Reading 1 Jer 26:11-16, 24 The priests and prophets said to the princes and to all the people, “This man deserves death; he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.” Jeremiah gave this answer to the princes and all the people: “It was the LORD who sent me to prophesy against this house and city all that you have heard. Now, therefore, reform your ways and your deeds; listen to the voice of the LORD your God, so that the LORD will repent of the evil with which he threatens you. As for me, I am in your hands;  do with me what you think good and right. But mark well: if you put me to death, it is innocent blood you bring on yourselves, on this city and its citizens. For in truth it was the LORD who sent me to you, to speak all these things for you to hear.” Thereupon the princes and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man does not deserve death; it is in the name of the LORD, our God, that he speaks to us.”  So Ahikam, son of Shaphan, protected Jeremiah, so that he was not handed over to the people to be put to death. Responsorial Psalm PS 69:15-16, 30-31, 33-34 R.(14c)  Lord, in your great love, answer me. Rescue me out of the mire; may I not sink! may I be rescued from my foes, and from the watery depths. Let not the flood-waters overwhelm me, nor the abyss swallow me up, nor the pit close its mouth over me. R. Lord, in your great love, answer me. But I am afflicted and in pain; let your saving help, O God, protect me. I will praise the name of God in song, and I will glorify him with thanksgiving. 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.” R. Lord, in your great love, answer me. Alleluia Mt 5:10 R. Alleluia, alleluia.Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousnessfor theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 14:1-12 Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesusand said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist.He has been raised from the dead;that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”Now Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prisonon account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip,for John had said to him,“It is not lawful for you to have her.”Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people,for they regarded him as a prophet.But at a birthday celebration for Herod,the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guestsand delighted Herod so muchthat he swore to give her whatever she might ask for.Prompted by her mother, she said,“Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests who were present,he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison.His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl,who took it to her mother.His disciples came and took away the corpseand buried him; and they went and told Jesus. - - -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 26:1-9 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim,son of Josiah, king of Judah,this message came from the LORD: Thus says the LORD:Stand in the court of the house of the LORDand speak to the people of all the cities of Judahwho come to worship in the house of the LORD;whatever I command you, tell them, and omit nothing.Perhaps they will listen and turn back, each from his evil way,so that I may repent of the evil I have planned to inflict upon themfor their evil deeds.Say to them: Thus says the LORD: If you disobey me,not living according to the law I placed before youand not listening to the words of my servants the prophets,whom I send you constantly though you do not obey them,I will treat this house like Shiloh,and make this the city to which all the nations of the earthshall refer when cursing another.Now the priests, the prophets, and all the peopleheard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the LORD.When Jeremiah finished speakingall that the LORD bade him speak to all the people,the priests and prophets laid hold of him, crying,"You must be put to death! Why do you prophesy in the name of the LORD:'This house shall be like Shiloh,' and'This city shall be desolate and deserted'?"And all the people gathered about Jeremiah in the house of the LORD. Responsorial Psalm PS 69:5, 8-10, 14 R. (14c) Lord, in your great love, answer me.Those outnumber the hairs of my headwho hate me without cause.Too many for my strengthare they who wrongfully are my enemies.Must I restore what I did not steal?R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.Since 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 sons,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.But I pray to you, O LORD,for the time of your favor, O God!In your great kindness answer mewith your constant help.R. Lord, in your great love, answer me. Alleluia 1 Pt 1:25 R. Alleluia, alleluia.The word of the Lord remains forever;this is the word that has been proclaimed to you.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 13:54-58 Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue.They were astonished and said,“Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?Is he not the carpenter’s son?Is not his mother named Maryand his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?Are not his sisters all with us?Where did this man get all this?”And they took offense at him.But Jesus said to them,“A prophet is not without honor except in his native placeand in his own house.”And he did not work many mighty deeds therebecause of their lack of faith. Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Peter Julian Eymard, priestReadings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, bishop - - -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 18:1-6 This word came to Jeremiah from the LORD: Rise up, be off to the potter’s house; there I will give you my message. I went down to the potter’s house and there he was,  working at the wheel. Whenever the object of clay which he was making turned out badly in his hand,  he tried again, making of the clay another object of whatever sort he pleased. Then the word of the LORD came to me: Can I not do to you, house of Israel, as this potter has done? says the LORD. Indeed, like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, house of Israel. Responsorial Psalm Ps 146:1B-2, 3-4, 5-6AB R. (5a)  Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob. or: R. Alleluia. Praise the LORD, O my soul; I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God while I live. R.  Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob. or: R. Alleluia. Put not your trust in princes, in the sons of men, in whom there is no salvation. When his spirit departs he returns to his earth; on that day his plans perish. R. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob. or: R. Alleluia. Blessed he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD, his God. Who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them. R. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob. or: R. Alleluia. Alleluia Acts 16:14 R. Alleluia, alleluia. Open our heart, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt13:47-53 Jesus said to the disciples:“The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea,which collects fish of every kind.When it is full they haul it ashoreand sit down to put what is good into buckets.What is bad they throw away.Thus it will be at the end of the age.The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteousand throw them into the fiery furnace,where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”“Do you understand all these things?”They answered, “Yes.”And he replied,“Then every scribe who has been instructed in the Kingdom of heavenis like the head of a household who brings from his storeroomboth the new and the old.”When Jesus finished these parables, he went away from there. Readings for the Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, bishop and doctor of the Church - - -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 Ignatius of Loyola, priestReading 1 Jer 15:10, 16-21 Woe to me, mother, that you gave me birth! a man of strife and contention to all the land! I neither borrow nor lend, yet all curse me. When I found your words, I devoured them; they became my joy and the happiness of my heart, Because I bore your name, O LORD, God of hosts. I did not sit celebrating in the circle of merrymakers; Under the weight of your hand I sat alone because you filled me with indignation. Why is my pain continuous, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You have indeed become for me a treacherous brook, whose waters do not abide! Thus the LORD answered me: If you repent, so that I restore you, in my presence you shall stand; If you bring forth the precious without the vile, you shall be my mouthpiece. Then it shall be they who turn to you, and you shall not turn to them; And I will make you toward this people a solid wall of brass. Though they fight against you, they shall not prevail, For I am with you, to deliver and rescue you, says the LORD. I will free you from the hand of the wicked, and rescue you from the grasp of the violent. Responsorial Psalm Ps 59:2-3, 4, 10-11, 17, 18 R. (17d) God is my refuge on the day of distress. Rescue me from my enemies, O my God; from my adversaries defend me. Rescue me from evildoers; from bloodthirsty men save me. R. God is my refuge on the day of distress. For behold, they lie in wait for my life; mighty men come together against me, Not for any offense or sin of mine, O LORD. R. God is my refuge on the day of distress. O my strength! for you I watch; for you, O God, are my stronghold, As for my God, may his mercy go before me; may he show me the fall of my foes. R. God is my refuge on the day of distress. But I will sing of your strength and revel at dawn in your mercy; You have been my stronghold, my refuge in the day of distress. R. God is my refuge on the day of distress. O my strength! your praise will I sing; for you, O God, are my stronghold, my merciful God! R. God is my refuge on the day of distress. 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 Mt 13:44-46 Jesus said to his disciples: "The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it." - - -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.