First Reading

Letter of Saint paul to the Romans (Rom 5: 12, 15b, 17-19, 20b-21)

If by the transgression of the one, death came to reign, how much more they reign in life.

Brothers and sisters:
Through one man sin entered the world,
and through sin, death,
and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned.

If by that one person’s transgression the many died,
how much more did the grace of God
and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ
overflow for the many.
For if, by the transgression of the one,
death came to reign through that one,
how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace
and the gift of justification
come to reign in life through the one Jesus Christ.
In conclusion, just as through one transgression
condemnation came upon all,
so, through one righteous act
acquittal and life came to all.
For just as through the disobedience of one man
the many were made sinners,
so, through the obedience of the one
the many will be made righteous.
Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more,
so that, as sin reigned in death,
grace also might reign through justification
for eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

— The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 40 :7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 17

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.”

“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!”

I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.

May all who seek you
exult and be glad in you,
And may those who love your salvation
say ever, “The LORD be glorified.”

Gospel

Alleluia, alleluia.

Be vigilant at all times and pray that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke (Lk 12: 35-38)

Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.”

— The Gospel of the Lord.

First Reading

Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans (Rom 4: 20-25)

It was also for us, who believe, to whom it will be credited.

Brothers and sisters:
Abraham did not doubt God’s promise in unbelief;
rather, he was empowered by faith and gave glory to God
and was fully convinced that what God had promised
he was also able to do.
That is why it was credited to him as righteousness.
But it was not for him alone that it was written
that it was credited to him;
it was also for us, to whom it will be credited,
who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
who was handed over for our transgressions
and was raised for our justification.

— The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Luke 1: 69-70, 71-72, 73-75

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.

He has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.

Gospel

Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke (Lk 12: 13-21)

The things you have prepared, to whom will they belong? 

Someone in the crowd said to Jesus,

“Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.”

He replied to him,

“Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?”

Then he said to the crowd,

“Take care to guard against all greed,
for though one may be rich,
one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

Then he told them a parable.

“There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest.
He asked himself,

‘What shall I do,
for I do not have space to store my harvest?’

And he said,

‘This is what I shall do:
I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones.
There I shall store all my grain and other goods
and I shall say to myself, Now as for you,
you have so many good things stored up for many years,
rest, eat, drink, be merry!’

But God said to him,

‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you;
and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’

Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself
but is not rich in what matters to God.”

— The Gospel of the Lord.

First Reading

Book of Isaiah (Is 45: 1, 4-6)

I grasp Cyrus by the hand to subdue the nations to him.

Thus says the LORD to his anointed, Cyrus,
whose right hand I grasp,
subduing nations before him,
and making kings run in his service,
opening doors before him
and leaving the gates unbarred:
For the sake of Jacob, my servant,
of Israel, my chosen one,
I have called you by your name,
giving you a title, though you knew me not.
I am the LORD and there is no other,
there is no God besides me.
It is I who arm you, though you know me not,
so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun
people may know that there is none besides me.
I am the LORD, there is no other.

— The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 96: 1, 3, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10

Give the Lord glory and honor.

Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.

For great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
awesome is he, beyond all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are things of nought,
but the LORD made the heavens.

Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and praise;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!
Bring gifts, and enter his courts.

Worship the LORD, in holy attire;
tremble before him, all the earth;
say among the nations: The LORD is king,
he governs the peoples with equity.

Second Reading

First Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians (1 Thes 1: 1-5b)

We remember your faith, your labor of love, your hope.

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians
in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
grace to you and peace.
We give thanks to God always for all of you,
remembering you in our prayers,
unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love
and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ,
before our God and Father,
knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God,
how you were chosen.
For our gospel did not come to you in word alone,
but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.

— The word of the Lord.

Gospel

Alleluia, alleluia.

Shine like lights in the world as you hold on to the word of life.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew (Mt 22: 15-21)

Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.

The Pharisees went off
and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech.
They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying,

“Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man
and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
And you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion,
for you do not regard a person’s status.
Tell us, then, what is your opinion:
Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?”

Knowing their malice, Jesus said,

“Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?
Show me the coin that pays the census tax.”

Then they handed him the Roman coin.
He said to them,

“Whose image is this and whose inscription?”

They replied,

“Caesar’s.”

At that he said to them,

“Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God.”

— The Gospel of the Lord.