the Lamb of God’

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark.

Seeing Jesus coming towards him, John said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. This is the one I spoke of when I said: A man is coming after me who ranks before me because he existed before me. I did not know him myself, and yet it was to reveal him to Israel that I came baptising with water.’ John also declared, ‘I saw the Spirit coming down on him from heaven like a dove and resting on him. I did not know him myself, but he who sent me to baptise with water had said to me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is going to baptise with the Holy Spirit.” Yes, I have seen and I am the witness that he is the Chosen One of God.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

First reading

Song 2:8-10, 14, 16.

For love is as strong as death.

A reading from the Song of Songs.

I hear my Beloved.

See how he comes

leaping on the mountains,

bounding over the hills.

My Beloved is like a gazelle,

like a young stag.

See where he stands

behind our wall.

He looks in at the window,

he peers through the lattice.

My Beloved lifts up his voice,

he says to me,

‘Come then, my love,

my lovely one, come.

My dove,

hiding in the clefts of the rock.

In the coverts of the cliff,

show me your face,

let me hear your voice;

for your voice is sweet

and your face is beautiful.’

My beloved is mine and I am his.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 130

R: I trust in you Lord, like a child in its mother’s arms.

O Lord, my heart is not proud

nor haughty my eyes.

I have not gone after things too great

nor marvels beyond me.                    R.

Truly I have set my soul

in silence and peace.

A weaned child on its mother’s breast,

even so is my soul.                 R.

O Israel, hope in the Lord

both now and for ever.           R.

Gospel Acclamation

Matthew 11:25

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;

you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Mark 10:13-16

It is to such as these little children that the kingdom of God belongs.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark.

People were bringing little children to Jesus, for him to touch them. The disciples turned them away, but when Jesus saw this he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. I tell you solemnly, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ Then he put his arms round them, laid his hands on them and gave them his blessing.

The Gospel of the Lord.

First reading

Romans 7:18-25

Every time I want to do good it is something evil that comes to hand.

A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans.

I know of nothing good living in me – living, that is, in my unspiritual self – for though the will to do what is good is in me, the performance is not, with the result that instead of doing the good things I want to do, I carry out the sinful things I do not want. When I act against my will, then, it is not my true self doing it, but sin which lives in me.

    In fact, this seems to be the rule, that every single time I want to do good it is something evil that comes to hand. In my inmost self I dearly love God’s Law, but I can see that my body follows a different law that battles against the law which my reason dictates. This is what makes me a prisoner of that law of sin which lives inside my body.

    What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body doomed to death?

    Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 50(51):3-6,12-14,17

R: Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.

    In your compassion blot out my offence.

O wash me more and more from my guilt

    and cleanse me from my sin.                      R.

My offences truly I know them;

    my sin is always before me

Against you, you alone, have I sinned;

    what is evil in your sight I have done.        R.

A pure heart create for me, O God,

    put a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from your presence,

    nor deprive me of your holy spirit.             R.

Give me again the joy of your help;

    with a spirit of fervour sustain me,

O Lord, open my lips

    and my mouth shall declare your praise.   R.

Gospel Acclamation

1 John 4:10

Alleluia, alleluia!

God first loved us

and sent his Son to take away our sins.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 19:1-10

The Son of Man has come to seek out and save what was lost.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke.

Jesus entered Jericho and was going through the town when a man whose name was Zacchaeus made his appearance; he was one of the senior tax collectors and a wealthy man. He was anxious to see what kind of man Jesus was, but he was too short and could not see him for the crowd; so he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way. When Jesus reached the spot he looked up and spoke to him: ‘Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I must stay at your house today.’ And he hurried down and welcomed him joyfully. They all complained when they saw what was happening. ‘He has gone to stay at a sinner’s house’ they said. But Zacchaeus stood his ground and said to the Lord, ‘Look, sir, I am going to give half my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek out and save what was lost.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Ephesians 5:8

Alleluia, alleluia!

You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.

Live as children of light.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

The prodigal Son

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke.

The tax collectors and the sinners were all seeking the company of Jesus to hear what he had to say, and the Pharisees and the scribes complained. ‘This man’ they said ‘welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ So he spoke this parable to them:

    ‘A man had two sons. The younger said to his father, “Father, let me have the share of the estate that would come to me.” So the father divided the property between them. A few days later, the younger son got together everything he had and left for a distant country where he squandered his money on a life of debauchery.

    ‘When he had spent it all, that country experienced a severe famine, and now he began to feel the pinch, so he hired himself out to one of the local inhabitants who put him on his farm to feed the pigs. And he would willingly have filled his belly with the husks the pigs were eating but no one offered him anything. Then he came to his senses and said, “How many of my father’s paid servants have more food than they want, and here am I dying of hunger! I will leave this place and go to my father and say: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as one of your paid servants.” So he left the place and went back to his father.

    ‘While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran to the boy, clasped him in his arms and kissed him tenderly. Then his son said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son.” But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the calf we have been fattening, and kill it; we are going to have a feast, a celebration, because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life; he was lost and is found.” And they began to celebrate.

    ‘Now the elder son was out in the fields, and on his way back, as he drew near the house, he could hear music and dancing. Calling one of the servants he asked what it was all about. “Your brother has come” replied the servant “and your father has killed the calf we had fattened because he has got him back safe and sound.” He was angry then and refused to go in, and his father came out to plead with him; but he answered his father, “Look, all these years I have slaved for you and never once disobeyed your orders, yet you never offered me so much as a kid for me to celebrate with my friends. But, for this son of yours, when he comes back after swallowing up your property – he and his women – you kill the calf we had been fattening.”

    ‘The father said, “My son, you are with me always and all I have is yours. But it was only right we should celebrate and rejoice, because your brother here was dead and has come to life; he was lost and is found.”’

The Gospel of the Lord.

First reading

Romans 12:1-3

May you present your bodies as a living sacrifice.

A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans.

Think of God’s mercy, my brothers, and worship him, I beg you, in a way that is worthy of thinking beings, by offering your living bodies as a holy sacrifice, truly pleasing to God. Do not model yourselves on the behaviour of the world around you, but let your behaviour change, modelled by your new mind. This is the only way to discover the will of God and know what is good, what it is that God wants, what is the perfect thing to do.

    For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 1:1-4, 6

R: Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.

Happy indeed is the man

    who follows not the counsel of the wicked;

nor lingers in the way of sinners

    nor sits in the company of scorners,

but whose delight is the law of the Lord

    and who ponders his law day and night.    R.

He is like a tree that is planted

    beside the flowing waters,

that yields its fruit in due season

    and whose leaves shall never fade;

    and all that he does shall prosper.             R.

Not so are the wicked, not so!

For they like winnowed chaff

    shall be driven away by the wind:

for the Lord guards the way of the just

    but the way of the wicked leads to doom. R.

Gospel Acclamation

Matthew 7:24

Alleluia, alleluia!

The wise man, who built his house on rock,

Will be strong in the Lord and will not fall.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 7:24-29

The house built on rock is compared to the house built on sand.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against the house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell: and what a fall it had!’

Jesus had now finished what he wanted to say, and his teaching made a deep impression on the people because he taught them with authority, and not like their own scribes.

The Gospel of the Lord.

First reading

Ezekiel 37:1-14

The valley of dry bones.

A reading from the prophet Ezekiel.

The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord GOD, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD.”

    So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.

    Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act, says the LORD.‘

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 103(104):1-2,5-6,10,12-14,24,35

R: Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

Bless the Lord, my soul!

    Lord God, how great you are,

clothed in majesty and glory,

    wrapped in light as in a robe!         R.

You founded the earth on its base,

    to stand firm from age to age.

You wrapped it with the ocean like a cloak:

    the waters stood higher than the mountains.       R.

You make springs gush forth in the valleys;

    they flow in between the hills.

On their banks dwell the birds of heaven;

    from the branches they sing their song.                 R.

From your dwelling you water the hills;

    earth drinks its fill of your gift.

You make the grass grow for the cattle

    and the plants to serve man’s needs.                     R.

How many are your works, O Lord!

    In wisdom you have made them all.

    The earth is full of your riches.

Bless the Lord, my soul!                                             R.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia!

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful

and kindle in them the fire of your love.

Alleluia!

Gospel

John 7:37-39

‘If any man is thirsty, let him come to me!’

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John.

On the last day and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood there and cried out:

‘If any man is thirsty, let him come to me!

Let the man come and drink who believes in me!’

As scripture says: From his breast shall flow fountains of living water.

    He was speaking of the Spirit which those who believed in him were to receive; for there was no Spirit as yet because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

The Gospel of the Lord.

First reading

Jeremiah 1:4-9

Go and say whatever I command you and do not fear

A reading from the prophet Jeremiah.

The word of the Lord was addressed to me, saying,

‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;

before you came to birth I consecrated you;

I have appointed you as prophet to the nations.’

I said, ‘Ah, Lord; look, I do not know how to speak: I am a child!’

But the Lord replied,

‘Do not say, “I am a child.”

Go now to those to whom I send you

and, say whatever I command you.

Do not be afraid of them,

for I am with you to protect you –

it is the Lord who speaks!’

Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me:

‘There! I am putting my words into your mouth.’

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 18(19):2-5

R: Their message goes out through all the earth.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God,

    and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.

Day unto day takes up the story

    and night unto night makes known the message.  R.

No speech, no word, no voice is heard

    yet their span extends through all the earth,

    their words to the utmost bounds of the world.   R.

Gospel Acclamation

Matthew 4:19

Alleluia, alleluia!

Come follow me, says the Lord,

and I will make you fishers of my people.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 5:1-11

They left everything and followed him.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke.

Jesus was standing one day by the lake of Gennesaret, with the crowd pressing round him listening to the word of God, when he caught sight of two boats close to the bank. The fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats – it was Simon’s – and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.

When he had finished speaking he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water and pay out your nets for a catch.’ ‘Master,’ Simon replied ‘we worked hard all night long and caught nothing, but if you say so, I will pay out the nets.’ And when they had done this they netted such a huge number of fish that their nets began to tear, so they signalled to their companions in the other boat to come and help them; when these came, they filled the two boats to sinking point.

When Simon Peter saw this he fell at the knees of Jesus saying, ‘Leave me Lord; I am a sinful man.’ For he and all his companions were completely overcome by the catch they had made; so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were Simon’s partners. But Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on it is men you will catch.’ Then, bringing their boats back to land, they left everything and followed him.

The Gospel of the Lord.

First reading

Acts 2:42-47

The faithful lived together and owned everything in common.

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

The whole community remained faithful to the teaching of the apostles, to the brotherhood, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.

The many miracles and signs worked through the apostles made a deep impression on everyone.

The faithful all lived together and owned everything in common; they sold their goods and possessions and shared out the proceeds among themselves according to what each one needed.

They went as a body to the Temple every day but met in their houses for the breaking of bread; they shared their food gladly and generously; they praised God and were looked up to by everyone. Day by day the Lord added to their community those destined to be saved.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 46(47):2-3,6-9

R: God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

All peoples, clap your hands,

    cry to God with shouts of joy!

For the Lord, the Most High, we must fear,

    great king over all the earth.                                  R.

God goes up with shouts of joy;

    the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.

Sing praise for God, sing praise,

    sing praise to our king, sing praise.                         R.

God is king of all the earth,

    sing praise with all your skill.

God is king over the nations;

    God reigns on his holy throne.                               R.

Gospel Acclamation

Matthew 5:12

Alleluia, alleluia!

Rejoice and be glad;

your reward will be great in heaven.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 5:1-16

Happy are the poor in spirit.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:

‘How happy are the poor in spirit;

theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Happy the gentle:

they shall have the earth for their heritage.

Happy those who mourn:

they shall be comforted.

Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:

they shall be satisfied.

Happy the merciful:

they shall have mercy shown them.

Happy the pure in heart:

they shall see God.

Happy the peacemakers:

they shall be called sons of God.

Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right:

theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.’

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes tasteless, what can make it salty again? It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled underfoot by men.

‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill-top cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lamp-stand where it shines for everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine in the sight of men, so that, seeing your good works, they may give the praise to your Father in heaven.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

First reading

Isaiah 8:23-9:3

In Galilee of the nations the people has seen a great light

A reading from the prophet Isaiah.

In days past the Lord humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in days to come he will confer glory on the Way of the Sea on the far side of Jordan, province of the nations.

The people that walked in darkness

has seen a great light;

on those who live in a land of deep shadow

a light has shone.

You have made their gladness greater,

you have made their joy increase;

they rejoice in your presence

as men rejoice at harvest time,

as men are happy when they are dividing the spoils.

For the yoke that was weighing on him,

the bar across his shoulders,

the rod of his oppressor –

these you break as on the day of Midian.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 26(27):1,4,13-14

R: The Lord is my light and my salvation.

The Lord is my light and my help;

    whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;

    before whom shall I shrink?            R.

There is one thing I ask of the Lord,

    for this I long,

to live in the house of the Lord,

    all the days of my life,

to savour the sweetness of the Lord,

    to behold his temple.                      R.

I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness

    in the land of the living.

Hope in him, hold firm and take heart.

    Hope in the Lord!                            R.

Second reading

1 Corinthians 1:10-13,17

Make up the differences between you instead of disagreeing among yourselves

A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians.

I appeal to you, brothers, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, to make up the differences between you, and instead of disagreeing among yourselves, to be united again in your belief and practice. From what Chloe’s people have been telling me, my dear brothers, it is clear that there are serious differences among you. What I mean are all these slogans that you have, like: ‘I am for Paul’, ‘I am for Apollos’, ‘I am for Cephas’, ‘I am for Christ.’ Has Christ been parcelled out? Was it Paul that was crucified for you? Were you baptised in the name of Paul?

    For Christ did not send me to baptise, but to preach the Good News, and not to preach that in the terms of philosophy in which the crucifixion of Christ cannot be expressed.

The word of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Matthew 4:23

Alleluia, alleluia!

Jesus preached the Good News of the kingdom

and healed all who were sick.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 4:12-23

He went and settled in Capernaum: in this way the prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew.

Hearing that John had been arrested, Jesus went back to Galilee, and leaving Nazareth he went and settled in Capernaum, a lakeside town on the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali. In this way the prophecy of Isaiah was to be fulfilled:

‘Land of Zebulun! Land of Naphtali!

Way of the sea on the far side of Jordan,

Galilee of the nations!

The people that lived in darkness has seen a great light;

on those who dwell in the land and shadow of death

a light has dawned.’

From that moment Jesus began his preaching with the message, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’

    As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast in the lake with their net, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’ And they left their nets at once and followed him. Going on from there he saw another pair of brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they were in their boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. At once, leaving the boat and their father, they followed him.

    He went round the whole of Galilee teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness among the people.

The Gospel of the Lord.