July 11, 2016

Reading

The Book of the Prophet Isaiah 1: 10-17

1:10 Listen to the Word of the Lord, you leaders of the people of Sodom. Listen closely to the law of our God, O people of Gomorrah.
1:11 The multitude of your sacrifices, what is that to me, says the Lord? I am full. I do not desire holocausts of rams, nor the fat of fatlings, nor the blood of calves and of lambs and of he-goats.
1:12 When you approach before my sight, who is it that requires these things from your hands, so that you would walk in my courts?
1:13 You should no longer offer sacrifice vain. Incense is an abomination to me. The new moons and the Sabbaths and the other feast days, I will not receive. Your gatherings are iniquitous.
1:14 My soul hates your days of proclamation and your solemnities. They have become bothersome to me. I labor to endure them.
1:15 And so, when you extend your hands, I will avert my eyes from you. And when you multiply your prayers, I will not heed you. For your hands are full of blood.
1:16 Wash, become clean, take away the evil of your intentions from my eyes. Cease to act perversely.
1:17 Learn to do good. Seek judgment, support the oppressed, judge for the orphan, defend the widow.

Gospel

The Holy Gospel According to Matthew 10: 34-11: 1

10:34 Do not think that I came to send peace upon the earth. I came, not to send peace, but the sword.
10:35 For I came to divide a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
10:36 And the enemies of a man will be those of his own household.
10:37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever loves son or daughter above me is not worthy of me.
10:38 And whoever does not take up his cross, and follow me is not worthy of me.
10:39 Whoever finds his life, will lose it. And whoever will have lost his life because of me, shall find it.
10:40 Whoever receives you, receives me. And whoever receives me, receives him who sent me.
10:41 Whoever receives a prophet, in the name of a prophet, shall receive the reward of a prophet. And whoever receives the just in the name of the just shall receive the reward of the just.
10:42 And whoever shall give, even to one of the least of these, a cup of cold water to drink, solely in the name of a disciple: Amen I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”

11:1 And it happened that, when Jesus had completed instructing his twelve disciples, he went away from there in order to teach and to preach in their cities.