Reading 1 SG 2:8-14 Hark! my lover–here he comes springing across the mountains, leaping across the hills. My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag. Here he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattices. My lover speaks; he says to me, “Arise, my beloved, my dove, my beautiful one, and come! “For see, the winter is past, the rains are over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of pruning the vines has come, and the song of the dove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance. Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come! “O my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the secret recesses of the cliff, Let me see you, let me hear your voice,  For your voice is sweet, and you are lovely.” or Zep 3:14-18a Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The LORD has removed the judgment against you, he has turned away your enemies; The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear. On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem: Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged! The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; He will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, He will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.   Responsorial Psalm PS 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21 R. (1a; 3a)  Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.Sing to him a new song;pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.R. Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.But the plan of the LORD stands forever; the design of his heart, through all generations.Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.R. Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.Our soul waits for the LORD,who is our help and our shield,For in him our hearts rejoice;in his holy name we trust. R. Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.   Alleluia   R. Alleluia, alleluia.O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law:come to save us, Lord our God!R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel LK 1:39-45 Mary set out in those days and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.  When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.  And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For

Reading I Is 7:10-14 The LORD spoke to Ahaz: Ask for a sign from the Lord, your God;     let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky! But Ahaz answered,     “I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!”  Then Isaiah said:     Listen, O house of David!  Is it not enough for you to weary men,     must you also weary my God?  Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:     the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,     and shall name him Emmanuel. Responsorial Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6 R.    (see 7c and 10b) Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory. The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;     the world and those who dwell in it. For he founded it upon the seas     and established it upon the rivers. R.    Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory. Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?     or who may stand in his holy place? He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,     who desires not what is vain. R.    Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,     a reward from God his savior. Such is the race that seeks for him,     that seeks the face of the God of Jacob. R.    Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory. Alleluia R. Alleluia, alleluia. O Key of David, opening the gates of God’s eternal Kingdom: come and free the prisoners of darkness! R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 1:26-38 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth

Reading 1 JGS 13:2-7, 24-25A There was a certain man from Zorah, of the clan of the Danites, whose name was Manoah.  His wife was barren and had borne no children.  An angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “Though you are barren and have had no children, yet you will conceive and bear a son.  Now, then, be careful to take no wine or strong drink and to eat nothing unclean. As for the son you will conceive and bear, no razor shall touch his head, for this boy is to be consecrated to God from the womb.  It is he who will begin the deliverance of Israel from the power of the Philistines.” The woman went and told her husband, “A man of God came to me; he had the appearance of an angel of God, terrible indeed.  I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he tell me his name.  But he said to me, ‘You will be with child and will bear a son.  So take neither wine nor strong drink, and eat nothing unclean.  For the boy shall be consecrated to God from the womb, until the day of his death.’” The woman bore a son and named him Samson.  The boy grew up and the LORD blessed him; the Spirit of the LORD stirred him. Responsorial Psalm PS 71:3-4A, 5-6AB, 16-17 R. (see 8)  My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!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. R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!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. R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!I will treat of the mighty works of the LORD;O God, I will tell of your singular justice.O God, you have taught me from my youth,and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!   Alleluia  R. Alleluia, alleluia. O Root of Jesse’s stem, sign of God’s love for all his people: come to save us without delay! R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel LK 1:5-25 In the days of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah of the priestly division of Abijah; his wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.  Both were righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.  But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years.  Once when he was serving as priest in his division’s turn before God, according to the practice of the priestly service, he was chosen by lot to enter the

Reading 1 Is 7:10-14 The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying: Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!But Ahaz answered,"I will not ask!  I will not tempt the LORD!"Then Isaiah said:Listen, O house of David!Is it not enough for you to weary people, must you also weary my God?Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel. Responsorial Psalm Ps 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6. R. (7c and 10b) Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.The LORD's are the earth and its fullness;the world and those who dwell in it.For he founded it upon the seasand established it upon the rivers.R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?or who may stand in his holy place?One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,who desires not what is vain.R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,a reward from God his savior.Such is the race that seeks for him,that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory. Reading 2 Rom 1:1-7 Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus,called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God,which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,the gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh, but established as Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.Through him we have received the grace of apostleship, to bring about the obedience of faith,for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles,among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ;to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy.Grace to you and peace from God our Fatherand the Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia Mt 1:23 R. Alleluia, alleluia.The virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,and they shall name him Emmanuel.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 1:18-24 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.Such was his intention when, behold,the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,and they shall name him Emmanuel, which

Reading I Gn 49:2, 8-10 Jacob called his sons and said to them:     “Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob,         listen to Israel, your father.     “You, Judah, shall your brothers praise         –your hand on the neck of your enemies;         the sons of your father shall bow down to you.     Judah, like a lion’s whelp,         you have grown up on prey, my son.     He crouches like a lion recumbent,         the king of beasts–who would dare rouse him?     The scepter shall never depart from Judah,         or the mace from between his legs,     While tribute is brought to him,         and he receives the people’s homage.” Responsorial Psalm 72:1-2, 3-4ab, 7-8, 17 R.    (see 7)  Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever. O God, with your judgment endow the king,     and with your justice, the king’s son; He shall govern your people with justice     and your afflicted ones with judgment.  R.    Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever. The mountains shall yield peace for the people,     and the hills justice. He shall defend the afflicted among the people,     save the children of the poor. R.    Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever. Justice shall flower in his days,     and profound peace, till the moon be no more. May he rule from sea to sea,     and from the River to the ends of the earth. R.    Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever. May his name be blessed forever;     as long as the sun his name shall remain. In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;     all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.  R.    Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever. Alleluia R. Alleluia, alleluia. O Wisdom of our God Most High, guiding creation with power and love: come to teach us the path of knowledge! R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 1:1-17 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.  Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar.  Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab.  Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab.  Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth.  Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king. David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.  Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph.  Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram

Reading 1 Is 56:1-3a, 6-8 Thus says the LORD:Observe what is right, do what is just;for my salvation is about to come,my justice, about to be revealed.Blessed is the man who does this,the son of man who holds to it;Who keeps the sabbath free from profanation,and his hand from any evildoing.Let not the foreigner say,when he would join himself to the LORD,“The LORD will surely exclude me from his people.”The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,ministering to him,Loving the name of the LORD,and becoming his servants–All who keep the sabbath free from profanationand hold to my covenant,Them I will bring to my holy mountainand make joyful in my house of prayer;Their burnt offerings and sacrificeswill be acceptable on my altar,For my house shall be calleda house of prayer for all peoples.Thus says the Lord GOD,who gathers the dispersed of Israel:Others will I gather to himbesides those already gathered. Responsorial Psalm Ps 67:2-3, 5, 7-8 R. (4) O God, let all the nations praise you!May God have pity on us and bless us;may he let his face shine upon us.So may your way be known upon earth;among all nations, your salvation. R. O God, let all the nations praise you!May the nations be glad and exultbecause you rule the peoples in equity;the nations on the earth you guide.R. O God, let all the nations praise you!The earth has yielded its fruits;God, our God, has blessed us.May God bless us,and may all the ends of the earth fear him!R. O God, let all the nations praise you! Alleluia R. Alleluia, alleluia.Come, Lord, bring us your peacethat we may rejoice before you with a perfect heart.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 5:33-36 Jesus said to the Jews:“You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth. I do not accept testimony from a human being,but I say this so that you may be saved. John was a burning and shining lamp,and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. But I have testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish,these works that I perform testify on my behalfthat the Father has sent me.” - - -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 I Is 54:1-10     Raise a glad cry, you barren one who did not bear,         Break forth in jubilant song, you who were not in labor,     For more numerous are the children of the deserted wife         than the children of her who has a husband,         says the Lord.     Enlarge the space for your tent,         spread out your tent cloths unsparingly;         lengthen your ropes and make firm your stakes.     For you shall spread abroad to the right and to the left;         your descendants shall dispossess the nations         and shall people the desolate cities.     Fear not, you shall not be put to shame;         you need not blush, for you shall not be disgraced.     The shame of your youth you shall forget,         the reproach of your widowhood no longer remember.     For he who has become your husband is your Maker;         his name is the Lord of hosts;     Your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel,         called God of all the earth.     The Lord calls you back,         like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit,     A wife married in youth and then cast off,         says your God.     For a brief moment I abandoned you,         but with great tenderness I will take you back.     In an outburst of wrath, for a moment         I hid my face from you;     But with enduring love I take pity on you,         says the Lord, your redeemer.     This is for me like the days of Noah,         when I swore that the waters of Noah         should never again deluge the earth;     So I have sworn not to be angry with you,         or to rebuke you.     Though the mountains leave their place         and the hills be shaken,     My love shall never leave you         nor my covenant of peace be shaken,         says the Lord, who has mercy on you. Responsorial Psalm 30:2 and 4, 5-6, 11-12a and 13b R.    (2a) I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me. I will extol you, O Lord, for you drew me clear     and did not let my enemies rejoice over me. O Lord, you brought me up from the nether world;     you preserved me from among those going down into the pit. R.    I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me. Sing praise to the Lord, you his faithful ones,     and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger lasts but a moment;     a lifetime, his good will. At nightfall, weeping enters in,     but with the dawn, rejoicing. R.    I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me. “Hear, O Lord, and have pity on me;     O Lord, be my helper.” You changed

Readings for the Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, priest and doctor of the ChurchReading 1 IS 45:6C-8, 18, 21C-25 I am the LORD, there is no other; I form the light, and create the darkness, I make well-being and create woe; I, the LORD, do all these things. Let justice descend, O heavens, like dew from above, like gentle rain let the skies drop it down. Let the earth open and salvation bud forth; let justice also spring up! I, the LORD, have created this. For thus says the LORD, The creator of the heavens, who is God, The designer and maker of the earth who established it, Not creating it to be a waste, but designing it be lived in: I am the LORD, and there is no other. Who announced this from the beginning and foretold it from of old? Was it not I, the LORD, besides whom there is no other God? There is no just and saving God but me. Turn to me and be safe, all you ends of the earth, for I am God; there is no other! By myself I swear, uttering my just decree and my unalterable word: To me every knee shall bend; by me every tongue shall swear, Saying, “Only in the LORD are just deeds and power. Before him in shame shall come all who vent their anger against him. In the LORD shall be the vindication and the glory of all the descendants of Israel.” Responsorial Psalm PS 85:9AB AND 10, 11-12, 13-14 R. (Isaiah 45:8)  Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior. I will hear what God proclaims; the LORD–for he proclaims peace to his people. Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him, glory dwelling in our land. R. Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior. Kindness and truth shall meet; justice and peace shall kiss. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and justice shall look down from heaven. R. Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior. The LORD himself will give his benefits; our land shall yield its increase. Justice shall walk before him, and salvation, along the way of his steps. R. Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior.     Alleluia See IS 40:9-10 R. Alleluia, alleluia. Raise your voice and tell the Good News: Behold, the Lord GOD comes with power. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel LK 7:18B-23 At that time,John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask,“Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” When the men came to the Lord, they said,“John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask,‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’”At that time Jesus cured many of their diseases, sufferings, and evil

Readings for the Memorial of Saint Lucy, virgin and martyrReading 1 ZEP 3:1-2, 9-13 Thus says the LORD: Woe to the city, rebellious and polluted, to the tyrannical city! She hears no voice, accepts no correction; In the LORD she has not trusted, to her God she has not drawn near. For then I will change and purify the lips of the peoples, That they all may call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one accord; From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia and as far as the recesses of the North, they shall bring me offerings. On that day You need not be ashamed  of all your deeds, your rebellious actions against me; For then will I remove from your midst the proud braggarts, And you shall no longer exalt yourself on my holy mountain. But I will leave as a remnant in your midst a people humble and lowly, Who shall take refuge in the name of the LORD: the remnant of Israel. They shall do no wrong and speak no lies; Nor shall there be found in their mouths a deceitful tongue; They shall pasture and couch their flocks with none to disturb them.. Responsorial Psalm PS 34:2-3, 6-7, 17-18, 19 AND 23 R. (7a)  The Lord hears the cry of the poor. I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. Let my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear me and be glad. R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor. Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame. When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him. R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor. The LORD confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them from the earth. When the just cry out, the LORD hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them. R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves. The LORD redeems the lives of his servants; no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him. R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.     Alleluia  R. Alleluia, alleluia.Come, O Lord, do not delay;forgive the sins of your people.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel MT 21:28-32 Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:“What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said,‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ The son said in reply, ‘I will not,’but afterwards he changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did his father’s will?” They answered, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you,tax collectors and prostitutesare entering the Kingdom of God before you. When John

Reading 1 ZEC 2:14-17 Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion!  See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD. Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day, and they shall be his people, and he will dwell among you, and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. The LORD will possess Judah as his portion in the holy land, and he will again choose Jerusalem. Silence, all mankind, in the presence of the LORD! For he stirs forth from his holy dwelling. or Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab   God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth.   She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne. The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed.” Responsorial Psalm JUDITH 13:18BCDE, 19 R. (15:9d)  You are the highest honor of our race.Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God,above all the women on earth;and blessed be the LORD God, the creator of heaven and earth.R. You are the highest honor of our race.Your deed of hope will never be forgottenby those who tell of the might of God.R. You are the highest honor of our race.   Alleluia  R. Alleluia, alleluia.Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise;from you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel LK 1:26-38 The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will