November 26, 2023 - SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING (Year A)

 

First 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 flock when he finds 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!

*    The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. In verdant pastures he gives me repose. R. 

*    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 overflows. R.

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

Second Reading - 1 Cor 15:20-26.28 

    Brothers and sisters: Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits 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 first-fruits; 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 be- fore 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 wel- come 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 fire 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 19, 2023 - 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

 

First Reading - Prv 31:10-13. 19-20.30-31

    When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls. Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an un- failing prize. She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life. She obtains wool and flax and works with    loving hands. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle. She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy. Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; 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. 

Second 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. Who ever 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 five talents; to another, two; to a third, one – to each according to his ability. Then he went away.

Immediately, the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. 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 five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five 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 for- ward 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 5, 2023 - 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

 

First Reading - Mal 1:14-2:2.8-10

    “A great King am I,” says the Lord of hosts, “and my name will be feared among the nations.

    And now, O priests, this commandment is for you: If you do not listen, if you do not lay it to heart, to give glory to my name,” says the Lord of hosts, “I will send a curse upon you and of your blessing I will make a curse. You have turned aside from the way, and have caused many to falter by your instruction; you have made void the covenant of Levi,” says the Lord of hosts.

    “I, therefore, have made you contemptible and base before all the people, since you do not keep my ways, but show partiality in your decisions.

    Have we not all the same father? Has not the one God created us? Why then do we break faith with one another, violating the covenant of our fathers?”

Responsorial Psalm - Ps 131

R –In you, Lord, I have found my peace! 

* O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor are my eyes haughty. I busy not myself with great things, nor with things too sub- lime for me. R

* Nay rather, I have stilled and quieted my soul like a weaned child. Like a weaned child on its mother’s lap, so is my soul within me. R.

* O Israel, hope in the Lord, both now and forever. R.

Second Reading - 1 Thes 2:7-9.13 

    Brothers and sisters: We were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children. With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you not only the Gospel of God, but our very selves as well, so dearly beloved had you become to us. You recall, brothers and sisters, our toil and drudgery. Working night and day in order not to burden any of you, we proclaimed to you the Gospel of God.

And for this reason we, too, give thanks to God unceasingly, that, in receiving the word of God from hearing us, you received not a human word but, as it truly is, the word of God, which is now at work in you who believe.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, Alleluia
You have but one Father in heaven and one master, the Christ.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Gospel - Mt 23:1-12 

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example.

For they preach but they do not practise. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’

As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all broth- ers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant.

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

November 12, 2023 - 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

 

First 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 flesh 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 satisfied, 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 

Second 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 first. 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 flasks 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 bride- groom! 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 bride- groom came and those who were ready went into the wed- ding 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 re- ply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’

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