SAINT GREGORY OF NAREK, Abbot and Doctor of the Church (Opt. Memorial)

FIRST READING
“Do not delay to turn to the Lord.”
A reading from the Book of Sirach (Sirach 5:1-8)

Do not set your heart on your wealth, nor say, “I have enough.”
Do not follow your inclination and strength, walking according
to the desires of your heart. Do not say, “Who will have power over me?”
or “Who will bring me down because of my deeds?” for God will surely punish you.
Do not say, “I sinned, and what happened to me?” for the Most High is slow to anger.
Do not be so confident of atonement that you add sin to sin. Do not say,
“His mercy is great, he will forgive the multitude of my sins,” for both mercy
and wrath are with him, and his anger rests on sinners. Do not delay
to turn to the Lord, nor postpone it from day to day; for suddenly
the wrath of the Lord will go forth, and at the time of punishment you will perish.
Do not depend on dishonest wealth, for it will not benefit you in the day of calamity.

The word of the Lord.

 

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 1: 1-2.3.4 and 6 (R. Psalm 40:5ab)
R/. Blessed the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.

Blessed indeed is the man
who follows not the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the path with sinners,
nor abides in the company of scorners,
but whose delight is the law of the Lord,
and who ponders his law day and night. R/.

He is like a tree that is planted
beside the flowing waters,
that yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves shall never fade;
and all that he does shall prosper. R/.

R/. Blessed the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.

Not so are the wicked, not so!
For they, like winnowed chaff,
shall be driven away by the wind.
For the Lord knows the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked will perish. R/.

 

ALLELUIA Thessalonians 2: 13
Alleluia.

Accept the word of God, not as the word of men, but as what it really is, the word of God.

Alleluia.

 

GOSPEL
“It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 9.41-50)

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever gives you a cup of water to drink
because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward.
“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung round his neck
and he were thrown into the sea. And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off;
it is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell,
to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off;
it is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out; it is better for you to enter
the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell,
where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. For every one
will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its saltiness,
how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

The Gospel of the Lord.