Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green. Year: C(I).

First reading
Genesis 44:18-21, 23b-29; 45:1-5

‘God sent me before you to Egypt to preserve life.’

In those days: Judah went up to Joseph and said, ‘Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself. My lord asked his servants, saying, “Have you a father, or a brother?” And we said to my lord, “We have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.” Then you said to your servants, “Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him. Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again.”

‘When we went back to your servant, my father, we told him the words of my lord. And when our father said, “Go again, buy us a little food”, we said, “We cannot go down. If our youngest brother goes with us, then we will go down. For we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.” Then your servant, my father said to us, “You know that my wife bore me two sons. One left me, and I said, ‘Surely he has been torn to pieces,’ and I have never seen him since. If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my grey hairs in evil to Sheol.” ’

Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, ‘Make everyone go out from me.’ So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. And Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?’ But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.

So Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come near to me, please.’ And they came near. And he said, ‘I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.’

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 105(104):16-17. 18-19. 20-21. ℟5a

Remember the wonders the Lord has done.

or: Alleluia.

God called down a famine on the land;

he broke their staff of bread.

He had sent a man ahead of them,

Joseph, sold as a slave.

Remember the wonders the Lord has done.

or: Alleluia.

His feet were weighed down in chains,

his neck was bound with iron,

until what he said came to pass,

and the word of the Lord proved him true.

Remember the wonders the Lord has done.

or: Alleluia.

Then the king sent orders and released him;

the ruler of the peoples set him free.

He made him master of his house

and ruler of all his possessions.

Remember the wonders the Lord has done.

or: Alleluia.

Gospel Acclamation	Mark 1:15

Alleluia, alleluia.

The kingdom of God is at hand;

repent and believe in the gospel.

Alleluia.

Gospel	Matthew 10:7-15

‘You received without paying; give without pay.’

At that time: Jesus instructed his Apostles: ‘Proclaim as you go, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the labourer deserves his food. And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgement for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.’

How to listen

The readings on this page are from the English Standard Version, which is used at Mass in Great Britain. The Jerusalem Bible (which is used at Mass in much of the English-speaking world) will appear instead if you set this page to use a calendar from outside Great Britain. The New American Bible readings, which are used at Mass in the United States, are available in the Universalis apps, programs and downloads.

You can also view this page with the New Testament in Greek and English.