Daily Mass Readings

First Reading

Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17a

²And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him.

³And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:

⁴He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:

⁵How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!

⁶As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river’s side, as the trees of lign aloes which the LORD hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.

⁷He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.

¹⁵And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:

¹⁶He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:

¹⁷I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

Text shown in KJV (public domain).

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 25:4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9

⁴Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.

⁵Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

⁶Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old.

⁷Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O LORD.

⁸Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.

⁹The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.

Text shown in KJV (public domain).

Gospel

Matthew 21:23-27

²³And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?

²⁴And Jesus answered and said unto them,I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.

²⁵The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men?And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?

²⁶But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.

²⁷And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them,Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

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.