Category: Daily Readings

Solemnity of All Saints

Reading

Revelation   7: 2-4, 9-14

7:2 And I saw another Angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the Seal of the living God. And he cried out, in a great voice, to the four Angels to whom it was given to harm the earth and the sea,

7:3 saying: “Do no harm to the earth, nor to the sea, nor to the trees, until we seal the servants of our God on their foreheads.”

7:4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed: one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed, out of every tribe of the sons of Israel.

7:9 After these things, I saw a great crowd, which no one could number, from all the nations and tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and in sight of the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.

7:10 And they cried out, with a great voice, saying: “Salvation is from our God, who sits upon the throne, and from the Lamb.”

7:11 And all the Angels were standing around the throne, with the elders and the four living creatures. And they fell upon their faces in view of the throne, and they worshipped God,

7:12 saying: “Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving, honor and power and strength to our God, forever and ever. Amen.”

7:13 And one of the elders responded and said to me: “These ones who are clothed in white robes, who are they? And where did they come from?”

7:14 And I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me: “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed

Second Reading

First Letter of John   3: 1-3

3:1	See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we would be called, and would become, the sons of God. Because of this, the world does not know us, for it did not know him.
3:2	Most beloved, we are now the sons of God. But what we shall be then has not yet appeared. We know that when he does appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
3:3	And everyone who holds this hope in him, keeps himself holy, just as he also is holy.

Gospel

Matthew   5: 1-12

5:1	Then, seeing the crowds, he ascended the mountain, and when he had sat down, his disciples drew near to him,
5:2	and opening his mouth, he taught them, saying:
5:3	“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
5:4	Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth.
5:5	Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be consoled.
5:6	Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied.
5:7	Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
5:8	Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
5:9	Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
5:10	Blessed are those who endure persecution for the sake of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
5:11	Blessed are you when they have slandered you, and persecuted you, and spoken all kinds of evil against you, falsely, for my sake:
5:12	be glad and exult, for your reward in heaven is plentiful. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Letter to Romans   8: 31-39

8:31	So, what should we say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
8:32	He who did not spare even his own Son, but handed him over for the sake of us all, how could he not also, with him, have given us all things?
8:33	Who will make an accusation against the elect of God? God is the One who justifies;
8:34	who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus who has died, and who has indeed also risen again, is at the right hand of God, and even now he intercedes for us.
8:35	Then who will separate us from the love of Christ? Tribulation? Or anguish? Or famine? Or nakedness? Or peril? Or persecution? Or the sword?
8:36	For it is as it has been written: “For your sake, we are being put to death all day long. We are being treated like sheep for the slaughter.”
8:37	But in all these things we overcome, because of him who has loved us.
8:38	For I am certain that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor Powers, nor the present things, nor the future things, nor strength,
8:39	nor the heights, nor the depths, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Luke   13: 31-35

13:31	On the same day, some of the Pharisees approached, saying to him: “Depart, and go away from here. For Herod wishes to kill you.”
13:32	And he said to them: “Go and tell that fox: ‘Behold, I cast out demons and accomplish healings, today and tomorrow. And on the third day I reach the end.’
13:33	Yet truly, it is necessary for me to walk today and tomorrow and the following day. For it does not fall to a prophet to perish beyond Jerusalem.
13:34	Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets, and you stone those who are sent to you. Daily, I wanted to gather together your children, in the manner of a bird with her nest under her wings, but you were not willing!
13:35	Behold, your house will be left desolate for you. But I say to you, that you shall not see me, until it happens that you say: ‘Blessed is he who has arrived in the name of the Lord.’ ”

Letter to the Romans     8: 26-30

8:26	And similarly, the Spirit also helps our weakness. For we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself asks on our behalf with ineffable sighing.
8:27	And he who examines hearts knows what the Spirit seeks, because he asks on behalf of the saints in accordance with God.
8:28	And we know that, for those who love God, all things work together unto good, for those who, in accordance with his purpose, are called to be saints.
8:29	For those whom he foreknew, he also predestinated, in conformity with the image of his Son, so that he might be the Firstborn among many brothers.
8:30	And those whom he predestinated, he also called. And those whom he called, he also justified. And those whom he justified, he also glorified.

Luke   13: 22-30

13:22	And he was traveling through the cities and towns, teaching and making his way to Jerusalem.
13:23	And someone said to him, “Lord, are they few who are saved?” But he said to them:
13:24	“Strive to enter through the narrow gate. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and not be able.
13:25	Then, when the father of the family will have entered and shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us.’ And in response, he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from.’
13:26	Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’
13:27	And he will say to you: ‘I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity!’
13:28	In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, yet you yourselves are expelled outside.
13:29	And they will arrive from the East, and the West, and the North, and the South; and they will recline at table in the kingdom of God.
13:30	And behold, those who are last will be first, and those who are first will be last.”

Ephesians 2: 19- 22

2:19	Now, therefore, you are no longer visitors and new arrivals. Instead, you are citizens among the saints in the household of God,
2:20	having been built upon the foundation of the Apostles and of the Prophets, with Jesus Christ himself as the preeminent cornerstone.
2:21	In him, all that has been built is framed together, rising up into a holy temple in the Lord.
2:22	In him, you also have been built together into a habitation of God in the Spirit.

Luke 6: 12- 16

6:12	And it happened that, in those days, he went out to a mountain to pray. And he was in the prayer of God throughout the night.
6:13	And when daylight had arrived, he called his disciples. And he chose twelve out of them (whom he also named Apostles):
6:14	Simon, whom he surnamed Peter, and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
6:15	Matthew and Thomas, James of Alphaeus, and Simon who is called the Zealot,
6:16	and Jude of James, and Judas Iscariot, who was a traitor.

Romans 8: 12- 17

8:12	Therefore, brothers, we are not debtors to the flesh, so as to live according to the flesh.
8:13	For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if, by the Spirit, you mortify the deeds of the flesh, you shall live.
8:14	For all those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God.
8:15	And you have not received, again, a spirit of servitude in fear, but you have received the Spirit of the adoption of sons, in whom we cry out: “Abba, Father!”
8:16	For the Spirit himself renders testimony to our spirit that we are the sons of God.
8:17	But if we are sons, then we are also heirs: certainly heirs of God, but also co-heirs with Christ, yet in such a way that, if we suffer with him, we shall also be glorified with him.

Luke 13: 10- 17

13:10	Now he was teaching in their synagogue on the Sabbaths.
13:11	And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years. And she was bent over; and she was unable to look upwards at all.
13:12	And when Jesus saw her, he called her to himself, and he said to her, “Woman, you are released from your infirmity.”
13:13	And he laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was straightened, and she glorified God.
13:14	Then, as a result, the ruler of the synagogue became angry that Jesus had cured on the Sabbath, and he said to the crowd: “There are six days on which you ought to work. Therefore, come and be cured on those, and not on the day of the Sabbath.”
13:15	Then the Lord said to him in response: “You hypocrites! Does not each one of you, on the Sabbath, release his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it to water?
13:16	So then, should not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for lo these eighteen years, be released from this restraint on the day of the Sabbath?”
13:17	And as he was saying these things, all his adversaries were ashamed. And all the people rejoiced in everything that was being done gloriously by him.

Sirach   35: 12-14, 16-18

35:12	Give to the Most High according to his gifts to you, and act with a good eye toward the creations of your hands.
35:13	For the Lord gives recompense, and he will repay you seven times as much.
35:14	Do not be willing to offer corrupt gifts. For he will not accept them.

35:16	The Lord will not accept favoritism against the poor, but he will heed the prayer of one who has been harmed.
35:17	He will not despise the prayers of the orphan, nor of the widow, if she utters a lamenting complaint.
35:18	Do a widow’s tears not run down her cheek? And will her outcry not cause their downfall?

Second Letter to Timothy   4:  6-8, 16-18

4:6	For I am already being worn away, and the time of my dissolution presses close.
4:7	I have fought the good fight. I have completed the course. I have preserved the faith.
4:8	As for the remainder, a crown of justice has been reserved for me, one which the Lord, the just judge, will render to me in that day, and not only to me, but also to those who look forward to his return. Hurry to return to me soon.

4:16	At my first defense, no one stood by me, but everyone abandoned me. May it not be counted against them!
4:17	But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the preaching would be accomplished, and so that all the Gentiles would hear. And I was freed from the mouth of the lion.
4:18	The Lord has freed me from every evil work, and he will accomplish salvation by his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Luke   18: 9-14

18:9	Now about certain persons who consider themselves to be just, while disdaining others, he told also this parable:
18:10	“Two men ascended to the temple, in order to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector.
18:11	Standing, the Pharisee prayed within himself in this way: ‘O God, I give thanks to you that I am not like the rest of men: robbers, unjust, adulterers, even as this tax collector chooses to be.
18:12	I fast twice between Sabbaths. I give tithes from all that I possess.’
18:13	And the tax collector, standing at a distance, was not willing to even lift up his eyes to heaven. But he struck his chest, saying: ‘O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’
18:14	I say to you, this one descended to his house justified, but not the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled; and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Letter to the Romans   8: 1-11

8:1	Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who are not walking according to the flesh.
8:2	For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed me from the law of sin and death.
8:3	For though this was impossible under the law, because it was weakened by the flesh, God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and because of sin, in order to condemn sin in the flesh,
8:4	so that the justification of the law might be fulfilled in us. For we are not walking according to the flesh, but according to the spirit.
8:5	For those who are in agreement with the flesh are mindful of the things of the flesh. But those who are in agreement with the spirit are mindful of the things of the spirit.
8:6	For the prudence of the flesh is death. But the prudence of the spirit is life and peace.
8:7	And the wisdom of the flesh is inimical to God. For it is not subject to the law of God, nor can it be.
8:8	So those who are in the flesh are not able to please God.
8:9	And you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if it is true that the Spirit of God lives within you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him.
8:10	But if Christ is within you, then the body is indeed dead, concerning sin, but the spirit truly lives, because of justification.
8:11	But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead lives within you, then he who raised up Jesus Christ from the dead shall also enliven your mortal bodies, by means of his Spirit living within you.

Luke   13: 1-9

13:1	And there were present, at that very time, some who were reporting about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate mixed with their sacrifices.
13:2	And responding, he said to them: “Do you think that these Galileans must have sinned more than all other Galileans, because they suffered so much?
13:3	No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you will all perish similarly.
13:4	And those eighteen upon whom the tower of Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they also were greater transgressors than all the men living in Jerusalem?
13:5	No, I tell you. But if you do not repent, you will all perish similarly.”
13:6	And he also told this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree, which was planted in his vineyard. And he came seeking fruit on it, but found none.
13:7	Then he said to the cultivator of the vineyard: ‘Behold, for these three years I came seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I have found none. Therefore, cut it down. For why should it even occupy the land?’
13:8	But in response, he said to him: ‘Lord, let it be for this year also, during which time I will dig around it and add fertilizer.
13:9	And, indeed, it should bear fruit. But if not, in the future, you shall cut it down.’ ”