Readings for Wednesday 16th Week in Ordinary Time

Year 2

First Reading
Jer 1:1, 4-10

A prophet to the nations I apointed you.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

The words of Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah,
   of a priestly family in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin.

The word of the LORD came to me thus:

   Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
      before you were born I dedicated you,
      a prophet to the nations I appointed you.
   “Ah, Lord GOD!” I said,
      “I know not how to speak; I am too young.”

But the LORD answered me,
Say not, “I am too young.”
   To whomever I send you, you shall go;
   whatever I command you, you shall speak.
Have no fear before them,
   because I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.

Then the LORD extended his hand and touched my mouth, saying,

See, I place my words in your mouth!
   This day I set you
   over nations and over kingdoms,
To root up and to tear down,
   to destroy and to demolish,
   to build and to plant.


Responsorial Psalm
Ps 71:1-2, 3-4a, 5-6ab, 15 and 17

R. :

℟. (see 15ab) I will sing of your salvation.

In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
   let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;
   incline your ear to me, and save me.

℟. I will sing of your salvation.

Be my rock of refuge,
   a stronghold to give me safety,
   for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.

℟. I will sing of your salvation.

For you are my hope, O Lord;
   my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
   from my mother’s womb you are my strength.

℟. I will sing of your salvation.

My mouth shall declare your justice,
   day by day your salvation.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
   and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.

℟. I will sing of your salvation.

Year 1

First Reading
Ex 16:1-5, 9-15

I will rain down bread from heaven for you.

A reading from the Book of Exodus

The children of Israel set out from Elim,
   and came into the desert of Sin,
   which is between Elim and Sinai,
   on the fifteenth day of the second month
   after their departure from the land of Egypt.
Here in the desert the whole assembly of the children of Israel
   grumbled against Moses and Aaron.
The children of Israel said to them,
   “Would that we had died at the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt,
   as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread!
But you had to lead us into this desert
   to make the whole community die of famine!”

Then the LORD said to Moses,
   “I will now rain down bread from heaven for you.
Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion;
   thus will I test them,
   to see whether they follow my instructions or not.
On the sixth day, however, when they prepare what they bring in,
   let it be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”

Then Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole congregation
   of the children of Israel:
Present yourselves before the LORD,
   for he has heard your grumbling.”
When Aaron announced this to the whole assembly of the children of Israel,
   they turned toward the desert, and lo,
   the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud!
The LORD spoke to Moses and said,
   “I have heard the grumbling of the children of Israel.
Tell them: In the evening twilight you shall eat flesh,
   and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread,
   so that you may know that I, the LORD, am your God.”

In the evening quail came up and covered the camp.
In the morning a dew lay all about the camp,
   and when the dew evaporated, there on the surface of the desert
   were fine flakes like hoarfrost on the ground.
On seeing it, the children of Israel asked one another, “What is this?”
   for they did not know what it was.
But Moses told them,
   “This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat.”


Responsorial Psalm
Ps 78:18-19, 23-24, 25-26, 27-28

R. :

R. (24b) The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

They tempted God in their hearts
   by demanding the food they craved.
Yes, they spoke against God, saying,
   “Can God spread a table in the desert?”

R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

Yet he commanded the skies above
   and the doors of heaven he opened;
He rained manna upon them for food
   and gave them heavenly bread.

R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

Man ate the bread of angels,
   food he sent them in abundance.
He stirred up the east wind in the heavens,
   and by his power brought on the south wind.

R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

And he rained meat upon them like dust,
   and, like the sand of the sea, winged fowl,
Which fell in the midst of their camp
   round about their tents.

R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.


Gospel Acclamation

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;
all who come to him will live for ever.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.


Gospel
Mt 13:1-9

The seed produced grain a hundredfold.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.
Such large crowds gathered around him
   that he got into a boat and sat down,
   and the whole crowd stood along the shore.
And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:
   “A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
   and birds came and ate it up.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,
   and when the sun rose it was scorched,
   and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.
But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,
   a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

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





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