Reading 1

Zec 12:10-11; 13:1

Thus says the LORD:

I will pour out on the house of David

and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem

a spirit of grace and petition;

and they shall look on him whom they have pierced,

and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only son,

and they shall grieve over him as one grieves over a firstborn.

On that day the mourning in Jerusalem shall be as great

as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo.

On that day there shall be open to the house of David

and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem,

a fountain to purify from sin and uncleanness.

Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9

Responsorial Psalm

R.     (2b) 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.     My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

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.     My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

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.     My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

You are my help,

and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.

My soul clings fast to you;

your right hand upholds me.

R.     My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

Gal 3:26-29

Reading 2

Brothers and sisters:

Through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus.

For all of you who were baptized into Christ

have clothed yourselves with Christ.

There is neither Jew nor Greek,

there is neither slave nor free person,

there is not male and female;

for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

And if you belong to Christ,

then you are Abraham’s descendant,

heirs according to the promise.

Lk 9:18-24

Gospel

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude,

and the disciples were with him,

he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”

They said in reply, “John the Baptist;

others, Elijah;

still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’”

Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.”

He rebuked them

and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly

and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,

and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

Then he said to all,

“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself

and take up his cross daily and follow me.

For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,

but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Reading 1

2 Kgs 11:1-4, 9-18, 20

When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah,

saw that her son was dead,

she began to kill off the whole royal family.

But Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah,

took Joash, his son, and spirited him away, along with his nurse,

from the bedroom where the princes were about to be slain.

She concealed him from Athaliah, and so he did not die.

For six years he remained hidden in the temple of the LORD,

while Athaliah ruled the land.

But in the seventh year,

Jehoiada summoned the captains of the Carians

and of the guards.

He had them come to him in the temple of the LORD,

exacted from them a sworn commitment,

and then showed them the king’s son.

The captains did just as Jehoiada the priest commanded.

Each one with his men, both those going on duty for the sabbath

and those going off duty that week,

came to Jehoiada the priest.

He gave the captains King David’s spears and shields,

which were in the temple of the LORD.

And the guards, with drawn weapons,

lined up from the southern to the northern limit of the enclosure,

surrounding the altar and the temple on the king’s behalf.

Then Jehoiada led out the king’s son

and put the crown and the insignia upon him.

They proclaimed him king and anointed him,

clapping their hands and shouting, “Long live the king!”

Athaliah heard the noise made by the people,

and appeared before them in the temple of the LORD.

When she saw the king standing by the pillar, as was the custom,

and the captains and trumpeters near him,

with all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets,

she tore her garments and cried out, “Treason, treason!”

Then Jehoiada the priest instructed the captains

in command of the force:

“Bring her outside through the ranks.

If anyone follows her,” he added, “let him die by the sword.”

He had given orders that she

should not be slain in the temple of the LORD.

She was led out forcibly to the horse gate of the royal palace,

where she was put to death.

Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD as one party

and the king and the people as the other,

by which they would be the LORD’s people;

and another covenant, between the king and the people.

Thereupon all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal

and demolished it.

They shattered its altars and images completely,

and slew Mattan, the priest of Baal, before the altars.

Jehoiada appointed a detachment for the temple of the LORD.

All the people of the land rejoiced and the city was quiet,

now that Athaliah had been slain with the sword

at the royal palace.

Ps 132:11, 12, 13-14, 17-18

Responsorial Psalm

R.     (13) The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.

The LORD swore to David

a firm promise from which he will not withdraw:

“Your own offspring

I will set upon your throne.”

R.    The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.

“If your sons keep my covenant

and the decrees which I shall teach them,

Their sons, too, forever

shall sit upon your throne.”

R.    The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.

For the LORD has chosen Zion;

he prefers her for his dwelling.

“Zion is my resting place forever;

in her will I dwell, for I prefer her.”

R.    The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.

“In her will I make a horn to sprout forth for David;

I will place a lamp for my anointed.

His enemies I will clothe with shame,

but upon him my crown shall shine.”

R.    The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.

Mt 6:19-23

Gospel

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,

where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.

But store up treasures in heaven,

where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.

For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

“The lamp of the body is the eye.

If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light;

but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness.

And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.”

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Reading 1

Sir 48:1-14

Like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijah

whose words were as a flaming furnace.

Their staff of bread he shattered,

in his zeal he reduced them to straits;

By the Lord’s word he shut up the heavens

and three times brought down fire.

How awesome are you, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds!

Whose glory is equal to yours?

You brought a dead man back to life

from the nether world, by the will of the LORD.

You sent kings down to destruction,

and easily broke their power into pieces.

You brought down nobles, from their beds of sickness.

You heard threats at Sinai,

at Horeb avenging judgments.

You anointed kings who should inflict vengeance,

and a prophet as your successor.

You were taken aloft in a whirlwind of fire,

in a chariot with fiery horses.

You were destined, it is written, in time to come

to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD,

To turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons,

and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob.

Blessed is he who shall have seen you

And who falls asleep in your friendship.

For we live only in our life,

but after death our name will not be such.

O Elijah, enveloped in the whirlwind!

Then Elisha, filled with the twofold portion of his spirit,

wrought many marvels by his mere word.

During his lifetime he feared no one,

nor was any man able to intimidate his will.

Nothing was beyond his power;

beneath him flesh was brought back into life.

In life he performed wonders,

and after death, marvelous deeds.

Ps 97:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7

Responsorial Psalm

R.     (12a) Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;

let the many isles be glad.

Clouds and darkness are round about him,

justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.

R.    Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

Fire goes before him

and consumes his foes round about.

His lightnings illumine the world;

the earth sees and trembles.

R.    Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,

before the Lord of all the earth.

The heavens proclaim his justice,

and all peoples see his glory.

R.    Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

All who worship graven things are put to shame,

who glory in the things of nought;

all gods are prostrate before him.

R.    Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

Mt 6:7-15

Gospel

Jesus said to his disciples:

“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,

who think that they will be heard because of their many words.

Do not be like them.

Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“This is how you are to pray:

‘Our Father who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name,

thy Kingdom come,

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread;

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us;

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.’

“If you forgive others their transgressions,

your heavenly Father will forgive you.

But if you do not forgive others,

neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.