Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green. Year: C(I).

First reading
Exodus 1:8-14, 22

‘Let us deal shrewdly with the Israelites, lest they multiply.’

In those days: There arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, ‘Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.’ Therefore, they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.

Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, ‘Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.’

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 124(123):1-3. 4-6. 7-8. ℟8a

Our help is in the name of the Lord.

‘If the Lord had not been on our side,’

let Israel say –

‘If the Lord had not been on our side

when people rose against us,

then would they have swallowed us alive

when their anger was kindled.’

Our help is in the name of the Lord.

‘Then would the waters have engulfed us,

the torrent gone over us;

over our head would have swept

the raging waters.’

Blest be the Lord who did not give us

a prey to their teeth!

Our help is in the name of the Lord.

Our life, like a bird, has escaped

from the snare of the fowler.

Indeed, the snare has been broken,

and we have escaped.

Our help is in the name of the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

Our help is in the name of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation	Matthew 5:10

Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Alleluia.

Gospel
Matthew 10:34-11:1

‘I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.’

At that time: Jesus instructed his Apostles: ‘Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

‘Whoever receives you, receives me, and whoever receives me, receives him who sent me. The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.’

When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.

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.

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