FIRST READING
A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians (I Thessalonians 2:9-13)
“We worked night and day, while we preached to you the Gospel of God.”
You remember our labour and toil, brethren; we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you, while we preached to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our behaviour to you believers; for you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 139:7-8.9-10. I 1-12ab (R. 1)
R/. O Lord, you search me and you know me.
O where can I go from your spirit,
or where can I flee from your face?
If I climb the heavens, you are there.
If I lie in the grave, you are there. R/.
If I take the wings of the dawn
or dwell at the sea’s furthest end,
even there your hand would lead me;
your right hand would hold me fast. R/.
If I say, “Let the darkness hide me
and the light around me be night,”
even darkness is not dark to you,
the night shall be as bright as day. R/.
ALLELLUA 1 John 2:5
Alleluia. Whoever keeps Christ’s word, in him truly love for God is perfected. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew 23 :27-32)
“You are sons of those who murdered the prophets.”
At that time: Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ Thus you witness against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.”
The Gospel of the Lord.