Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Invitation

May I take this opportunity to draw your attention to
the daily reading of the Gospel?

This invitation aims to share with you the joy of the Gospel.
Everyone, without exception, can experience that joy
by opening their hearts to the healing power of God’s Word.

Available every day.

Opening words

‘What do you want me to give you?’
That is the question the Lord will ask King Solomon.
This question is also put to us today.
What do we wish to ask of the Lord at this hour?
God certainly listens to our deepest longings
and grants us his greatest treasure in this celebration.
Let us open our hearts to what the Lord wishes to give us
and let us accept this gift as a precious treasure in our lives,
for which we dare to let go of everything.

FIRST READING   1 Kings 3:5, 7–12

You have asked for wisdom.

From the First Book of Kings

In those days the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night and said:
“What shall I give you?”

Solomon replied:
“Lord my God, you have made your servant king,
though I am but a young man,
and do not yet know how to act.
“Your servant stands before the people
whom You have chosen,
a great people,
so great that they cannot be counted or numbered.
“So grant your servant a discerning mind,
that I may judge your people with justice
and distinguish between good and evil.
“For who is able to judge this great people of yours?”

This request of Solomon pleased the Lord.
And God said to him:
“Because you have asked for this very thing
and have not asked for a long life,
nor for riches,
nor for the death of your enemies,
but because you have asked for insight to administer justice,
therefore I will grant your request
and give you a spirit full of wisdom and understanding,
such as no one before you has ever had,
nor will anyone after you ever have.”

Responsorial  Ps. 119(118), 57 and 72, 76–77, 127–128, 129–130

Refrains
How I love your law, O Lord

This I set myself to do at all times, O Lord,
to be faithful to your word.
The law from your mouth is more precious to me
than treasures of silver and gold.

But let your mercy now comfort me,
just as You once promised Your servant.
May I live by Your mercy,
for I find my joy in Your law.

I desire what You have commanded
more than the finest gold.
Therefore I have chosen Your commandments,
and I reject the law of evil.

All that You have ordained is excellent,
therefore my spirit clings to it.
The explanation of Your words brings clarity,
and imparts wisdom to the inexperienced.

SECOND READING             Rom 8:28–30

He has predestined us to be conformed to the image of his Son.

From the first letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Christians
of Rome

Brothers and sisters,

We know
that God works all things for the good
of those who love him,
of those who are called according to his purpose.
For those whom He foreknew,
He also predestined
to be conformed to the image of His Son,
so that He might be the firstborn amongst many brothers.
Those whom He predestined, He also called.
Those whom He called, He also justified,
and those whom He justified, He also glorified.

Versicle before the Gospel Cf. Mt 11:25

Alleluia.
Blessed are You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for You have revealed the mysteries of the kingdom
to little children.
Alleluia.

GOSPEL     Mt 13:44–52 or 44–46

He sold all that he possessed and bought that field.

From the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Matthew

At that time, Jesus said to the crowd:

‘The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure,
hidden in a field.
“When a man found it, he hid it again,
and in his joy
he went and sold all that he possessed
and bought that field.

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant,
seeking fine pearls.
“When he found a pearl of great value,
he went and sold everything he owned and bought it.

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet
cast into the sea,
which gathered fish of every kind.
“When it was full, they hauled it onto the shore;
they sat down to sort out the good fish
and put them into baskets;
but the bad ones were thrown away.
“So it will be at the end of the world:
the angels will go out
to separate the wicked from the righteous
and cast them into the fiery furnace.
“There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

“Have you understood all this?”
They replied, ‘Yes.’
He said to them:
“Therefore, every scribe
who has been trained for the Kingdom of Heaven,
is like a householder
who brings out of his treasure things both new and old.”

________________________________________________________________________

Laudato Si 

Encyclical of

POPE FRANCIS 

On Care for Our Common Home

188. There are debates on environmental issues where it is
difficult to reach a consensus. I emphasise once again that the
Church does not claim to settle scientific questions, nor does it wish to take the place of politics,
but I call for an honest and
transparent debate, so that exceptional needs or ideologies do not
undermine the common good.

To be continued
Every day at 1 am