1Thess 1:1-5.8b-10; Matthew 23

The Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1
Readings on p.1199 and Antiphons on p 1192 of the Daily Missal.

Entrance Antiphon
Turn your ear, O Lord, and answer me; save the servant who trusts in you, my God. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I cry to you all the day long.

First Reading: 1 Thessalonians1:1-5.8b-10

The beginning of the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians

Paul, Silvanus and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians
in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace to you and peace.

We give thanks to God always for you all,
constantly mentioning you in our prayers,
remembering before our God and Father your work of faith
and labour of love
and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
For we know, brethren beloved by God,
that he has chosen you;
for our gospel came to you not only in word
but also in power and in the Holy Spirit
and with full conviction.

You know what kind of men we proved to be among you
for your sake.
Your faith in God has gone forth everywhere
so that we need not say anything.
For they themselves report concerning us
what a welcome we had among you,
and how you turned to God from idols,
to serve a living and true God,
and to wait for his Son from heaven,
whom he raised from the dead,
Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 149:1b-2.3-4.5-6a & 9bc (R. 4a)

Let us now pray the Responsorial Psalm:

R/. The Lord takes delight in his people.

Sing a new song to the Lord,
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its Maker;
let Sion’s children exult in their king.

Let them praise his name with dancing,
and make music with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes delight in his people;
he crowns the poor with salvation.

Let the faithful exult in glory,
and rejoice as they take their rest.
Let the praise of God be in their mouths.
This is an honour for all his faithful.

R/. The Lord takes delight in his people.

Please stand for the Gospel

Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
and I know them, and they follow me.
Alleluia.

Gospel: Matthew 23:13-22

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew

At that time: Jesus said,
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men;
for you neither enter yourselves
nor allow those who would enter to go in.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
for you traverse sea and land to make a single proselyte,
and when he becomes a proselyte,
you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

“Woe to you, blind guides, who say,
‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing;
but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple,
he is bound by his oath.’
You blind fools!
For which is greater,
the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?
And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing;
but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar,
he is bound by his oath.’
You blind men!
For which is greater,
the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
So he who swears by the altar,
swears by it and by everything on it;
and he who swears by the temple,
swears by it and by Him who dwells in it;
and he who swears by heaven,
swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Communion Antiphon
The earth is replete with the fruits of your work, O Lord; you bring forth bread from the earth, and wine to cheer the heart.