Reading 1 Hos 14:2-10 Thus says the LORD:Return, O Israel, to the LORD, your God;you have collapsed through your guilt.Take with you words,and return to the LORD;Say to him, "Forgive all iniquity,and receive what is good, that we may renderas offerings the bullocks from our stalls.Assyria will not save us,nor shall we have horses to mount;We shall say no more, 'Our god,'to the work of our hands;for in you the orphan finds compassion."I will heal their defection, says the LORD,I will love them freely;for my wrath is turned away from them.I will be like the dew for Israel:he shall blossom like the lily;He shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar,and put forth his shoots.His splendor shall be like the olive treeand his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar.Again they shall dwell in his shadeand raise grain;They shall blossom like the vine,and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.Ephraim! What more has he to do with idols?I have humbled him, but I will prosper him."I am like a verdant cypress tree"– Because of me you bear fruit!Let him who is wise understand these things;let him who is prudent know them.Straight are the paths of the LORD,in them the just walk,but sinners stumble in them. Responsorial Psalm Ps 81:6c-8a, 8bc-9, 10-11ab, 14 and 17 R. (see 11 and 9a)  I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.An unfamiliar speech I hear:"I relieved his shoulder of the burden;his hands were freed from the basket.In distress you called, and I rescued you."R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice."Unseen, I answered you in thunder;I tested you at the waters of Meribah.Hear, my people, and I will admonish you;O Israel, will you not hear me?"R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice."There shall be no strange god among you nor shall you worship any alien god.I, the LORD, am your Godwho led you forth from the land of Egypt."R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice."If only my people would hear me,and Israel walk in my ways,I would feed them with the best of wheat,and with honey from the rock I would fill them."R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice. Verse Before the Gospel Mt 4:17 Repent, says the Lord;the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. Gospel Mk 12:28-34 One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,"Which is the first of all the commandments?"Jesus replied, "The first is this:Hear, O Israel!The Lord our God is Lord alone!You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.The second is this:You shall love your neighbor as yourself.There is no other commandment greater than these."The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher.You are right in saying,He is One and there is no other than he.And to love him with all your heart,with all your understanding, with all your strength,and to love your neighbor as yourselfis worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,he said to him,"You are not far from the Kingdom of God."And no one dared to ask him any more questions. Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Patrick, 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 7:23-28 Thus says the LORD: This is what I commanded my people:Listen to my voice;then I will be your God and you shall be my people.Walk in all the ways that I command you,so that you may prosper.But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed.They walked in the hardness of their evil heartsand turned their backs, not their faces, to me.From the day that your fathers left the land of Egypt even to this day,I have sent you untiringly all my servants the prophets.Yet they have not obeyed me nor paid heed;they have stiffened their necks and done worse than their fathers.When you speak all these words to them,they will not listen to you either;when you call to them, they will not answer you.Say to them:This is the nation that does not listento the voice of the LORD, its God,or take correction.Faithfulness has disappeared;the word itself is banished from their speech. Responsorial Psalm Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9 R. (8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;let us joyfully sing psalms to him.R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.Come, let us bow down in worship;let us kneel before the LORD who made us.For he is our God,and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.Oh, that today you would hear his voice:"Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,as in the day of Massah in the desert,Where your fathers tempted me;they tested me though they had seen my works."R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Verse Before the Gospel Jl 2:12-13 Even now, says the LORD,return to me with your whole heart,for I am gracious and merciful. Gospel Lk 11:14-23 Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute,and when the demon had gone out,the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed.Some of them said, "By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,he drives out demons."Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.But he knew their thoughts and said to them,"Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid wasteand house will fall against house.And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul,by whom do your own people drive them out?Therefore they will be your judges.But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.When a strong man fully armed guards his palace,his possessions are safe.But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him,he takes away the armor on which he reliedand distributes the spoils.Whoever is not with me is against me,and whoever does not gather with me scatters." - - -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 Dt 4:1, 5-9 Moses spoke to the people and said:"Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decreeswhich I am teaching you to observe,that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. Therefore, I teach you the statutes and decreesas the LORD, my God, has commanded me,that you may observe them in the land you are entering to occupy.Observe them carefully,for thus will you give evidenceof your wisdom and intelligence to the nations,who will hear of all these statutes and say,'This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.'For what great nation is therethat has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to uswhenever we call upon him?Or what great nation has statutes and decreesthat are as just as this whole lawwhich I am setting before you today?"However, take care and be earnestly on your guardnot to forget the things which your own eyes have seen,nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live,but teach them to your children and to your children's children." Responsorial Psalm Ps 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20 R. (12a)  Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;praise your God, O Zion.For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;he has blessed your children within you.R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.He sends forth his command to the earth;swiftly runs his word!He spreads snow like wool;frost he strews like ashes.R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.He has not done thus for any other nation;his ordinances he has not made known to them.R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem. Verse Before the Gospel See Jn 6:63c, 68c Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;you have the words of everlasting life. Gospel Mt 5:17-19 Jesus said to his disciples:"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letterwill pass from the law,until all things have taken place.Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandmentsand teaches others to do sowill be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.But whoever obeys and teaches these commandmentswill be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven." - - -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 Dn 3:25, 34-43 Azariah stood up in the fire and prayed aloud:"For your name's sake, O Lord, do not deliver us up forever,or make void your covenant.Do not take away your mercy from us,for the sake of Abraham, your beloved,Isaac your servant, and Israel your holy one,To whom you promised to multiply their offspringlike the stars of heaven,or the sand on the shore of the sea.For we are reduced, O Lord, beyond any other nation,brought low everywhere in the world this daybecause of our sins.We have in our day no prince, prophet, or leader,no burnt offering, sacrifice, oblation, or incense,no place to offer first fruits, to find favor with you.But with contrite heart and humble spiritlet us be received;As though it were burnt offerings of rams and bullocks,or thousands of fat lambs,So let our sacrifice be in your presence todayas we follow you unreservedly;for those who trust in you cannot be put to shame.And now we follow you with our whole heart,we fear you and we pray to you.Do not let us be put to shame,but deal with us in your kindness and great mercy.Deliver us by your wonders,and bring glory to your name, O Lord." Responsorial Psalm Ps 25:4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9 R. (6a) Remember your mercies, O Lord.Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;teach me your paths,Guide me in your truth and teach me,for you are God my savior.R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.Remember that your compassion, O LORD,and your kindness are from of old.In your kindness remember me,because of your goodness, O LORD.R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.Good and upright is the LORD;thus he shows sinners the way.He guides the humble to justice,he teaches the humble his way.R. Remember your mercies, O Lord. Verse Before the Gospel Jl 2:12-13 Even now, says the LORD,return to me with your whole heart;for I am gracious and merciful. Gospel Mt 18:21-35 Peter approached Jesus and asked him,"Lord, if my brother sins against me,how often must I forgive him?As many as seven times?"Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a kingwho decided to settle accounts with his servants.When he began the accounting,a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.Since he had no way of paying it back,his master ordered him to be sold,along with his wife, his children, and all his property,in payment of the debt.At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said,'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.'Moved with compassion the master of that servantlet him go and forgave him the loan.When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servantswho owed him a much smaller amount.He seized him and started to choke him, demanding,'Pay back what you owe.'Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him,'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'But he refused.Instead, he had him put in prisonuntil he paid back the debt.Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened,they were deeply disturbed, and went to their masterand reported the whole affair.His master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant!I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant,as I had pity on you?'Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturersuntil he should pay back the whole debt.So will my heavenly Father do to you,unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart." - - -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.