Reading 1 Gn 2:4b-9, 15-17 At the time when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens --while as yet there was no field shrub on earthand no grass of the field had sprouted,for the LORD God had sent no rain upon the earthand there was no man to till the soil, but a stream was welling up out of the earthand was watering all the surface of the ground --the LORD God formed man out of the clay of the groundand blew into his nostrils the breath of life,and so man became a living being.Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east,and he placed there the man whom he had formed.Out of the ground the LORD God made various trees growthat were delightful to look at and good for food,with the tree of life in the middle of the gardenand the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.The LORD God then took the manand settled him in the garden of Eden,to cultivate and care for it.The LORD God gave man this order:"You are free to eat from any of the trees of the gardenexcept the tree of knowledge of good and evil. From that tree you shall not eat;the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die." Responsorial Psalm Ps 104:1-2a, 27-28, 29bc-30 R. (1a) O bless the Lord, my soul!Bless the LORD, O my soul!O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!You are clothed with majesty and glory,robed in light as with a cloak.R. O bless the Lord, my soul!All creatures look to youto give them food in due time.When you give it to them, they gather it;when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. R. O bless the Lord, my soul!If you take away their breath, they perishand return to their dust.When you send forth your spirit, they are created,and you renew the face of the earth. R. O bless the Lord, my soul! Alleluia See Jn 17:17b, 17a R. Alleluia, alleluia.Your word, O Lord, is truth:consecrate us in the truth.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 7:14-23 Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them,“Hear me, all of you, and understand.Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person;but the things that come out from within are what defile.” When he got home away from the crowdhis disciples questioned him about the parable.He said to them,“Are even you likewise without understanding?Do you not realize that everythingthat goes into a person from outside cannot defile,since it enters not the heart but the stomachand passes out into the latrine?”(Thus he declared all foods clean.)“But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him.From within the man, from his heart,come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,adultery, greed, malice, deceit,licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.All these evils come from within and they defile.” Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Josephine Bakhita, VirginReadings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Jerome Emiliani, priest - - -Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Reading 1 Gn 1:20—2:4a God said,"Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures,and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome of the sky."and so it happened:God created the great sea monstersand all kinds of swimming creatures with which the water teems,and all kinds of winged birds.God saw how good it was, and God blessed them, saying,"Be fertile, multiply, and fill the water of the seas;and let the birds multiply on the earth."Evening came, and morning followed–the fifth day.Then God said,"Let the earth bring forth all kinds of living creatures:cattle, creeping things, and wild animals of all kinds."and so it happened:God made all kinds of wild animals, all kinds of cattle,and all kinds of creeping things of the earth.God saw how good it was.Then God said:"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,the birds of the air, and the cattle,and over all the wild animalsand all the creatures that crawl on the ground."God created man in his image;in the divine image he created him;male and female he created them.God blessed them, saying:"Be fertile and multiply;fill the earth and subdue it.Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air,and all the living things that move on the earth."God also said:"See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earthand every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food;and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air,and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground,I give all the green plants for food."And so it happened.God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good.Evening came, and morning followed–the sixth day.Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed.Since on the seventh day God was finished with the work he had been doing,he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken.So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy,because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation.Such is the story of the heavens and the earth at their creation. Responsorial Psalm Ps 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 R. (2ab) O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers,the moon and the stars which you set in place—What is man that you should be mindful of him,or the son of man that you should care for him?R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!You have made him little less than the angels,and crowned him with glory and honor.You have given him rule over the works of your hands,putting all things under his feet.R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!All sheep and oxen,yes, and the beasts of the field,The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea,and whatever swims the paths of the seas.R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth! Alleluia Ps 119:36, 29b R. Alleluia, alleluia.Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees;And favor me with your law.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 7:1-13 When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalemgathered around Jesus,they observed that some of his disciples ate their mealswith unclean, that is, unwashed, hands.(For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews,do not eat without carefully washing their hands,keeping the tradition of the elders.And on coming from the marketplacethey do not eat without purifying themselves.And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed,the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.)So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him,"Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the eldersbut instead eat a meal with unclean hands?"  He responded,"Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites,as it is written:This people honors me with their lips,but their hearts are far from me;in vain do they worship me,teaching as doctrines human precepts.You disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition."He went on to say,"How well you have set aside the commandment of Godin order to uphold your tradition!For Moses said,Honor your father and your mother,and Whoever curses father or mother shall die.Yet you say,'If someone says to father or mother,"Any support you might have had from me is qorban"'(meaning, dedicated to God),you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother.You nullify the word of Godin favor of your tradition that you have handed on.And you do many such things." - - -Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.