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.’ ”
