Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Violet. Year: A(II).

First reading
Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26

‘He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry.’

Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: For a people shall dwell in Sion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it’, when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.

And he will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and bread, the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous. In that day your livestock will graze in large pastures, and the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground will eat seasoned fodder, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork. And on every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. Moreover, the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day when the Lord binds up the brokenness of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow.

How to listen

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 146(145):2a-c. 2d-4. 5-6. ℟5a

Blessed are all those who wait for the Lord.

My soul, give praise to the Lord;

I will praise the Lord all my life,

sing praise to my God while I live.

Blessed are all those who wait for the Lord.

Put no trust in princes,

or anyone who cannot save.

Take their breath, they return to the earth,

and their plans that day come to nothing.

Blessed are all those who wait for the Lord.

Blessed is he who is helped by Jacob’s God,

whose hope is in the Lord his God,

who made the heavens and the earth,

the seas and all they contain,

who preserves fidelity for ever.

This is not the correct psalm for today. Because of a clerical error, the liturgical books published for Great Britain have printed this psalm in place of the correct one.

Blessed are all those who wait for the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation	Isaiah 33:22

Alleluia, alleluia.

The Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver;

the Lord is our king; he will save us.

Alleluia.

Gospel
Matthew 9:35-10:1, 5a, 6-8

‘Seeing the crowds, he had compassion for them.’

At that time: Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.’ And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.

These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, ‘Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And 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.’

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

Universalis podcast: The week ahead – from 7 to 13 December

More Isaiah. Rejoicing. Joy and pleasure and the true meaning of Christmas. Church liturgy and family liturgy. The story of the flaming Christmas pudding. How the Gospels this week explain Isaiah. The Immaculate Conception. Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin. (23 minutes)
Episode notes.

Christian Art

Each day, The Christian Art website gives a picture and reflection on the Gospel of the day.

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.