Readings courtesy of USCCB

  • by USCCB
    Reading 1 Sg 2:8-14 Hark! my lover–here he comesspringing across the mountains,leaping across the hills.My lover is like a gazelleor 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 […]
  • by USCCB
    Reading 1 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 Ps 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6 R. (see 7c and 10b) Let the Lord enter; he is the king […]
  • by USCCB
    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 drinkand 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 […]
  • by USCCB
    Reading 1 Jer 23:5-8 Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;As king he shall reign and govern wisely,he shall do what is just and right in the land.In his days Judah shall be saved,Israel shall dwell in security.This is the name they give him:"The LORD our justice."Therefore, the days will come, says the LORD,when they shall no longer say, "As the LORD lives,who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt";but rather, "As the LORD lives,who brought the descendants of the house of Israelup from the land […]
  • by USCCB
    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 […]
  • by USCCB
    Reading I Nm 24:2-7, 15-17a When Balaam raised his eyes and saw Israel encamped, tribe by tribe,     the spirit of God came upon him,     and he gave voice to his oracle:     The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor,         the utterance of a man whose eye is true,     The utterance of one who hears what God says,         and knows what the Most High knows,     Of one who sees what the Almighty sees,         enraptured, and with eyes unveiled:     How goodly are your tents, O Jacob;         your encampments, O […]