Reading 1

2 Sm 5:1-3

In those days, all the  tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said:
“Here we are, your  bone and your flesh.
In days past, when Saul  was our king,
it was you who led the  Israelites out and brought them back.
And the LORD said to  you,
‘You shall shepherd my  people Israel
and shall be commander  of Israel.'”
When all the elders of  Israel came to David in Hebron,
King David made an  agreement with them there before the LORD,
and they anointed him  king of Israel.

R. (cf. 1) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the  Lord.
I rejoiced because they  said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the  LORD.”
And now we have set  foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree  for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up  judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Brothers and sisters:
Let us give thanks to  the Father,
who has made you fit to  share
in the inheritance of  the holy ones in light.
He delivered us from  the power of darkness
and transferred us to  the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have  redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
For in him were created all things in heaven  and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities  or powers;
all things were created through him and for  him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the church.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the  dead,
that in all things he himself might be  preeminent.
For in him all the fullness was pleased to  dwell,
and through him to reconcile all things for  him,
making peace by the blood of his cross
through him, whether those on earth or those  in heaven.

The rulers sneered at  Jesus and said,
“He saved others,  let him save himself
if he is the chosen  one, the Christ of God.”
Even the soldiers  jeered at him.
As they approached to  offer him wine they called out,
“If you are King  of the Jews, save yourself.”
Above him there was an  inscription that read,
“This is the King  of the Jews.”

Now one of the  criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying,
“Are you not the  Christ?
Save yourself and  us.”
The other, however,  rebuking him, said in reply,
“Have you no fear  of God,
for you are subject to  the same condemnation?
And indeed, we have  been condemned justly,
for the sentence we  received corresponds to our crimes,
but this man has done  nothing criminal.”
Then he said,
“Jesus, remember  me when you come into your kingdom.”
He replied to him,
“Amen, I say to  you,
today  you will be with me in Paradise.”

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