Reading 1 Jos 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem,summoning their elders, their leaders,their judges, and their officers. When they stood in ranks before God,Joshua addressed all the people:"If it does not please you to serve the LORD,decide today whom you will serve,the gods your fathers served beyond the Riveror the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are now dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."But the people answered,"Far be it from us to forsake the LORDfor the service of other gods. For it was the LORD, our God,who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt,out of a state of slavery. He performed those great miracles before our very eyesand protected us along our entire journeyand among the peoples through whom we passed. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God." Responsorial Psalm Ps 34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19, 20-21 R. (9a) Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.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. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.The LORD has eyes for the just,and ears for their cry.The LORD confronts the evildoers,to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,and from all their distress he rescues them.The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.Many are the troubles of the just one,but out of them all the LORD delivers him;he watches over all his bones;not one of them shall be broken.R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. Reading 2 Eph 5:21-32 or 5:2a, 25-32 Brothers and sisters:Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord.For the husband is head of his wifejust as Christ is head of the church,he himself the savior of the body. As the church is subordinate to Christ,so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything.Husbands, love your wives,even as Christ loved the churchand handed himself over for her to sanctify her,cleansing her by the bath of water with the word,that he might present to himself the church in splendor,without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,that she might be holy and without blemish. So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one hates his own fleshbut rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church,because we are members of his body.For this reason a man shall leave his father and his motherand be joined to his wife,and the two shall become one flesh.This is a great mystery,but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.orBrothers and sisters:Live in love, as Christ loved us. Husbands, love your wives,even as Christ loved the churchand handed himself over for her to sanctify her,cleansing her by the bath of water with the word,that he might present to himself the church in splendor,without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,that she might be holy and without blemish. So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one hates his own fleshbut rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church,because we are members of his body.For this reason a man shall leave his father and his motherand be joined to his wife,and the two shall become one flesh.This is a great mystery,but I speak in reference to Christ and the church. Alleluia 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 Jn 6:60-69 Many of Jesus' disciples who were listening said,"This saying is hard; who can accept it?"Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,he said to them, "Does this shock you?What if you were to see the Son of Man ascendingto where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life,while the flesh is of no avail.The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.But there are some of you who do not believe."Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believeand the one who would betray him. And he said,"For this reason I have told you that no one can come to meunless it is granted him by my Father."As a result of this,many of his disciples returned to their former way of lifeand no longer accompanied him.Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?" Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believeand are convinced that you are the Holy One of God." - - -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 Rv 21:9b-14 The angel spoke to me, saying,"Come here.I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."He took me in spirit to a great, high mountainand showed me the holy city Jerusalemcoming down out of heaven from God.It gleamed with the splendor of God.Its radiance was like that of a precious stone,like jasper, clear as crystal.It had a massive, high wall,with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationedand on which names were inscribed,the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.There were three gates facing east,three north, three south, and three west.The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation,on which were inscribed the twelve namesof the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. Responsorial Psalm Ps 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18 R. (12) Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.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. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.Making known to men your mightand the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,and your dominion endures through all generations.R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.The LORD is just in all his waysand holy in all his works.The LORD is near to all who call upon him,to all who call upon him in truth.R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. Alleluia Jn 1:49b R. Alleluia, alleluia.Rabbi, you are the Son of God;you are the King of Israel.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 1:45-51 Philip found Nathanael and told him,"We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law,and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth."But Nathanael said to him,"Can anything good come from Nazareth?"Philip said to him, "Come and see."Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,"Here is a true child of Israel.There is no duplicity in him."Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him,"Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree."Nathanael answered him,"Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."Jesus answered and said to him,"Do you believebecause I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?You will see greater things than this."And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you,you will see heaven opened and the angels of Godascending and descending on the Son of Man." - - -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 Ez 37:1-14 The hand of the LORD came upon me,and led me out in the Spirit of the LORDand set me in the center of the plain,which was now filled with bones.He made me walk among the bones in every directionso that I saw how many they were on the surface of the plain.How dry they were!He asked me:Son of man, can these bones come to life?I answered, “Lord GOD, you alone know that.”Then he said to me:Prophesy over these bones, and say to them:Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones:See! I will bring spirit into you, that you may come to life.I will put sinews upon you, make flesh grow over you,cover you with skin, and put spirit in youso that you may come to life and know that I am the LORD.I prophesied as I had been told,and even as I was prophesying I heard a noise;it was a rattling as the bones came together, bone joining bone.I saw the sinews and the flesh come upon them,and the skin cover them, but there was no spirit in them.Then the LORD said to me:Prophesy to the spirit, prophesy, son of man,and say to the spirit: Thus says the Lord GOD:From the four winds come, O spirit,and breathe into these slain that they may come to life.I prophesied as he told me, and the spirit came into them;they came alive and stood upright, a vast army.Then he said to me:Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.They have been saying,“Our bones are dried up,our hope is lost, and we are cut off.”Therefore, prophesy and say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD:O my people, I will open your gravesand have you rise from them,and bring you back to the land of Israel.Then you shall know that I am the LORD,when I open your graves and have you rise from them,O my people!I will put my spirit in you that you may live,and I will settle you upon your land;thus you shall know that I am the LORD.I have promised, and I will do it, says the LORD. Responsorial Psalm Ps 107:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 R. (1) Give thanks to the Lord; his love is everlasting.Let the redeemed of the LORD say,those whom he has redeemed from the hand of the foeAnd gathered from the lands,from the east and the west, from the north and the south.R. Give thanks to the Lord; his love is everlasting.They went astray in the desert wilderness; the way to an inhabited city they did not find.Hungry and thirsty,their life was wasting away within them.R. Give thanks to the Lord; his love is everlasting.They cried to the LORD in their distress;from their straits he rescued them.And he led them by a direct wayto reach an inhabited city.R. Give thanks to the Lord; his love is everlasting.Let them give thanks to the LORD for his mercyand his wondrous deeds to the children of men,Because he satisfied the longing souland filled the hungry soul with good things.R. Give thanks to the Lord; his love is everlasting. Alleluia Ps 25:4b, 5a R. Alleluia, alleluia.Teach me your paths, my God,guide me in your truth.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 22:34-40 When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,they gathered together, and one of them,a scholar of the law, tested him by asking,“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”He said to him,“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart,with all your soul, and with all your mind.This is the greatest and the first commandment.The second is like it:You shall love your neighbor as yourself.The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Rose of Lima, Virgin - - -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 Memorial of The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary Reading 1 Ez 36:23-28 Thus says the LORD: I will prove the holiness of my great name,  profaned among the nations,  in whose midst you have profaned it. Thus the nations shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD, when in their sight I prove my holiness through you. For I will take you away from among the nations, gather you from all the foreign lands, and bring you back to your own land. I will sprinkle clean water upon you to cleanse you from all your impurities, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts. I will put my spirit within you and make you live by my statutes, careful to observe my decrees. You shall live in the land I gave your ancestors; you shall be my people, and I will be your God. Responsorial Psalm PS 51:12-13, 14-15, 18-19 R.  (Ezekiel 36:25)  I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins. A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me. R. I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins. Give me back the joy of your salvation, and a willing spirit sustain in me. I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners shall return to you. R. I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins. For you are not pleased with sacrifices; should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. R. I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins. Alleluia Ps 95:8 R. Alleluia, alleluia.If today you hear his voice,harden not your hearts.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 22:1-14 Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and the elders of the people in parables saying, "The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. A second time he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast."' Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then the king said to his servants, 'The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.' The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. He said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?' But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.' Many are invited, but few are chosen." - - - 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.