Saturday in the 1st Week of Lent

FIRST READING
“You shall be a people holy to the Lord your God.”
A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 26:16-19)

Moses spoke to the people, saying: “This day the Lord your God commands you
to do these statutes and ordinances; you shall therefore be careful to do them
with all your heart and with all your soul. You have declared this day
concerning the Lord that he is your God, and that you will walk in his ways,
and keep his statutes and his commandments and his ordinances,
and will obey his voice; and the Lord has declared this day concerning you
that you are a people for his own possession, as he has promised you,
and that you are to keep all his commandments, that he will set you high
above all nations that he has made, in praise and in fame and in honour,
and that you shall be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he has spoken.”

The word of the Lord.

 

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 119:1-2.4-5.7-8 (R. 1b)
R/. Blessed are those who walk in the law of the Lord!

Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep his decrees!
With all their hearts they seek him. R/.

You have laid down your precepts
to be carefully kept.
May my ways be firm
in keeping your statutes. R/.

R/. Blessed are those who walk in the law of the Lord!

I will thank you with an upright heart,
as I learn your just judgments.
I will keep your statutes;
do not ever forsake me. 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
“Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew 5:43-48)

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “You have heard that it was said,
‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you,
Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that
you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise
on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?
Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren,
what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

The Gospel of the Lord.