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Readings at Mass

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

Readings for the feria

Readings for the memorial

These are the readings for the feria

First reading
Ezekiel 16:1-15, 60, 63

‘It was perfect through the splendour that I had bestowed on you but you played the whore.’

The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations, and say, Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth are of the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. And as for your birth, on the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you out of compassion for you, but you were cast out on the open field, for you were abhorred, on the day that you were born.

‘And when I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you in your blood, “Live!” I said to you in your blood, “Live!” I made you flourish like a plant of the field. And you grew up and became tall and arrived at full adornment. Your breasts were formed, and your hair had grown; yet you were naked and bare.

‘When I passed by you again and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love, and I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord God, and you became mine. Then I bathed you with water and washed off your blood from you, and anointed you with oil. I clothed you also with embroidered cloth and shod you with fine leather. I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk. And I adorned you with ornaments, and put bracelets on your wrists, and a chain on your neck. And I put a ring on your nose and earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen and silk and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour and honey and oil. You grew exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty. And your renown went forth among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through the splendour that I had bestowed on you, declares the Lord God.

‘But you trusted in your beauty and played the whore because of your renown, and lavished your whorings on any passer-by.

‘Yet I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish for you an everlasting covenant, that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord God.’

Responsorial Psalm
Is 12:2-3. 4b-d. 5-6. ℟3

The rejoicing of a redeemed people

Your anger turned back, and you consoled me.

Behold, God is my salvation!

I will trust, and will not be afraid;

for the Lord is my strength and my praise,

and he has been my salvation.

With joy will you draw water

from the springs of salvation.

Your anger turned back, and you consoled me.

Give thanks to the Lord, invoke his name;

make known among the peoples his deeds;

proclaim that his name is exalted.

Your anger turned back, and you consoled me.

Sing to the Lord for he has wrought wonders;

let this be known through all the earth.

Shout aloud and sing praise, you who dwell in Sion,

for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

Your anger turned back, and you consoled me.

Gospel Acclamation
Cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:13

Alleluia, alleluia.

Receive the word of God, not as human words,

but as what it really is, the word of God.

Alleluia.

Gospel	Matthew 19:3-12

‘Because of hardness of heart Moses allowed wives to be divorced, but from the beginning it was not so..’

At that time: Pharisees came up to Jesus and tested him by asking, ‘Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?’ He answered, ‘Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh”? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no one separate.’ They said to him, ‘Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?’ He said to them, ‘Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.’

The disciples said to him, ‘If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.’ But he said to them, ‘Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.’

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These are the readings for the memorial

First reading	Wisdom 3:1-9

‘Like a sacrificial whole burnt offering he accepted them.’

The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God,

and no torment will ever touch them.

In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died,

and their departure was thought to be an evil thing,

and their going from us to be their destruction;

but they are at peace.

For though in the sight of men they were punished,

their hope is full of immortality.

Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good,

because God tested them and found them worthy of himself;

like gold in the furnace he tried them,

and like a sacrificial whole burnt offering he accepted them.

In the time of their visitation they will shine forth

and will run like sparks through the stubble.

They will govern nations and rule over peoples,

and the Lord will reign over them for ever.

Those who trust in him will understand truth,

and the faithful will abide with him in love,

because grace and mercy are upon his holy ones,

and he watches over his chosen.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 115(116):10-13,16-17

Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful.

I trusted, even when I said:

‘I am sorely afflicted,’

and when I said in my alarm:

‘No man can be trusted.’

Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful.

How can I repay the Lord

for his goodness to me?

The cup of salvation I will raise;

I will call on the Lord’s name.

Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful.

Your servant, Lord, your servant am I;

you have loosened my bonds.

A thanksgiving sacrifice I make;

I will call on the Lord’s name.

Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful.

Gospel Acclamation	Jn12:25

Alleluia, alleluia!

Anyone who hates his life in this world

will keep it for the eternal life.

Alleluia!

Gospel	John 15:12-16

Go out and bear fruit, fruit that will last

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘This is my commandment:

love one another,

as I have loved you.

A man can have no greater love

than to lay down his life for his friends.

You are my friends,

if you do what I command you.

I shall not call you servants any more,

because a servant does not know

his master’s business;

I call you friends,

because I have made known to you

everything I have learnt from my Father.

You did not choose me:

no, I chose you;

and I commissioned you

to go out and to bear fruit,

fruit that will last;

and then the Father will give you

anything you ask him in my name.’

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Universalis podcast: The week ahead – from 16 to 22 August

The Seven Deadly Sins in Dante: 1. Pride. (23 minutes)
Episode notes.

Christian Art

Each day, The Christian Art website gives a picture and reflection on the Gospel of the day.

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.