Readings Wednesday 12th Week In Ordinary Time

Year 2

First Reading
2 Kgs 22:8-13; 23:1-3

The king had the book that had been found in the temple read out to them, and he made a covenant before the LORD.

A reading from the second Book of Kings

The high priest Hilkiah informed the scribe Shaphan,
   “I have found the book of the law in the temple of the LORD.”
Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who read it.
Then the scribe Shaphan went to the king and reported,
   “Your servants have smelted down the metals available in the temple
   and have consigned them to the master workmen
   in the temple of the LORD.”
The scribe Shaphan also informed the king
   that the priest Hilkiah had given him a book,
   and then read it aloud to the king.
When the king heard the contents of the book of the law,
   he tore his garments and issued this command to Hilkiah the priest,
   Ahikam, son of Shaphan,
   Achbor, son of Micaiah, the scribe Shaphan,
   and the king’s servant Asaiah:
   “Go, consult the LORD for me, for the people, for all Judah,
   about the stipulations of this book that has been found,
   for the anger of the LORD has been set furiously ablaze against us,
   because our fathers did not obey the stipulations of this book,
   nor fulfill our written obligations.”
 
The king then had all the elders of Judah
   and of Jerusalem summoned together before him.
The king went up to the temple of the LORD with all the men of Judah
   and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem:
   priests, prophets, and all the people, small and great.
He had the entire contents of the book of the covenant
   that had been found in the temple of the LORD, read out to them.
Standing by the column, the king made a covenant before the LORD
   that they would follow him
   and observe his ordinances, statutes and decrees
   with their whole hearts and souls,
   thus reviving the terms of the covenant
   which were written in this book.
And all the people stood as participants in the covenant.


Responsorial Psalm
Ps 119:33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 40

R. :

℟. (33a) Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.

Instruct me, O LORD, in the way of your statutes,
   that I may exactly observe them.

℟. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.

Give me discernment, that I may observe your law
   and keep it with all my heart.

℟. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.

Lead me in the path of your commands,
   for in it I delight.

℟. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.

Incline my heart to your decrees
   and not to gain.

℟. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.

Turn away my eyes from seeing what is vain:
   by your way give me life.

℟. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.

Behold, I long for your precepts;
   in your justice give me life.

℟. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.

Year 1

First Reading
Gn 15:1-12, 17-18

Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness (Romans 4:3b), and the Lord made a covenant with him.

A reading from the Book of Genesis

The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:

   “Fear not, Abram!
      I am your shield;
      I will make your reward very great.”

But Abram said,
   “O Lord GOD, what good will your gifts be,
   if I keep on being childless
   and have as my heir the steward of my house, Eliezer?”
Abram continued,
   “See, you have given me no offspring,
   and so one of my servants will be my heir.”
Then the word of the LORD came to him:
   “No, that one shall not be your heir;
   your own issue shall be your heir.”
He took him outside and said:
   “Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.
Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.”
Abram put his faith in the LORD,
   who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.

He then said to him,
   “I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans
   to give you this land as a possession.”
“O Lord GOD,” he asked,
   “how am I to know that I shall possess it?”
He answered him,
   “Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat,
   a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
Abram brought him all these, split them in two,
   and placed each half opposite the other;
   but the birds he did not cut up.
Birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses,
   but Abram stayed with them.
As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram,
   and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him.

When the sun had set and it was dark,
   there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch,
   which passed between those pieces.
It was on that occasion that the LORD made a covenant with Abram,
   saying: “To your descendants I give this land,
   from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River the Euphrates.”


Responsorial Psalm
Ps 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9 

R. :

(8a) The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
  or:
R. Alleluia.

Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
   make known among the nations his deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
   proclaim all his wondrous deeds.

R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
  or:
R. Alleluia.

Glory in his holy name;
   rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
Look to the LORD in his strength;
   seek to serve him constantly.

R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
  or:
R. Alleluia.

You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
   sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
   throughout the earth his judgments prevail.

R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
  or:
R. Alleluia.

He remembers forever his covenant
   which he made binding for a thousand generations—
Which he entered into with Abraham
   and by his oath to Isaac.

R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
  or:
R. Alleluia.


Gospel Acclamation
Jn 15:42, 5b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Remain in me, as I remain in you, says the Lord;
whoever remains in me will bear much fruit.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.


Gospel
Mt 7:15-20 

By their fruits you shall know them.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing,
   but underneath are ravenous wolves.
By their fruits you will know them.
Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Just so, every good tree bears good fruit,
   and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,
   nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down
   and thrown into the fire.
So by their fruits you will know them.”

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:

The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Then he kisses the book, saying quietly:

Through the words of the Gospel
may our sins be wiped away.


Homilies / Gospel Reflections





2 comments

Leave a Reply