Daily Mass Readings

First Reading

2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31

¹It came to pass also, that seven brethren, together with their mother, were apprehended, and compelled by the king to eat swine’s flesh against the law, for which end they were tormented with whips and scourges.

²⁰Now the mother was to be admired above measure, and worthy to be remembered by good men, who beheld seven sons slain in the space of one day, and bore it with a good courage, for the hope that she had in God:

²¹And she bravely exhorted every one of them in her own language, being filled with wisdom: and joining a man’s heart to a woman’s thought,

²²She said to them: I know not how you were formed in my womb: for I neither gave you breath, nor soul, nor life, neither did I frame the limbs of every one of you.

²³But the Creator of the world, that formed the nativity of man, and that found out the origin of all, he will restore to you again in his mercy, both breath and life, as now you despise yourselves for the sake of his laws.

²⁴Now Antiochus, thinking himself despised, and withal despising the voice of the upbraider, when the youngest was yet alive, did not only exhort him by words, but also assured him with an oath, that he would make him a rich and a happy man, and, if he would turn from the laws of his fathers, would take him for a friend, and furnish him with things necessary.

²⁵But when the young man was not moved with these things, the king called the mother, and counselled her to deal with the young man to save his life.

²⁶And when he had exhorted her with many words, she promised that she would counsel her son.

²⁷So bending herself towards him, mocking the cruel tyrant, she said in her own language: My son, have pity upon me, that bore thee nine months my womb, and save thee suck years, and nourished thee, and brought thee up unto this age.

²⁸I beseech thee, my son, look upon heaven and earth, and all that is in them: and consider that God made them out of nothing, and mankind also:

²⁹So thou shalt not fear this tormentor, but being made a worthy partner with thy brethren, receive death, that in that mercy I may receive thee again with thy brethren.

³⁰While she was yet speaking these words, the young man said: For whom do you stay? I will not obey the commandment of the king, but the commandment of the law, which was given us by Moses.

³¹But thou that hast been the author of all mischief against the Hebrews, shalt not escape the hand of God.

Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (Catholic canon)

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 17:1bcd, 5-6, 8b, 15

¹Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.

⁵Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.

⁶I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.

⁸Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,

¹⁵As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

Text shown in KJV (public domain).

Gospel

Luke 19:11-28

¹¹And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.

¹²He said therefore,A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.

¹³And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

¹⁴But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.

¹⁵And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.

¹⁶Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.

¹⁷And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.

¹⁸And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.

¹⁹And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.

²⁰And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:

²¹For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.

²²And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

²³Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?

²⁴And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.

²⁵(And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)

²⁶For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.

²⁷But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

²⁸And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.

Text shown in KJV (public domain).

The readings proclaimed at Mass in the United States follow the NABRE Lectionary. Read today's official text at USCCB →

Verse text shown from public-domain translations (KJV; Douay-Rheims chain for deuterocanonical books). The text proclaimed at Mass in the United States is the NABRE Lectionary — read it at the USCCB link.