Reading 1 Is 40:1-11 Comfort, give comfort to my people,says your God.Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to herthat her service is at an end,her guilt is expiated;Indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORDdouble for all her sins.A voice cries out:In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!Every valley shall be filled in,every mountain and hill shall be made low;The rugged land shall be made a plain,the rough country, a broad valley.Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,and all people shall see it together;for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.A voice says, "Cry out!"I answer, "What shall I cry out?""All flesh is grass,and all their glory like the flower of the field.The grass withers, the flower wilts,when the breath of the LORD blows upon it.So then, the people is the grass.Though the grass withers and the flower wilts,the word of our God stands forever."Go up onto a high mountain,Zion, herald of glad tidings;Cry out at the top of your voice,Jerusalem, herald of good news!Fear not to cry outand say to the cities of Judah:Here is your God!Here comes with powerthe Lord GOD,who rules by his strong arm;Here is his reward with him,his recompense before him.Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;in his arms he gathers the lambs,Carrying them in his bosom,and leading the ewes with care. Responsorial Psalm Ps 96:1-2, 3 and 10ac, 11-12, 13 R.(see Isaiah 40:10ab)  The Lord our God comes with power.Sing to the LORD a new song;sing to the LORD, all you lands.Sing to the LORD; bless his name;announce his salvation, day after day.R. The Lord our God comes with power.Tell his glory among the nations;among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.Say among the nations: The LORD is king;he governs the peoples with equity.R. The Lord our God comes with power.Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;let the sea and what fills it resound;let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!Then let all the trees of the forest rejoice.R. The Lord our God comes with power.They shall exult before the LORD, for he comes;for he comes to rule the earth.He shall rule the world with justiceand the peoples with his constancy.R. The Lord our God comes with power. Alleluia R. Alleluia, alleluia.The day of the Lord is near;Behold, he comes to save us.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 18:12-14 Jesus said to his disciples: "What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost." Readings for the Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Loreto - - - 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 3:9-15, 20 After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree, the LORD God called to the man and asked him, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself." Then he asked, "Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!" The man replied, "The woman whom you put here with me-- she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it." The LORD God then asked the woman, "Why did you do such a thing?" The woman answered, "The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it." Then the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from all the wild creatures; on your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel." The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living. Responsorial Psalm PS 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4 R. (1) Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.Sing to the LORD a new song,for he has done wondrous deeds;His right hand has won victory for him,his holy arm.R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.The LORD has made his salvation known:in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulnesstoward the house of Israel.R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.All the ends of the earth have seenthe salvation by our God.Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;break into song; sing praise.R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds. Reading 2 Eph 1:3-6, 11-12 Brothers and sisters:Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,who has blessed us in Christwith every spiritual blessing in the heavens,as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ,in accord with the favor of his will,for the praise of the glory of his gracethat he granted us in the beloved.In him we were also chosen,destined in accord with the purpose of the Onewho accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,so that we might exist for the praise of his glory,we who first hoped in Christ. Alleluia See Lk 1:28 R. Alleluia, alleluia.Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;blessed are you among women.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 1:26-38 The angel Gabriel was sent from Godto a town of Galilee called Nazareth,to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,of the house of David,and the virgin's name was Mary.And coming to her, he said,"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."But she was greatly troubled at what was saidand pondered what sort of greeting this might be.Then the angel said to her,"Do not be afraid, Mary,for you have found favor with God.Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,and you shall name him Jesus.He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,and of his Kingdom there will be no end."But Mary said to the angel,"How can this be,since I have no relations with a man?"And the angel said to her in reply,"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.Therefore the child to be bornwill be called holy, the Son of God.And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,has also conceived a son in her old age,and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;for nothing will be impossible for God."Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.May it be done to me according to your word."Then the angel departed from her. - - - 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 I Bar 5:1-9 Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery;     put on the splendor of glory from God forever: wrapped in the cloak of justice from God,     bear on your head the mitre     that displays the glory of the eternal name. For God will show all the earth your splendor:     you will be named by God forever     the peace of justice, the glory of God’s worship.      Up, Jerusalem! stand upon the heights;     look to the east and see your children gathered from the east and the west     at the word of the Holy One,     rejoicing that they are remembered by God. Led away on foot by their enemies they left you:     but God will bring them back to you     borne aloft in glory as on royal thrones. For God has commanded     that every lofty mountain be made low, and that the age-old depths and gorges     be filled to level ground,     that Israel may advance secure in the glory of God. The forests and every fragrant kind of tree     have overshadowed Israel at God’s command; for God is leading Israel in joy     by the light of his glory,     with his mercy and justice for company. Responsorial Psalm Ps 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6. R. (3)  The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy. When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,    we were like men dreaming. Then our mouth was filled with laughter,    and our tongue with rejoicing.  R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy. Then they said among the nations,   “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us;    we are glad indeed.  R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes, O LORD,    like the torrents in the southern desert. Those who sow in tears    shall reap rejoicing.  R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy. Although they go forth weeping,    carrying the seed to be sown, They shall come back rejoicing,    carrying their sheaves. R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy. Reading II Phil 1:4-6, 8-11 Brothers and sisters: I pray always with joy in my every prayer for all of you,  because of your partnership for the gospel  from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it  until the day of Christ Jesus. God is my witness,  how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more and more  in knowledge and every kind of perception,  to discern what is of value,  so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,  filled with the fruit of righteousness  that comes through Jesus Christ  for the glory and praise of God. Alleluia Lk 3:4, 6 R. Alleluia, alleluia. Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths: all flesh shall see the salvation of God. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 3:1-6 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,  when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea,  and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis,  and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,  during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,  the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert. John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan,  proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,  as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:     A voice of one crying out in the desert:     “Prepare the way of the Lord,         make straight his paths.     Every valley shall be filled         and every mountain and hill shall be made low.     The winding roads shall be made straight,         and the rough ways made smooth,     and all flesh shall see the salvation 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.

Readings for the Memorial of Saint Ambrose, bishop and doctor of the Church Reading 1 Is 30:19-21, 23-26 Thus says the Lord GOD,the Holy One of Israel:O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem,no more will you weep;He will be gracious to you when you cry out,as soon as he hears he will answer you.The Lord will give you the bread you needand the water for which you thirst.No longer will your Teacher hide himself,but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears:"This is the way; walk in it,"when you would turn to the right or to the left.He will give rain for the seedthat you sow in the ground,And the wheat that the soil produceswill be rich and abundant.On that day your flock will be given pastureand the lamb will graze in spacious meadows;The oxen and the asses that till the groundwill eat silage tossed to themwith shovel and pitchfork.Upon every high mountain and lofty hillthere will be streams of running water.On the day of the great slaughter,when the towers fall,The light of the moon will be like that of the sunand the light of the sun will be seven times greaterlike the light of seven days.On the day the LORD binds up the wounds of his people,he will heal the bruises left by his blows. Responsorial Psalm Ps 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 R. (see Isaiah 30:18d) Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.Praise the LORD, for he is good;sing praise to our God, for he is gracious;it is fitting to praise him.The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem;the dispersed of Israel he gathers. R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.He heals the brokenheartedand binds up their wounds.He tells the number of the stars;he calls each by name.R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.Great is our LORD and mighty in power:to his wisdom there is no limit.The LORD sustains the lowly;the wicked he casts to the ground.R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord. Alleluia Is 33:22 R. Alleluia, alleluia.The LORD is our Judge, our Lawgiver, our King;he it is who will save us.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 9:35–10:1, 5a, 6-8 Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,teaching in their synagogues,proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for thembecause they were troubled and abandoned,like sheep without a shepherd.Then he said to his disciples,"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;so ask the master of the harvestto send out laborers for his harvest." Then he summoned his Twelve disciplesand gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them outand to cure every disease and every illness. Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,"Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Cure the sick, raise the dead,cleanse lepers, drive out demons.Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give." - - - 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.