Readings for the Memorial of Saint Clare, virginReading 1 Dt 4:32-40 Moses said to the people:"Ask now of the days of old, before your time,ever since God created man upon the earth;ask from one end of the sky to the other:Did anything so great ever happen before?Was it ever heard of? Did a people ever hear the voice of Godspeaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live?Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for himselffrom the midst of another nation,by testings, by signs and wonders, by war,with his strong hand and outstretched arm, and by great terrors,all of which the LORD, your God,did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?All this you were allowed to see that you might know the LORD is God and there is no other.Out of the heavens he let you hear his voice to discipline you;on earth he let you see his great fire,and you heard him speaking out of the fire.For love of your fathers he chose their descendantsand personally led you out of Egypt by his great power,driving out of your way nations greater and mightier than you,so as to bring you inand to make their land your heritage, as it is today.This is why you must now know, and fix in your heart,that the LORD is God in the heavens above and on earth below,and that there is no other.You must keep his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you today,that you and your children after you may prosper,and that you may have long life on the landwhich the LORD, your God, is giving you forever." Responsorial Psalm Ps 77:12-13, 14-15, 16 and 21 R. (12a) I remember the deeds of the Lord.I remember the deeds of the LORD;yes, I remember your wonders of old. And I meditate on your works;your exploits I ponder.R. I remember the deeds of the Lord.O God, your way is holy;what great god is there like our God?You are the God who works wonders;among the peoples you have made known your power.R. I remember the deeds of the Lord.With your strong arm you redeemed your people,the sons of Jacob and Joseph.You led your people like a flockunder the care of Moses and Aaron.R. I remember the deeds of the Lord. Alleluia Mt 5:10 R. Alleluia, alleluia.Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness;for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 16:24-28 Jesus said to his disciples,"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,take up his cross, and follow me.For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.What profit would there be for one to gain the whole worldand forfeit his life?Or what can one give in exchange for his life?For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory,and then he will repay each according to his conduct.Amen, I say to you, there are some standing herewho will not taste deathuntil they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom." - - -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 2 Cor 9:6-10 Brothers and sisters:Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion,for God loves a cheerful giver.Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you,so that in all things, always having all you need,you may have an abundance for every good work.As it is written:He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;his righteousness endures forever.The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for foodwill supply and multiply your seedand increase the harvest of your righteousness. Responsorial Psalm Ps 112:1-2, 5-6, 7-8, 9 R. (5) Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.Blessed the man who fears the LORD,who greatly delights in his commands.His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;the upright generation shall be blessed.R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.Well for the man who is gracious and lends,who conducts his affairs with justice;He shall never be moved;the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.An evil report he shall not fear;his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.His heart is steadfast; he shall not feartill he looks down upon his foes.R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.Lavishly he gives to the poor, his generosity shall endure forever;his horn shall be exalted in glory.R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need. Alleluia Jn 8:12bc R. Alleluia, alleluia.Whoever follows me will not walk in darknessbut will have the light of life, says the Lord.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 12:24-26 Jesus said to his disciples:"Amen, amen, I say to you,unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,it remains just a grain of wheat;but if it dies, it produces much fruit.Whoever loves his life loses it,and whoever hates his life in this worldwill preserve it for eternal life.Whoever serves me must follow me,and where I am, there also will my servant be.The Father will honor whoever serves me." - - -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 Nm 13:1-2, 25–14:1, 26a-29a, 34-35 The LORD said to Moses [in the desert of Paran,]"Send men to reconnoiter the land of Canaan,which I am giving the children of Israel.You shall send one man from each ancestral tribe,all of them princes."After reconnoitering the land for forty days they returned,met Moses and Aaron and the whole congregation of the children of Israelin the desert of Paran at Kadesh,made a report to them all,and showed the fruit of the countryto the whole congregation.They told Moses: "We went into the land to which you sent us.It does indeed flow with milk and honey, and here is its fruit.However, the people who are living in the land are fierce,and the towns are fortified and very strong.Besides, we saw descendants of the Anakim there.Amalekites live in the region of the Negeb;Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites dwell in the highlands,and Canaanites along the seacoast and the banks of the Jordan."Caleb, however, to quiet the people toward Moses, said,"We ought to go up and seize the land, for we can certainly do so."But the men who had gone up with him said,"We cannot attack these people; they are too strong for us."So they spread discouraging reports among the children of Israelabout the land they had scouted, saying,"The land that we explored is a country that consumes its inhabitants.And all the people we saw there are huge, veritable giants(the Anakim were a race of giants);we felt like mere grasshoppers, and so we must have seemed to them."At this, the whole community broke out with loud cries,and even in the night the people wailed.The LORD said to Moses and Aaron:"How long will this wicked assembly grumble against me?I have heard the grumblings of the children of Israel against me.Tell them: By my life, says the LORD,I will do to you just what I have heard you say.Here in the desert shall your dead bodies fall.Forty days you spent in scouting the land;forty years shall you suffer for your crimes:one year for each day.Thus you will realize what it means to oppose me.I, the LORD, have sworn to do thisto all this wicked assembly that conspired against me: here in the desert they shall die to the last man." Responsorial Psalm Ps 106:6-7ab, 13-14, 21-22, 23 R. (4a) Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.We have sinned, we and our fathers;we have committed crimes; we have done wrong.Our fathers in Egyptconsidered not your wonders.R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.But soon they forgot his works;they waited not for his counsel.They gave way to craving in the desertand tempted God in the wilderness.R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.They forgot the God who had saved them,who had done great deeds in Egypt,Wondrous deeds in the land of Ham,terrible things at the Red Sea.R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.Then he spoke of exterminating them,but Moses, his chosen one, Withstood him in the breachto turn back his destructive wrath.R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people. Alleluia Lk 7:16 R. Alleluia, alleluia.A great prophet has arisen in our midstand God has visited his people.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 15: 21-28 At that time Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out,"Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!My daughter is tormented by a demon."But he did not say a word in answer to her.His disciples came and asked him,"Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us."He said in reply,"I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."But the woman came and did him homage, saying, "Lord, help me."He said in reply,"It is not right to take the food of the childrenand throw it to the dogs."She said, "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scrapsthat fall from the table of their masters."Then Jesus said to her in reply,"O woman, great is your faith!Let it be done for you as you wish."And her daughter was healed from that hour. Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, virgin and martyr - - -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 Dominic, priestReading 1 Nm 12:1-13 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses on the pretextof the marriage he had contracted with a Cushite woman.They complained, "Is it through Moses alone that the LORD speaks?Does he not speak through us also?"And the LORD heard this.Now, Moses himself was by far the meekest man on the face of the earth.So at once the LORD said to Moses and Aaron and Miriam,"Come out, you three, to the meeting tent."And the three of them went.Then the LORD came down in the column of cloud,and standing at the entrance of the tent,called Aaron and Miriam.When both came forward, he said,"Now listen to the words of the LORD:Should there be a prophet among you,in visions will I reveal myself to him,in dreams will I speak to him;not so with my servant Moses!Throughout my house he bears my trust:face to face I speak to him;plainly and not in riddles.The presence of the LORD he beholds.Why, then, did you not fear to speak against my servant Moses?"So angry was the LORD against them that when he departed,and the cloud withdrew from the tent,there was Miriam, a snow-white leper!When Aaron turned and saw her a leper, he said to Moses,"Ah, my lord! Please do not charge us with the sinthat we have foolishly committed!Let her not thus be like the stillborn babethat comes forth from its mother's wombwith its flesh half consumed."Then Moses cried to the LORD, "Please, not this! Pray, heal her!" Responsorial Psalm Ps 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 6cd-7, 12-13 R. (see 3a) Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.Thoroughly wash me from my guiltand of my sin cleanse me.R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.For I acknowledge my offense;and my sin is before me always:"Against you only have I sinned;and done what is evil in your sight."R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.That you may be justified in your sentence,vindicated when you condemn.Indeed, in guilt was I born,and in sin my mother conceived me.R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.A clean heart create for me, O God,and a steadfast spirit renew within me.Cast me not off from your presence,and your Holy Spirit take not from me.R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. Alleluia Jn 1:49b R. Alleluia, alleluia.Rabbi, you are the Son of God;you are the King of Israel.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 14:22-36 Jesus made the disciples get into a boatand precede him to the other side of the sea,while he dismissed the crowds.After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.When it was evening he was there alone.Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.During the fourth watch of the night,he came toward them, walking on the sea.When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified."It is a ghost," they said, and they cried out in fear.At once Jesus spoke to them, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."Peter said to him in reply,"Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."He said, "Come."Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;and, beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!"Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him,and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"After they got into the boat, the wind died down.Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,"Truly, you are the Son of God."After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret.When the men of that place recognized him,they sent word to all the surrounding country.People brought to him all those who were sickand begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak,and as many as touched it were healed. Or Mt 15:1-2, 10-14 The following text may be substituted, especially in Year A when the above Gospel is read on Monday.Some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said,"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders?They do not wash their hands when they eat a meal."He summoned the crowd and said to them, "Hear and understand.It is not what enters one's mouth that defiles the man;but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one."Then his disciples approached and said to him,"Do you know that the Pharisees took offensewhen they heard what you said?"He said in reply, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not plantedwill be uprooted.Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind.If a blind man leads a blind man,both will fall into a pit." - - -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.