November 22, 2020: SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING (Year A)

 

1st Reading: Ez 34:11-12.15-17

Thus says the Lord God: “I myself will look after and tend my sheep. As a shepherd tends his fl ock when he fi nds himself among his scattered sheep, so will I tend my sheep. I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark. I myself will pasture my sheep; I myself will give them rest,” says the Lord God. “The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy, shepherding them rightly. As for you, my sheep,” says the Lord God, “I will judge between one sheep and  another, between rams and goats.”

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 23 

R – The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want!

* Beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul. He guides me in right paths for his name’s 
sake. R. 

* You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overfl ows. R. 

* Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come. R. 

2nd Reading: 1 Cor 15:20-26.28

    Brothers and sisters: Christ has been raised from the dead, the fi rstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead came also through a man. For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life. But each one in proper order: Christ the fi rstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ. 
     Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. When everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the One who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.

Gospel Acclamation 

Alleluia! Alleluia! 

 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come! 

 Alleluia! Alleluia! 

Gospel: Mt 25:31-46

    Jesus said to his disciples: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ 

     Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ 

     Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fi re prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’     

    Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ 

     And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

November 15, 2020: 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

 1st Reading: Prv 31:10-13. 19-20.30-31

When one fi nds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls. Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize. She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life. She obtains wool and fl ax and works with loving hands. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fi ngers ply the spindle. She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy. Charm is deceptive and beauty fl eeting; the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her a reward for her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 128 

R –Blessed are those who fear the Lord!

* Blessed are you who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways! For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; blessed shall you be, and favored. R. 

* Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your home; your children like olive plants around your table. R. 

* Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord. The Lord bless you from Zion: may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. R. 

2nd Reading: 1 Thes 5:1-6

    Concerning times and seasons, brothers and sisters, you have no need for anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night. When people are saying, “Peace and security,” then sudden disaster comes upon them, like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 
     But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, for that day to overtake you like a thief. For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober. 

Gospel Acclamation 

Alleluia! Alleluia! 

 Remain in me as I remain in you, says the Lord. Whoever remains in me bears much fruit. 

 Alleluia! Alleluia! 

Gospel: Mt 25:14-30

    Jesus told his disciples this parable: “A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave fi ve talents; to another, two; to a third, one – to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 

     Immediately, the one who received fi ve talents went and traded with them, and made another fi ve. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money. 

     After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received fi ve talents came forward bringing the additional fi ve. He said, ‘Master, you gave me fi ve talents. See, I have made fi ve more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’ 

     Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’ 

     Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter. So out of fear, I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.’ His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’ ”

November 8, 2020: 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

 

1st Reading: Wis 6:12-16 

    Resplendent and unfading is Wisdom, and she is readily perceived by those who love her, and found by those who seek her. She hastens to make herself known in anticipation of their desire. Whoever watches for her at dawn shall not be disappointed, for he shall find her sitting by his gate. For taking thought of wisdom is the perfection of prudence, and whoever for her sake keeps vigil shall quickly be free from care; because she makes her own rounds, seeking those worthy of her, and graciously appears to them in the ways, and meets them with all solicitude.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 63 

R –My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God!

* O God, you are my God whom I seek; for you my fl esh pines and my soul thirsts like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water. R. 

* Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary to see your power and your glory, for your kindness is a greater good than life; my lips shall glorify you. R. 

* Thus will I bless you while I live; lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name. As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfi ed, and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you. R. 

* I will remember you upon my couch, and through the night-watches I will meditate on you. You are my help, and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy. R.

2nd Reading: 1 Thes 4:13- 18

    We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep. Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise fi rst. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord. 
    Therefore, console one another with these words.

Gospel Acclamation 

Alleluia! Alleluia! 

Stay awake and be ready! For you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 

Alleluia! Alleluia! 

Gospel: Mt 25:1-13

Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought fl asks of oil with their lamps. Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 

     Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” 

November 1, 2020: SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS

 

1st Reading: Rv 7:2-4.9-1

    I, John, saw another angel come up from the East, holding the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who were given power to damage the land and the sea, “Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal – one hundred and forty-four thousand marked from every tribe of the Israelites. 
     After this, I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb!” All the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They prostrated themselves before the throne, worshiped God, and exclaimed: “Amen! Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen!” Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me, “Who are these [who are] wearing white robes, and where did they come from?” I said to him, “My lord, you are the one who knows.” He said to me, “These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 24 

R –Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face! 

* The Lord’s are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it. For he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. R. 

* Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord? Or who may s tand in his holy place? He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain. R. 

* He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, a reward from God his savior. Such is the race that seeks for him, that seeks the face of the God of Jacob. R. 

2nd Reading: 1 Jn 3:1-3 

    Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. 
    Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure.

Gospel Acclamation

 Alleluia! Alleluia! 
 “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest,” says the Lord! 
 Alleluia! Alleluia! 

Gospel: Mt 5:1-12a 

    When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfi ed. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”