August 18th : GospelIf you wish to be perfect, go and sell what you ownA reading from the Holy Gospel according to St.Matthew 19:16-22

August 18th :  Gospel

If you wish to be perfect, go and sell what you own

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St.Matthew 19:16-22

And behold, one came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which?” And Jesus said, “You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have observed; what do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.

The Word of the Lord.

August 18th : Responsorial PsalmPsalm 105(106):34-37,39-40,43-44

August 18th  :  Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 105(106):34-37,39-40,43-44

Response : Remember us, O Lord, when you show favor to your people.

They failed to destroy the peoples

  as the Lord had given command,

but instead they mingled with the nations

  and learned to act as they did.

“Remember us, O Lord, when you show favor to your people.”

They worshipped the idols of the nations

  and these became a snare to entrap them.

They even offered their own sons

  and their daughters in sacrifice to demons.

“Remember us, O Lord, when you show favor to your people.”

So they defiled themselves by their deeds

  and broke their marriage bond with the Lord

till his anger blazed against his people;

  he was filled with horror at his chosen ones.

“Remember us, O Lord, when you show favor to your people.”

Time after time he rescued them,

  but in their malice they dared to defy him.

In spite of this he paid heed to their distress,

  so often as he heard their cry.

“Remember us, O Lord, when you show favor to your people.”

Gospel Acclamation Ps118:34

Alleluia, alleluia!

Train me, Lord, to observe your law,

to keep it with my heart.

Alleluia!

August 18th : First reading The Lord appoints judges to rescue the men of IsraelA reading from the book of Judges 2:11-19

August 18th : First reading 

The Lord appoints judges to rescue the men of Israel

A reading from the  book of Judges 2:11-19

And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baʹals; and they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; they went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were round about them, and bowed down to them; and they provoked the LORD to anger. They forsook the LORD, and served the Baʹals and the Ashʹtaroth. So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them; and he sold them into the power of their enemies round about, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. Whenever they marched out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had warned, and as the LORD had sworn to them; and they were in sore straits. Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the power of those who plundered them. And yet they did not listen to their judges; for they played the harlot after other gods and bowed down to them; they soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the LORD, and they did not do so. Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. But whenever the judge died, they turned back and behaved worse than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them; they did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways.

The Word of the Lord.

August 17th : Gospel How I wish it were blazing already! A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St.Luke 12: 49-53

 August 17th : Gospel 

How I wish it were blazing already!

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St.Luke 12: 49-53 

“I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how I am constrained until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; for henceforth in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against her mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

The Word of the Lord.

August 17th : Second Reading We should keep running steadily in the race we have started A Reading from the Letter of St.Paul to Hebrews 12: 1-4

 August 17th : Second Reading 

We should keep running steadily in the race we have started

A Reading from the Letter of St.Paul to Hebrews 12: 1-4 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

The Word of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation cf.Ac16:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Open our heart, O Lord,

to accept the words of your Son.

Alleluia!

August 17th : Responsorial Psalm Psalm 39(40):2-4,18 I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry.

 August 17th : Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 39(40):2-4,18 

I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry.

Lord, come to my aid!

He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.

Lord, come to my aid!

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.

Lord, come to my aid!

As for me, I am poor and needy; but the Lord takes thought for me. Thou art my help and my deliverer; do not tarry, O my God!

Lord, come to my aid!

August 17th : First Reading 'Do not let the prophet die' A Reading from the Book of Jeremiah 38: 4-6,8-10

 August 17th : First Reading

'Do not let the prophet die'

A Reading from the Book of Jeremiah 38: 4-6,8-10 

Then the princes said to the king, “Let this man be put to death, for he is weakening the hands of the soldiers who are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but their harm.” King Zedekiʹah said, “Behold, he is in your hands; for the king can do nothing against you.” So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchiʹah, the king’s son, which was in the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down by ropes. And there was no water in the cistern, but only mire, and Jeremiah sank in the mire.

Eʹbed-melʹech went from the king’s house and said to the king, “My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they did to Jeremiah the prophet by casting him into the cistern; and he will die there of hunger, for there is no bread left in the city.” Then the king commanded Eʹbed-melʹech, the Ethiopian, “Take three men with you from here, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.”

The Word of the Lord.