Reading 1 Zec 9:9-10 Thus says the LORD:Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion,shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem!See, your king shall come to you;a just savior is he,meek, and riding on an ass,on a colt, the foal of an ass.He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim,and the horse from Jerusalem;the warrior's bow shall be banished,and he shall proclaim peace to the nations.His dominion shall be from sea to sea,and from the River to the ends of the earth. Responsorial Psalm Ps 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14 R. (cf. 1) I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.or:R. Alleluia.I will extol you, O my God and King,and I will bless your name forever and ever.Every day will I bless you,and I will praise your name forever and ever.R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.or:R. Alleluia.The LORD is gracious and merciful,slow to anger and of great kindness.The LORD is good to alland compassionate toward all his works.R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.or:R. Alleluia.Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,and let your faithful ones bless you.Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdomand speak of your might.R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.or:R.  Alleluia.The LORD is faithful in all his wordsand holy in all his works.The LORD lifts up all who are fallingand raises up all who are bowed down.R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.or:R. Alleluia. Reading 2 Rom 8:9, 11-13 Brothers and sisters:You are not in the flesh;on the contrary, you are in the spirit,if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,the one who raised Christ from the deadwill give life to your mortal bodies also,through his Spirit that dwells in you.Consequently, brothers and sisters,we are not debtors to the flesh,to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die,but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,you will live. Alleluia Cf. Mt 11:25 R. Alleluia, alleluia.Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 11:25-30 At that time Jesus exclaimed: "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,for although you have hidden these thingsfrom the wise and the learnedyou have revealed them to little ones.Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father,and no one knows the Father except the Sonand anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.""Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,for I am meek and humble of heart;and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Augustine Zhao Rong, priest, and companions, martyrs - - -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 27:1-5, 15-29 When Isaac was so old that his eyesight had failed him,he called his older son Esau and said to him, "Son!""Yes father!" he replied.Isaac then said, "As you can see, I am so oldthat I may now die at any time.Take your gear, therefore–your quiver and bow–and go out into the country to hunt some game for me.With your catch prepare an appetizing dish for me, such as I like,and bring it to me to eat,so that I may give you my special blessing before I die."Rebekah had been listeningwhile Isaac was speaking to his son Esau.So, when Esau went out into the countryto hunt some game for his father,Rebekah [then] took the best clothes of her older son Esauthat she had in the house,and gave them to her younger son Jacob to wear;and with the skins of the kids she covered up his handsand the hairless parts of his neck.Then she handed her son Jacob the appetizing dishand the bread she had prepared.Bringing them to his father, Jacob said, "Father!""Yes?" replied Isaac.  "Which of my sons are you?"Jacob answered his father:  "I am Esau, your first-born.I did as you told me.Please sit up and eat some of my game,so that you may give me your special blessing."But Isaac asked, "How did you succeed so quickly, son?"He answered,"The LORD, your God, let things turn out well with me."Isaac then said to Jacob,"Come closer, son, that I may feel you,to learn whether you really are my son Esau or not."So Jacob moved up closer to his father.When Isaac felt him, he said,"Although the voice is Jacob's, the hands are Esau's."(He failed to identify him because his hands were hairy,like those of his brother Esau;so in the end he gave him his blessing.)Again he asked Jacob, "Are you really my son Esau?" "Certainly," Jacob replied.Then Isaac said, "Serve me your game, son, that I may eat of itand then give you my blessing."Jacob served it to him, and Isaac ate;he brought him wine, and he drank.Finally his father Isaac said to Jacob,"Come closer, son, and kiss me."As Jacob went up and kissed him,Isaac smelled the fragrance of his clothes.With that, he blessed him saying,"Ah, the fragrance of my sonis like the fragrance of a fieldthat the LORD has blessed!"May God give to youof the dew of the heavensAnd of the fertility of the earthabundance of grain and wine."Let peoples serve you,and nations pay you homage;Be master of your brothers,and may your mother's sons bow down to you.Cursed be those who curse you,and blessed be those who bless you." Responsorial Psalm Ps 135:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6 R.(3a) Praise the Lord for the Lord is good!or:R. Alleluia.Praise the name of the LORD;Praise, you servants of the LORDWho stand in the house of the LORD,in the courts of the house of our God.R. Praise the Lord for the Lord is good!or:R. Alleluia.Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;sing praise to his name, which we love;For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself,Israel for his own possession.R. Praise the Lord for the Lord is good!or:R. Alleluia.For I know that the LORD is great;our LORD is greater than all gods.All that the LORD wills he doesin heaven and on earth,in the seas and in all the deeps. R. Praise the Lord for the Lord is good!or:R. Alleluia. Alleluia Jn 10:27 R. Alleluia, alleluia.My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;I know them, and they follow me.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 9:14-17 The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?" Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth, for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse. People do not put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved." - - -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 23:1-4, 19; 24:1-8, 62-67 The span of Sarah's life was one hundred and twenty-seven years. She died in Kiriatharba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham performed the customary mourning rites for her. Then he left the side of his dead one and addressed the Hittites: "Although I am a resident alien among you, sell me from your holdings a piece of property for a burial ground, that I may bury my dead wife." After the transaction, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field of Machpelah, facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham had now reached a ripe old age, and the LORD had blessed him in every way. Abraham said to the senior servant of his household, who had charge of all his possessions: "Put your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not procure a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I live, but that you will go to my own land and to my kindred to get a wife for my son Isaac." The servant asked him: "What if the woman is unwilling to follow me to this land? Should I then take your son back to the land from which you migrated?" "Never take my son back there for any reason," Abraham told him. "The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and the land of my kin, and who confirmed by oath the promise he then made to me, 'I will give this land to your descendants'– he will send his messenger before you, and you will obtain a wife for my son there. If the woman is unwilling to follow you, you will be released from this oath. But never take my son back there!" A long time later, Isaac went to live in the region of the Negeb. One day toward evening he went out . . . in the field, and as he looked around, he noticed that camels were approaching. Rebekah, too, was looking about, and when she saw him, she alighted from her camel and asked the servant, "Who is the man out there, walking through the fields toward us?" "That is my master," replied the servant. Then she covered herself with her veil. The servant recounted to Isaac all the things he had done. Then Isaac took Rebekah into his tent; he married her, and thus she became his wife. In his love for her, Isaac found solace after the death of his mother Sarah. Responsorial Psalm Ps 106:1b-2, 3-4a, 4b-5 R. (1b) Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,for his mercy endures forever.Who can tell the mighty deeds of the LORD,or proclaim all his praises?R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.Blessed are they who observe what is right,who do always what is just.Remember us, O LORD, as you favor your people. R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.Visit me with your saving help,That I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones,rejoice in the joy of your people,and glory with your inheritance.R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. Alleluia Mt 11:28 R. Alleluia, alleluia.Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,and I will give you rest, says the Lord.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 9:9-13 As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, ""Follow me."" And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, ""Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"" He heard this and said, ""Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words,I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.""  - - -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 22:1b-19 God put Abraham to the test.He called to him, "Abraham!""Here I am," he replied.Then God said: "Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love,and go to the land of Moriah.There you shall offer him up as a burnt offeringon a height that I will point out to you."Early the next morning Abraham saddled his donkey,took with him his son Isaac, and two of his servants as well,and with the wood that he had cut for the burnt offering,set out for the place of which God had told him.On the third day Abraham got sight of the place from afar.Then he said to his servants: "Both of you stay here with the donkey,while the boy and I go on over yonder.We will worship and then come back to you." Thereupon Abraham took the wood for the burnt offeringand laid it on his son Isaac's shoulders,while he himself carried the fire and the knife.As the two walked on together, Isaac spoke to his father Abraham:"Father!" he said."Yes, son," he replied.Isaac continued, "Here are the fire and the wood,but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?""Son," Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the sheep for the burnt offering."Then the two continued going forward.When they came to the place of which God had told him,Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it.Next he tied up his son Isaac,and put him on top of the wood on the altar.Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.But the LORD's messenger called to him from heaven,"Abraham, Abraham!""Here I am," he answered. "Do not lay your hand on the boy," said the messenger."Do not do the least thing to him.I know now how devoted you are to God,since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son."As Abraham looked about,he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.So he went and took the ramand offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son.Abraham named the site Yahweh-yireh;hence people now say, "On the mountain the LORD will see."Again the LORD's messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said:"I swear by myself, declares the LORD,that because you acted as you didin not withholding from me your beloved son,I will bless you abundantlyand make your descendants as countlessas the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore;your descendants shall take possessionof the gates of their enemies,and in your descendants all the nations of the earthshall find blessing--all this because you obeyed my command."Abraham then returned to his servants,and they set out together for Beer-sheba,where Abraham made his home. Responsorial Psalm Ps 115:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 R. (9) I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.or:R. Alleluia.Not to us, O LORD, not to usbut to your name give glorybecause of your kindness, because of your truth.Why should the pagans say, "Where is their God?"R. I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.or:R. Alleluia.Our God is in heaven;whatever he wills, he does.Their idols are silver and gold,the handiwork of men.R. I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.or:R. Alleluia.They have mouths but speak not;they have eyes but see not;They have ears but hear not;they have noses but smell not.R. I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.or:R. Alleluia.Their makers shall be like them,everyone who trusts in them.The house of Israel trusts in the LORD;he is their help and their shield.R. I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.or:R. Alleluia. Alleluia 2 Cor 5:19 R. Alleluia, alleluia.God was reconciling the world to himself in Christand entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 9:1-8 After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town.And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,"Courage, child, your sins are forgiven."At that, some of the scribes said to themselves,"This man is blaspheming."Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said,"Why do you harbor evil thoughts?Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,'or to say, 'Rise and walk'?But that you may know that the Son of Manhas authority on earth to forgive sins"–he then said to the paralytic,"Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home."He rose and went home.When the crowds saw this they were struck with aweand glorified God who had given such authority to men. Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Maria Goretti, 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.