Readings at Mass, Friday 26 January 2018 ~ CookingFood.Org

Readings at Mass,

Friday 26 January 2018Thursday 25 January 2018

Friday of week 3 in Ordinary Time

(Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops)

EITHER: --------

First reading

2 Timothy 1:1-8

From Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus in his design to promise life in Christ Jesus; to Timothy, dear child of mine, wishing you grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Lord.

Night and day I thank God, keeping my conscience clear and remembering my duty to him as my ancestors did, and always I remember you in my prayers; I remember your tears and long to see you again to complete my happiness. Then I am reminded of the sincere faith which you have; it came first to live in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and I have no doubt that it is the same faith in you as well.

That is why I am reminding you now to fan into a flame the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on you. God’s gift was not a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power, and love, and self-control. So you are never to be ashamed of witnessing to the Lord, or ashamed of me for being his prisoner; but with me, bear the hardships for the sake of the Good News, relying on the power of God who has saved us and called us to be holy.

OR: --------

Alternative First reading

Titus 1:1-5

From Paul, servant of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ to bring those whom God has chosen to faith and to the knowledge of the truth that leads to true religion; and to give them the hope of the eternal life that was promised so long ago by God. He does not lie and so, at the appointed time, he revealed his decision, and, by the command of God our saviour, I have been commissioned to proclaim it. To Titus, true child of mine in the faith that we share, wishing you grace and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our saviour.

The reason I left you behind in Crete was for you to get everything organised there and appoint elders in every town, in the way that I told you.

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 95:1-3,7-8,10

Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples. (R.)

O sing a new song to the Lord,

sing to the Lord all the earth.

O sing to the Lord, bless his name. (R.)

Proclaim his help day by day,

tell among the nations his glory

and his wonders among all the peoples. (R.)

Give the Lord, you families of peoples,

give the Lord glory and power;

give the Lord the glory of his name. (R.)

Proclaim to the nations: ‘God is king.’

The world he made firm in its place;

he will judge the peoples in fairness. (R.)

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Gospel Acclamation

Ps118:27

Alleluia, alleluia!

Make me grasp the way of your precepts,

and I will muse on your wonders.

Alleluia!

Mt11:25

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are you, Father,

Lord of heaven and earth,

for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom

to mere children.

Alleluia!

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Gospel

Mark 4:26-34

Jesus said to the crowds, ‘This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man throws seed on the land. Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not know. Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the crop is ready, he loses no time: he starts to reap because the harvest has come.’

He also said, ‘What can we say the kingdom of God is like? What parable can we find for it? It is like a mustard seed which at the time of its sowing in the soil is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet once it is sown it grows into the biggest shrub of them all and puts out big branches so that the birds of the air can shelter in its shade.’

Using many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, so far as they were capable of understanding it. He would not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything to his disciples when they were alone.

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