Readings at Mass

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

First reading
1 Samuel 16:1-13

‘Samuel anointed David in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him.’

In those days: The Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.’ And Samuel said, ‘How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.’ And the Lord said, ‘Take a heifer with you and say, “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.” And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you.’ Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, ‘Do you come peaceably?’ And he said, ‘Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.’ And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’ Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The Lord has not chosen these.’ Then Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are all your sons here?’ And he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.’ And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.’ And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, ‘Arise, anoint him, for this is he.’ Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

How to listen

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 89(88):20. 21-22. 27-28. ℟21a

I have found my servant David.

You, Lord, spoke in a vision.

To your faithful ones you said,

‘I have bestowed my help on a warrior,

I have exalted one chosen from the people.’

I have found my servant David.

‘I have found my servant David,

and with my holy oil anointed him.

My hand shall always be with him,

and my arm shall make him strong.’

I have found my servant David.

‘He will call out to me, “You are my father,

my God, the rock of my salvation”.

I for my part will make him my firstborn,

the highest of the kings of the earth.’

I have found my servant David.

Gospel Acclamation
Cf. Ephesians 1:17-18

Alleluia, alleluia.

May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

enlighten the eyes of our hearts,

so that we may know the hope to which he has called us.

Alleluia.

Gospel	Mark 2:23-28

‘The Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.’

One Sabbath the Lord was going through the cornfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck ears of corn. And the Pharisees were saying to him, ‘Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?’ And he said to them, ‘Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?’ And he said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.’

You can also view this page with the New Testament in Greek and English.

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.