Reading 1 Heb 11:1-7 Brothers and sisters:Faith is the realization of what is hoped forand evidence of things not seen.Because of it the ancients were well attested.By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God,so that what is visible came into being through the invisible.By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice greater than Cain's.Through this, he was attested to be righteous,God bearing witness to his gifts,and through this, though dead, he still speaks.By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death,and he was found no more because God had taken him.Before he was taken up, he was attested to have pleased God.But without faith it is impossible to please him,for anyone who approaches God must believe that he existsand that he rewards those who seek him.By faith Noah, warned about what was not yet seen,with reverence built an ark for the salvation of his household. Through this, he condemned the worldand inherited the righteousness that comes through faith. Responsorial Psalm Ps 145:2-3, 4-5, 10-11 R. (see 1) I will praise your name for ever, Lord.Every day will I bless you,and I will praise your name forever and ever.Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;his greatness is unsearchable. R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.Generation after generation praises your worksand proclaims your might.They speak of the splendor of your glorious majestyand tell of your wondrous works. R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,and let your faithful ones bless you.Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdomand speak of your might. R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord. Alleluia Mk 9:6 R. Alleluia, alleluia.The heavens were opened and the voice of the Father thundered:This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 9:2-13 Jesus took Peter, James, and Johnand led them up a high mountain apart by themselves.And he was transfigured before them,and his clothes became dazzling white,such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses,and they were conversing with Jesus.Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,"Rabbi, it is good that we are here!Let us make three tents:one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them;then from the cloud came a voice,"This is my beloved Son. Listen to him."Suddenly, looking around, the disciples no longer saw anyonebut Jesus alone with them.As they were coming down from the mountain,he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone,except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead.So they kept the matter to themselves,questioning what rising from the dead meant.Then they asked him,"Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"He told them, "Elijah will indeed come first and restore all things,yet how is it written regarding the Son of Manthat he must suffer greatly and be treated with contempt?But I tell you that Elijah has comeand they did to him whatever they pleased,as it is written of him." - - -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 11:1-9 The whole world spoke the same language, using the same words.While the people were migrating in the east,they came upon a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there.They said to one another,"Come, let us mold bricks and harden them with fire."They used bricks for stone, and bitumen for mortar.Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a cityand a tower with its top in the sky,and so make a name for ourselves;otherwise we shall be scattered all over the earth."The LORD came down to see the city and the towerthat they had built.Then the LORD said: "If now, while they are one people,all speaking the same language,they have started to do this,nothing will later stop them from doing whatever they presume to do.Let us then go down and there confuse their language,so that one will not understand what another says."Thus the LORD scattered them from there all over the earth,and they stopped building the city.That is why it was called Babel,because there the LORD confused the speech of all the world.It was from that place that he scattered them all over the earth. Responsorial Psalm Ps 33:10-11, 12-13, 14-15 R. (12) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.The LORD brings to nought the plans of nations;he foils the designs of peoples.But the plan of the LORD stands forever;the design of his heart, through all generations. R. 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.From his fixed throne he beholdsall who dwell on the earth,He who fashioned the heart of each,he who knows all their works. R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own. Alleluia Jn 15:15b R. Alleluia, alleluia.I call you my friends, says the Lord,for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 8:34—9:1 Jesus summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,take up his cross, and follow me.For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,but whoever loses his life for my sakeand that of the Gospel will save it.What profit is there for one to gain the whole worldand forfeit his life?What could one give in exchange for his life?Whoever is ashamed of me and of my wordsin this faithless and sinful generation,the Son of Man will be ashamed ofwhen he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."He also said to them,"Amen, I say to you,there are some standing here who will not taste deathuntil they see that the Kingdom of God has come in power." Readings for the Optional Memorial of the Seven Founders of the Order of Servites, religious - - -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 9:1-13 God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them:“Be fertile and multiply and fill the earth.Dread fear of you shall come upon all the animals of the earthand all the birds of the air,upon all the creatures that move about on the groundand all the fishes of the sea;into your power they are delivered. Every creature that is alive shall be yours to eat;I give them all to you as I did the green plants. Only flesh with its lifeblood still in it you shall not eat.For your own lifeblood, too, I will demand an accounting:from every animal I will demand it,and from one man in regard to his fellow man   I will demand an accounting for human life.If anyone sheds the blood of man,by man shall his blood be shed;For in the image of Godhas man been made.Be fertile, then, and multiply;abound on earth and subdue it.”God said to Noah and to his sons with him:“See, I am now establishing my covenant with youand your descendants after youand with every living creature that was with you:all the birds, and the various tame and wild animalsthat were with you and came out of the ark.I will establish my covenant with you,that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyedby the waters of a flood;there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth.”God added:“This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come, of the covenant between me and youand every living creature with you:I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a signof the covenant between me and the earth.” Responsorial Psalm Ps 102:16-18, 19-21, 29 and 22-23 R. (20b)  From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth. The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,and all the kings of the earth your glory,When the LORD has rebuilt Zionand appeared in his glory;When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,and not despised their prayer. R. From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.Let this be written for the generation to come,and let his future creatures praise the LORD:“The LORD looked down from his holy height,from heaven he beheld the earth,To hear the groaning of the prisoners,to release those doomed to die.” R. From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.The children of your servants shall abide,and their posterity shall continue in your presence,That the name of the LORD may be declared in Zion,and his praise, in Jerusalem,When the peoples gather together,and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.R. From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth. Alleluia See Jn 6:63c, 68c See Jn 6:63c, 68c R. Alleluia, alleluia.Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;you have the words of everlasting life.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 8:27-33 Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Along the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said to him in reply, “You are the Christ.”   Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him. He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. He spoke this openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”      - - -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 8:6-13, 20-22 At the end of forty days Noah opened the hatch he had made in the ark,and he sent out a raven,to see if the waters had lessened on the earth.It flew back and forth until the waters dried off from the earth.Then he sent out a dove,to see if the waters had lessened on the earth.But the dove could find no place to alight and perch,and it returned to him in the ark,for there was water all over the earth.Putting out his hand, he caught the doveand drew it back to him inside the ark.He waited seven days more and again sent the dove out from the ark.In the evening the dove came back to him,and there in its bill was a plucked-off olive leaf!So Noah knew that the waters had lessened on the earth.He waited still another seven daysand then released the dove once more;and this time it did not come back.In the six hundred and first year of Noah’s life,in the first month, on the first day of the month,the water began to dry up on the earth.Noah then removed the covering of the arkand saw that the surface of the ground was drying up.Noah built an altar to the LORD,and choosing from every clean animal and every clean bird,he offered burnt offerings on the altar.When the LORD smelled the sweet odor, he said to himself:“Never again will I doom the earth because of mansince the desires of man’s heart are evil from the start;nor will I ever again strike down all living beings, as I have done.As long as the earth lasts,seedtime and harvest,cold and heat,Summer and winter,and day and nightshall not cease.” Responsorial Psalm Ps 116:12-13, 14-15, 18-19 R.  (17a)  To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise. or: R. Alleluia.  How shall I make a return to the LORD for all the good he has done for me? The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the LORD. R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise. or: R. Alleluia. My vows to the LORD I will pay in the presence of all his people. Precious in the eyes of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones. R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise. or: R. Alleluia. My vows to the LORD I will pay in the presence of all his people, In the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem. R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise. or: R. Alleluia. Alleluia  See Eph 1:17-18 R. Alleluia, alleluia.May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christenlighten the eyes of our hearts,that we may know what is the hopethat belongs to his call.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 8:22-26 When Jesus and his disciples arrived at Bethsaida,people brought to him a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on the man and asked,“Do you see anything?”Looking up the man replied, “I see people looking like trees and walking.”Then he laid hands on the man’s eyes a second time and he saw clearly;his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly.Then he sent him home and said, “Do not even go into the village.” - - -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.