Reading 1 Gn 12:1-9 The LORD said to Abram:"Go forth from the land of your kinsfolkand from your father's house to a land that I will show you."I will make of you a great nation,and I will bless you;I will make your name great,so that you will be a blessing.I will bless those who bless youand curse those who curse you.All the communities of the earthshall find blessing in you."Abram went as the LORD directed him, and Lot went with him.Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.Abram took his wife, Sarai, his brother's son Lot,all the possessions that they had accumulated,and the persons they had acquired in Haran,and they set out for the land of Canaan.When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the landas far as the sacred place at Shechem,by the terebinth of Moreh.(The Canaanites were then in the land.)The LORD appeared to Abram and said,"To your descendants I will give this land."So Abram built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel,pitching his tent with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east.He built an altar there to the LORD and invoked the LORD by name.Then Abram journeyed on by stages to the Negeb. Responsorial Psalm Ps 33:12-13, 18-19, 20 and 22 R. (12) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.From heaven the LORD looks down;he sees all mankind.R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,upon those who hope for his kindness,To deliver them from deathand preserve them in spite of famine.R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.Our soul waits for the LORD,who is our help and our shield.May your kindness, O LORD, be upon uswho have put our hope in you.R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own. Alleluia Heb 4:12 R. Alleluia, alleluia.The word of God is living and effective,able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 7:1-5 Jesus said to his disciples:"Stop judging, that you may not be judged.For as you judge, so will you be judged,and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye,but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?How can you say to your brother,'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,'while the wooden beam is in your eye?You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first;then you will see clearlyto remove the splinter from your brother's eye." - - -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 Jer 20:10-13 Jeremiah said:"I hear the whisperings of many:'Terror on every side!Denounce! let us denounce him!'All those who were my friendsare on the watch for any misstep of mine.'Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail,and take our vengeance on him.'But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion:my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph.In their failure they will be put to utter shame,to lasting, unforgettable confusion.O LORD of hosts, you who test the just,who probe mind and heart,let me witness the vengeance you take on them,for to you I have entrusted my cause.Sing to the LORD,praise the LORD,for he has rescued the life of the poorfrom the power of the wicked!" Responsorial Psalm Ps 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35 R. (14c) Lord, in your great love, answer me. For your sake I bear insult, and shame covers my face. I have become an outcast to my brothers, a stranger to my mother's children, Because zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me. R. Lord, in your great love, answer me. I pray to you, O LORD, for the time of your favor, O God! In your great kindness answer me with your constant help. Answer me, O LORD, for bounteous is your kindness; in your great mercy turn toward me. R. Lord, in your great love, answer me. "See, you lowly ones, and be glad; you who seek God, may your hearts revive! For the LORD hears the poor, and his own who are in bonds he spurns not. Let the heavens and the earth praise him, the seas and whatever moves in them!'' R. Lord, in your great love, answer me. Reading 2 Rom 5:12-15 Brothers and sisters:Through one man sin entered the world,and through sin, death,and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned—for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world,though sin is not accounted when there is no law.But death reigned from Adam to Moses,even over those who did not sinafter the pattern of the trespass of Adam,who is the type of the one who was to come.But the gift is not like the transgression.For if by the transgression of the one the many died,how much more did the grace of Godand the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christoverflow for the many. Alleluia Jn 15:26b, 27a R. Alleluia, alleluia.The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord;and you also will testify.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 10:26-33 Jesus said to the Twelve:"Fear no one.Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,nor secret that will not be known.What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;rather, be afraid of the one who can destroyboth soul and body in Gehenna.Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge.Even all the hairs of your head are counted.So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.Everyone who acknowledges me before othersI will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.But whoever denies me before others,I will deny before my heavenly Father." - - -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.

Readings for the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the BaptistReadings for the VigilReading I Is 49:1-6 Hear me, O coastlands,             listen, O distant peoples. The LORD called me from birth,             from my mother’s womb he gave me my name. He made of me a sharp-edged sword             and concealed me in the shadow of his arm. He made me a polished arrow,             in his quiver he hid me. You are my servant, he said to me,             Israel, through whom I show my glory. Though I thought I had toiled in vain,             and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, yet my reward is with the LORD,             my recompense is with my God. For now the LORD has spoken             who formed me as his servant from the womb, that Jacob may be brought back to him             and Israel gathered to him; and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,             and my God is now my strength! It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,             to raise up the tribes of Jacob,             and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations,             that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.   Responsorial Psalm 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15 R.        (14)  I praise you, for I am wonderfully made. O LORD, you have probed me, you know me:             you know when I sit and when I stand;             you understand my thoughts from afar. My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,             with all my ways you are familiar. R.        I praise you for I am wonderfully made. Truly you have formed my inmost being;             you knit me in my mother’s womb. I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;             wonderful are your works. R.        I praise you, for I am wonderfully made. My soul also you knew full well;             nor was my frame unknown to you When I was made in secret,             when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth. R.        I praise you, for I am wonderfully made. Reading II Acts 13:22-26 In those days, Paul said: “God raised up David as king; of him God testified,I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will carry out my every wish. From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus. John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel; and as John was completing his course, he would say, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’ “My brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those others among you who are God-fearing, to us this word of salvation has been sent.” Alleluia See Lk 1:76 R. Alleluia, alleluia. You, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 1:57-66, 80 When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel. - - -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 2 Cor 11:18, 21-30 Brothers and sisters:Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast.To my shame I say that we were too weak!But what anyone dares to boast of (I am speaking in foolishness)I also dare.Are they Hebrews? So am I.Are they children of Israel? So am I.Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.Are they ministers of Christ? (I am talking like an insane person).I am still more, with far greater labors,far more imprisonments, far worse beatings,and numerous brushes with death.Five times at the hands of the JewsI received forty lashes minus one.Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned,three times I was shipwrecked,I passed a night and a day on the deep;on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers,dangers from robbers, dangers from my own race,dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city,dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea,dangers among false brothers;in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights,through hunger and thirst, through frequent fastings,through cold and exposure.And apart from these things, there is the daily pressure upon meof my anxiety for all the churches.Who is weak, and I am not weak?Who is led to sin, and I am not indignant?If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. Responsorial Psalm PS 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 R. (see 18b) From all their distress God rescues the just.I will bless the LORD at all times;his praise shall be ever in my mouth.Let my soul glory in the LORD;the lowly will hear me and be glad.R. From all their distress God rescues the just.Glorify the LORD with me,let us together extol his name.I sought the LORD, and he answered meand delivered me from all my fears. R. From all their distress God rescues the just.Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,and your faces may not blush with shame.When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,and from all his distress he saved him.R. From all their distress God rescues the just. Alleluia Mt 5:3 R. Alleluia, alleluia.Blessed are the poor in spirit;for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 6:19-23 Jesus said to his disciples:“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.But store up treasures in heaven,where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.“The lamp of the body is the eye.If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light;but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness.And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.” - - -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.