Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green. Year: A(II).

First reading	1 Samuel 4:1-11

‘Israel was defeated and the ark of God was captured.’

In those days: Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. They encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek. The Philistines drew up in line against Israel and, when the battle spread, Israel was defeated before the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle. And when the people came to the camp the elders of Israel said, ‘Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.’ So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

As soon as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting they said, ‘What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?’ And when they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp, the Philistines were afraid, for they said, ‘A god has come into the camp.’ And they said, ‘Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.’

So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell. And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 44(43):10-11. 14-15. 24-25. ℟27b

Redeem us with your merciful love, O Lord.

Yet now you have rejected us, disgraced us;

you no longer go forth with our armies.

You make us retreat from the foe;

those who hate us plunder us at will.

Redeem us with your merciful love, O Lord.

You make us the taunt of our neighbours,

the mockery and scorn of those around us.

Among the nations you make us a byword;

among the peoples they shake their heads.

Redeem us with your merciful love, O Lord.

Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep?

Arise! Do not reject us for ever.

Why do you hide your face,

and forget our oppression and misery?

Redeem us with your merciful love, O Lord.

Gospel Acclamation
Cf. Matthew 4:23

Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom

and healed every affliction among the people.

Alleluia.

Gospel	Mark 1:40-45

‘The leprosy left him, and he was made clean.’

At that time: A leper came to Jesus, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, ‘If you will, you can make me clean.’ Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, ‘I will; be clean.’ And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, and said to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.’ But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.

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The readings on this page are from the English Standard Version, which is used at Mass in Great Britain. The Jerusalem Bible (which is used at Mass in much of the English-speaking world) will appear instead if you set this page to use a calendar from outside Great Britain. The New American Bible readings, which are used at Mass in the United States, are available in the Universalis apps, programs and downloads.