Reading 1 Gn 44:18-21, 23b-29; 45:1-5 Judah approached Joseph and said: "I beg you, my lord,let your servant speak earnestly to my lord,and do not become angry with your servant,for you are the equal of Pharaoh.My lord asked your servants, 'Have you a father, or another brother?'So we said to my lord, 'We have an aged father,and a young brother, the child of his old age.This one's full brother is dead,and since he is the only one by that mother who is left,his father dotes on him.'Then you told your servants,'Bring him down to me that my eyes may look on him.Unless your youngest brother comes back with you,you shall not come into my presence again.'When we returned to your servant our father,we reported to him the words of my lord."Later, our father told us to come back and buy some food for the family.So we reminded him, 'We cannot go down there;only if our youngest brother is with us can we go,for we may not see the man if our youngest brother is not with us.'Then your servant our father said to us,'As you know, my wife bore me two sons.One of them, however, disappeared, and I had to concludethat he must have been torn to pieces by wild beasts;I have not seen him since.If you now take this one away from me, too,and some disaster befalls him,you will send my white head down to the nether world in grief.'"Joseph could no longer control himselfin the presence of all his attendants,so he cried out, "Have everyone withdraw from me!"Thus no one else was about when he made himself known to his brothers.But his sobs were so loud that the Egyptians heard him,and so the news reached Pharaoh's palace."I am Joseph," he said to his brothers."Is my father still in good health?"But his brothers could give him no answer,so dumbfounded were they at him."Come closer to me," he told his brothers. When they had done so, he said:"I am your brother Joseph, whom you once sold into Egypt.But now do not be distressed,and do not reproach yourselves for having sold me here.It was really for the sake of saving livesthat God sent me here ahead of you." Responsorial Psalm Ps 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21 R. (5a) Remember the marvels the Lord has done.or:R. Alleluia.When the LORD called down a famine on the landand ruined the crop that sustained them,He sent a man before them,Joseph, sold as a slave.R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.or:R. Alleluia.They had weighed him down with fetters,and he was bound with chains,Till his prediction came to passand the word of the LORD proved him true.R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.or:R. Alleluia.The king sent and released him,the ruler of the peoples set him free.He made him lord of his houseand ruler of all his possessions.R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.or:R. Alleluia. Alleluia Mk 1:15 R. Alleluia, alleluia.The Kingdom of God is at hand:repent and believe in the Gospel.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 10:7-15 Jesus said to his Apostles:"As you go, make this proclamation:'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'Cure the sick, raise the dead,cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts;no sack for the journey, or a second tunic,or sandals, or walking stick.The laborer deserves his keep.Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it,and stay there until you leave.As you enter a house, wish it peace.If the house is worthy,let your peace come upon it;if not, let your peace return to you.Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words—go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet.Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerablefor the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgmentthan for that town." Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Henry - - -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 41:55-57; 42:5-7a, 17-24a When hunger came to be felt throughout the land of Egyptand the people cried to Pharaoh for bread,Pharaoh directed all the Egyptians to go to Josephand do whatever he told them.When the famine had spread throughout the land,Joseph opened all the cities that had grainand rationed it to the Egyptians,since the famine had gripped the land of Egypt.In fact, all the world came to Joseph to obtain rations of grain,for famine had gripped the whole world.The sons of Israel were among thosewho came to procure rations.It was Joseph, as governor of the country,who dispensed the rations to all the people.When Joseph's brothers came and knelt down before himwith their faces to the ground,he recognized them as soon as he saw them.But Joseph concealed his own identity from themand spoke sternly to them.With that, he locked them up in the guardhouse for three days.On the third day Joseph said to his brothers:"Do this, and you shall live; for I am a God-fearing man.If you have been honest,only one of your brothers need be confined in this prison,while the rest of you may goand take home provisions for your starving families.But you must come back to me with your youngest brother.Your words will thus be verified, and you will not die."To this they agreed.To one another, however, they said:"Alas, we are being punished because of our brother.We saw the anguish of his heart when he pleaded with us,yet we paid no heed;that is why this anguish has now come upon us."Reuben broke in,"Did I not tell you not to do wrong to the boy?But you would not listen! Now comes the reckoning for his blood."The brothers did not know, of course,that Joseph understood what they said,since he spoke with them through an interpreter.But turning away from them, he wept. Responsorial Psalm Ps 33:2-3, 10-11, 18-19 R. (22) Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.Sing to him a new song;pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.The LORD brings to nought the plans of nations;he foils the designs of peoples.But the plan of the LORD stands forever;the design of his heart, through all generations.R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.But see, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,upon those who hope for his kindness,To deliver them from deathand preserve them in spite of famine.R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you. Alleluia Mk 1:15 R. Alleluia, alleluia.The Kingdom of God is at hand:repent and believe in the Gospel.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 10:1-7 Jesus summoned his Twelve disciplesand gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them outand to cure every disease and every illness.The names of the Twelve Apostles are these:first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;Philip and Bartholomew,Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariotwho betrayed Jesus.Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,"Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" - - -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 Benedict, abbotReading 1 Gn 32:23-33 In the course of the night, Jacob arose, took his two wives,with the two maidservants and his eleven children,and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.After he had taken them across the streamand had brought over all his possessions,Jacob was left there alone.Then some man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.When the man saw that he could not prevail over him,he struck Jacob's hip at its socket,so that the hip socket was wrenched as they wrestled.The man then said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak."But Jacob said, "I will not let you go until you bless me."The man asked, "What is your name?"He answered, "Jacob."Then the man said,"You shall no longer be spoken of as Jacob, but as Israel,because you have contended with divine and human beingsand have prevailed."Jacob then asked him, "Do tell me your name, please."He answered, "Why should you want to know my name?"With that, he bade him farewell.Jacob named the place Peniel,"Because I have seen God face to face," he said,"yet my life has been spared."At sunrise, as he left Penuel,Jacob limped along because of his hip.That is why, to this day, the children of Israel do not eatthe sciatic muscle that is on the hip socket,inasmuch as Jacob's hip socket was struck at the sciatic muscle. Responsorial Psalm Ps 17:1b, 2-3, 6-7ab, 8b and 15 R. (15a) In justice, I shall behold your face, O Lord.Hear, O LORD, a just suit;attend to my outcry;hearken to my prayer from lips without deceit.R. In justice, I shall behold your face, O Lord.From you let my judgment come;your eyes behold what is right.Though you test my heart, searching it in the night,though you try me with fire, you shall find no malice in me.R. In justice, I shall behold your face, O Lord.I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;incline your ear to me; hear my word.Show your wondrous mercies,O savior of those who flee from their foes.R. In justice, I shall behold your face, O Lord.Hide me in the shadow of your wings.I in justice shall behold your face;on waking, I shall be content in your presence. R. In justice, I shall behold your face, O Lord. Alleluia Jn 10:14 R. Alleluia, alleluia.I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;I know my sheep, and mine know me.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 9:32-38 A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus,and when the demon was driven out the mute man spoke.The crowds were amazed and said,"Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel."But the Pharisees said,"He drives out demons by the prince of demons."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." - - -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 28:10-22a Jacob departed from Beer-sheba and proceeded toward Haran.When he came upon a certain shrine, as the sun had already set,he stopped there for the night.Taking one of the stones at the shrine, he put it under his headand lay down to sleep at that spot.Then he had a dream: a stairway rested on the ground,with its top reaching to the heavens;and God's messengers were going up and down on it.And there was the LORD standing beside him and saying:"I, the LORD, am the God of your forefather Abrahamand the God of Isaac;the land on which you are lyingI will give to you and your descendants.These shall be as plentiful as the dust of the earth,and through them you shall spread out east and west, north and south.In you and your descendantsall the nations of the earth shall find blessing.Know that I am with you;I will protect you wherever you go,and bring you back to this land.I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you."When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he exclaimed,"Truly, the LORD is in this spot, although I did not know it!"In solemn wonder he cried out: "How awesome is this shrine!This is nothing else but an abode of God,and that is the gateway to heaven!"Early the next morning Jacob took the stonethat he had put under his head,set it up as a memorial stone, and poured oil on top of it.He called the site Bethel,whereas the former name of the town had been Luz.Jacob then made this vow: "If God remains with me,to protect me on this journey I am makingand to give me enough bread to eat and clothing to wear,and I come back safe to my father's house, the LORD shall be my God.This stone that I have set up as a memorial stone shall be God's abode." Responsorial Psalm Ps 91:1-2, 3-4, 14-15ab R.(see 2b) In you, my God, I place my trust.You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,Say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress,my God, in whom I trust."R. In you, my God, I place my trust.For he will rescue you from the snare of the fowler,from the destroying pestilence.With his pinions he will cover you,and under his wings you shall take refuge. R. In you, my God, I place my trust.Because he clings to me, I will deliver him;I will set him on high because he acknowledges my name.He shall call upon me, and I will answer him;I will be with him in distress. R. In you, my God, I place my trust. Alleluia See 2 Tm 1:10 R. Alleluia, alleluia.Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed deathand brought life to light through the Gospel.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 9:18-26 While Jesus was speaking, an official came forward,knelt down before him, and said,""My daughter has just died.But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.""Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples.A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind himand touched the tassel on his cloak.She said to herself, ""If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.""Jesus turned around and saw her, and said,""Courage, daughter!  Your faith has saved you.""And from that hour the woman was cured.When Jesus arrived at the official's houseand saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion,he said, ""Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping.""And they ridiculed him.When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand,and the little girl arose.And news of this spread throughout all that land. - - -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.