Reading 1 Rom 6:12-18 Brothers and sisters:Sin must not reign over your mortal bodiesso that you obey their desires.And do not present the parts of your bodies to sinas weapons for wickedness,but present yourselves to God as raised from the dead to lifeand the parts of your bodies to Godas weapons for righteousness. For sin is not to have any power over you,since you are not under the law but under grace.What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the lawbut under grace? Of course not!Do you not know that if you present yourselvesto someone as obedient slaves,you are slaves of the one you obey,either of sin, which leads to death,or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?But thanks be to God that, although you were once slaves of sin,you have become obedient from the heartto the pattern of teaching to which you were entrusted.Freed from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness. Responsorial Psalm Ps 124:1b-3, 4-6, 7-8 R. (8a) Our help is in the name of the Lord.Had not the LORD been with us, let Israel say, had not the LORD been with us–When men rose up against us,then would they have swallowed us alive;When their fury was inflamed against us.R. Our help is in the name of the Lord.Then would the waters have overwhelmed us;The torrent would have swept over us;over us then would have swept the raging waters.Blessed be the LORD, who did not leave us a prey to their teeth.R. Our help is in the name of the Lord.We were rescued like a birdfrom the fowlers' snare;Broken was the snare,and we were freed.Our help is in the name of the LORD,who made heaven and earth.R. Our help is in the name of the Lord. Alleluia Mt 24:42a, 44 R. Alleluia, alleluia.Stay awake!For you do not know when the Son of Man will come.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 12:39-48 Jesus said to his disciples: "Be sure of this:if the master of the house had known the hourwhen the thief was coming,he would not have let his house be broken into.You also must be prepared,for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."Then Peter said,"Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?"And the Lord replied,"Who, then, is the faithful and prudent stewardwhom the master will put in charge of his servantsto distribute the food allowance at the proper time?Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.Truly, I say to you, he will put himin charge of all his property.But if that servant says to himself,'My master is delayed in coming,'and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,to eat and drink and get drunk,then that servant's master will comeon an unexpected day and at an unknown hourand will punish the servant severelyand assign him a place with the unfaithful.That servant who knew his master's willbut did not make preparations nor act in accord with his willshall be beaten severely;and the servant who was ignorant of his master's willbut acted in a way deserving of a severe beatingshall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more." - - -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 Rom 5:12, 15b, 17-19, 20b-21 Brothers and sisters:Through one man sin entered the world,and through sin, death,and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned.If by that one person's transgression the many died,how much more did the grace of Godand the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christoverflow for the many.For if, by the transgression of the one,death came to reign through that one,how much more will those who receive the abundance of graceand the gift of justificationcome to reign in life through the one Jesus Christ.In conclusion, just as through one transgressioncondemnation came upon all,so, through one righteous actacquittal and life came to all.For just as through the disobedience of one manthe many were made sinners,so, through the obedience of the onethe many will be made righteous.Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more,so that, as sin reigned in death,grace also might reign through justificationfor eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Responsorial Psalm Ps 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 17 R. (8a and 9a) Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,but ears open to obedience you gave me.Burnt offerings or sin offerings you sought not;then said I, "Behold I come."R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will."In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,To do your will, O my God, is my delight,and your law is within my heart!"R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.I announced your justice in the vast assembly;I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.May all who seek youexult and be glad in you,And may those who love your salvationsay ever, "The LORD be glorified."R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will. Alleluia Lk 21:36 R. Alleluia, alleluia.Be vigilant at all times and praythat you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 12:35-38 Jesus said to his disciples: "Gird your loins and light your lampsand be like servants who await their master's return from a wedding,ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.Blessed are those servantswhom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.And should he come in the second or third watchand find them prepared in this way,blessed are those servants." Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Anthony Mary Claret, 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 Rom 4:20-25 Brothers and sisters:Abraham did not doubt God's promise in unbelief;rather, he was empowered by faith and gave glory to Godand was fully convinced that what God had promisedhe was also able to do.That is why it was credited to him as righteousness.But it was not for him alone that it was writtenthat it was credited to him;it was also for us, to whom it will be credited,who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,who was handed over for our transgressionsand was raised for our justification. Responsorial Psalm Luke 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75 R. (see 68) Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.He has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior,born of the house of his servant David.R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.Through his holy prophets he promised of oldthat he would save us from our enemies,from the hands of all who hate us.He promised to show mercy to our fathersand to remember his holy covenant.R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:to set us free from the hands of our enemies,free to worship him without fear,holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people. Alleluia Mt 5:3 R. Alleluia, alleluia.Blessed are the poor in spirit;for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 12:13-21 Someone in the crowd said to Jesus,"Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me."He replied to him,"Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?"Then he said to the crowd,"Take care to guard against all greed,for though one may be rich,one's life does not consist of possessions."Then he told them a parable."There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest.He asked himself, 'What shall I do,for I do not have space to store my harvest?'And he said, 'This is what I shall do:I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones.There I shall store all my grain and other goodsand I shall say to myself, "Now as for you,you have so many good things stored up for many years,rest, eat, drink, be merry!"'But God said to him,'You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you;and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?'Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himselfbut is not rich in what matters to God." Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint John of Capistrano, priest - - - 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 Is 45:1, 4-6 Thus says the LORD to his anointed, Cyrus,whose right hand I grasp,subduing nations before him,and making kings run in his service,opening doors before himand leaving the gates unbarred:For the sake of Jacob, my servant,of Israel, my chosen one,I have called you by your name,giving you a title, though you knew me not.I am the LORD and there is no other,there is no God besides me.It is I who arm you, though you know me not,so that toward the rising and the setting of the sunpeople may know that there is none besides me.I am the LORD, there is no other. Responsorial Psalm Ps 96:1, 3, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10 R. (7b) Give the Lord glory and honor.Sing to the LORD a new song;sing to the LORD, all you lands.Tell his glory among the nations;among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.R. Give the Lord glory and honor.For great is the LORD and highly to be praised;awesome is he, beyond all gods.For all the gods of the nations are things of nought,but the LORD made the heavens.R. Give the Lord glory and honor.Give to the LORD, you families of nations,give to the LORD glory and praise;give to the LORD the glory due his name!Bring gifts, and enter his courts.R. Give the Lord glory and honor.Worship the LORD, in holy attire;tremble before him, all the earth;say among the nations: The LORD is king,he governs the peoples with equity.R. Give the Lord glory and honor. Reading 2 1 Thes 1:1-5b Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church of the Thessaloniansin God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:grace to you and peace.We give thanks to God always for all of you,remembering you in our prayers,unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of loveand endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ,before our God and Father,knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God,how you were chosen.For our gospel did not come to you in word alone,but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction. Alleluia Phil 2:15d, 16a R. Alleluia, alleluia.Shine like lights in the worldas you hold on to the word of life.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 22:15-21 The Pharisees went offand plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech. They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying,"Teacher, we know that you are a truthful manand that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion,for you do not regard a person's status.Tell us, then, what is your opinion:Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?" Knowing their malice, Jesus said,"Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin that pays the census tax." Then they handed him the Roman coin. He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?" They replied, "Caesar's."At that he said to them,"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesarand to God what belongs to God." Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint John Paul II, pope - - - 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.