Monday in the 1st Week of Lent

FIRST READING
“In righteousness shall you judge your neighbour. ”
A reading from the Book of Leviticus (Leviticus 19:1-2.11-18)

The LORD said to Moses, “Say to all the congregation of the sons of Israel,
You shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy. “You shall not steal,
nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. And you shall not swear by my name falsely,
and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. “You shall not oppress
your neighbour or rob him. The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you
all night until the morning. You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block
before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. “You shall do no injustice
in judgement; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great,
but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbour. You shall not go up
and down as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand forth
against the life of your neighbour: I am the Lord. “You shall not hate your brother in your heart,
but you shall reason with your neighbour, lest you bear sin because of him.
You shall not take vengeance or bear any grudge against the sons of your own people,
but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the Lord.”

The word of the Lord.

 

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 19:8.9.10.15 (R. John 6:63c)
R/. Your words, O Lord, are Spirit and life.

The law of the Lord is perfect;
it revives the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are steadfast;
they give wisdom to the simple. R/.

The precepts of the Lord are right;
they gladden the heart.
The command of the Lord is clear;
it gives light to the eyes. R/.

R/. Your words, O Lord, are Spirit and life.

The fear of the Lord is pure,
Abiding forever.
The judgements of the Lord are true;
they are, all of them, just. R/.

May the spoken words of my mouth,
the thoughts of my heart,
win favour in your sight, O Lord,
my rock and my redeemer! R/.

 

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL 2 Corinthians 6:2b
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

Behold, now is the acceptable time, behold, now is the day of salvation.

Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

 

GOSPEL
“As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me. ”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew 25:31-46)

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “When the Son of man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them
one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,
and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left.
“Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me,
I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’
Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry
and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger
and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison
and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it
to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those
at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil
and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty
and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked
and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
“Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger
or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them,
‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’
And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The Gospel of the Lord.