From the Common of Pastors: For One Pastor, or the Common of Doctors of the Church.
FIRST READING Acts 13:46-49
Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said,
“It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first,
but since you reject it
and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life,
we now turn to the Gentiles.
For so the Lord has commanded us,
I have made you a light to the Gentiles,
that you may be an instrument of salvation
to the ends of the earth.”
The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this
and glorified the word of the Lord.
All who were destined for eternal life came to believe,
and the word of the Lord continued to spread
through the whole region.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM 23:1-3a, 4, 5, 6
R.(1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
ALLELUIA Mt 5:16
Let your light shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father
GOSPEL Mt 5:13-19
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand,
where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”
Office of Readings
SECOND READING
(The following reading has not yet been officially translated into English)
Ex Scriptis sancti Ioannís De Ávila presbýteri et Ecclésiæ doctóris
(Tractatus de amore Dei erga nos, 1.2.4: Madrid 2004)
Caritas Christi, vultus eius ad Patrem semper conversus
Fons, qui magis cor nostrum ad caritátem Dei állicit, conspéctus est altíssimæ caritátis, qua ipse pro nobis flagrávit et, cum ipso, Fílius eius valde benedíctus Domínus noster. Hoc, magis quam benefícia, cor ad amándum állicit, cum álius benefáctor ipsi det quod póssidet, amans autem seípsum ófferat cum ómnibus quæ póssidet, nec áliud ei offeréndum supérsit.
Inspiciámus nunc, ígitur, Dómine, an nos diligátis et, si non diligátis, quanta cáritas vestra sit erga nos.
Paréntes ádmodum amant fílios, sed amatísne forte nos tamquam pater? Sinum cordis vestri, Deus meus, ipsi non sumus ingréssi, ut hæc omnia inspícere valerémus; Unigénitus vester, autem, qui ex illo sinu descéndit, eorúndem tulit signa et nos mandávit, ut ob infinítam caritátem, qua nos amabátis, Patrem vos nuncuparémus, quia sícuti bonus es tantum propter supereminéntiam domínicæ tuæ benignitátis, item tu solus es Pater atque sic es tanta facis, ut coram viscéribus paternitátis tuæ nemo sit, qui pari voce váleat nuncupári.
Et si adhuc tantæ huic caritáti diffídis, omnia ínspice benefícia, quæ Deus tibi concéssit, quia ómnia ipsíus caritátis pígnora ac testimónia sunt. Ratiónem subdúce quot sint omnia hæc benefícia et vidébis quæcúmque sunt in cælis et in terra, sicut et univérsa ossa et órgana sensus in córpore tuo et síngulas horas et spátia témporis vitæ tuæ omnia esse benefícia Dómini. Ínspice étiam quot bona consília accepísti et bona quæ in hac vita possedísti, necnon perícula quæ in hac vita effugísti atque morbos et cædes quibus córripi potuísses, nisi ipse liberáverit te: quæ omnia caritátis tuæ perspícua sunt signa. Ac demum ad omnem hunc mundum óculos convérte, qui pro solo bono tuo creátus est et una cum ómnibus creatúris in ipso conténtis caritátem signíficat enarrátque et tecum partícipat.
Et videámus nunc étiam quanta Fílius hic ab ipso nobis datus exarsísset caritáte. Lingua non est quæ digna id sit éloqui! Ignári atque ínscii quidam hanc caritátem adhuc non séntiunt, quæ, eorúndem senténtia, ex amáti perfectióne procédit.
Cáritas autem Christi non e perfectióne nobis ínsita oritur, sed ex eo, quod ipse póssidet, vultus scílicet ad Patrem semper convérsus.
The English translation of Psalm Responses, Alleluia Verses, Gospel Verses from Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL); the English translation of Antiphons, Invitatories, Responsories, Intercessions, Psalm 95, the Canticle of the Lamb, Psalm Prayers, Non-Biblical Readings from The Liturgy of the Hours © 1973, 1974, 1975, ICEL; excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, ICEL. All rights reserved. Used with permission.