Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Mass Readings

Reading 1: Isaiah 35:4-7a
Responsorial: Psalm 146:6-10
Reading 2: James 2: 1-5
Gospel: Mark 7:31-37

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090521.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

Happy Labor Day Weekend! I’m Deacon Rudy Villarreal and this is deacon rudy’s notes where each week we break open the Word!

Can you think back to a time when you were cut off from communicating with people – maybe during snowpocalypse – no power, no internet, no tv, no cell communication and even if you had it, you couldn’t recharge your phone!

If you’ve never experienced that, could you imagine what that would feel like?

Would you be frustrated? How could we experience catastrophic power outages in the United States in the 21st century?

How about scared? What if something happens and no one finds me?

Lonely?

I wonder if any of those emotions were experienced by our deaf-mute in our Gospel reading.

Once power, communication, and the internet are restored, what’s the first thing you would text or post on social media?

“Do you know who I saw not wearing a mask?” Or “Do you know who I saw wearing a mask?”

“Do you know who stopped me in the middle of this storm and went off I’m me about vaccines?”

I wonder what’s the first thing I’d text or post on social media?

Isn’t it interesting in this highly interconnected world we live in with so many communication tools we have at our disposal how quick we are to add fuel to all the political nonsense going on? Instead of telling our elected officials to knock it off and get back to work, so many of our family and friends participate in extremist ideas – doesn’t matter what side of the spectrum you’re on – it’s all a load of nonsense!

What is that about?

They used to say to know where our heart is, just look at where we spend our money and time. I still believe that, but I think a slight revision is in order. I would suggest that to know where our heart is, look at what we post on social media.

It seems to me that a lot of people on social media post more about politics or the opinions of their favorite cable news program than they do about their faith in Jesus Christ.

What an interesting exercise. I wonder what we’d find if each of us would scroll through all our social media platforms and all our text messages for the past 30 days. What would be the average of all that content?

How many times did we offer an encouraging word because of our hope in Jesus Christ?

In today’s Gospel, this guy’s friends were convinced Jesus could help. So, they brought him to Jesus. You can almost hear them beg Jesus, “Please help our friend.”

And Jesus moved with compassion looked to heaven because everything comes from the Father. Then, he healed the man in a most extraordinary way.

Can you imagine what it must have felt like to hear sounds for the first time in his life? “What is that sound?” “Why, it’s just the birds.” “Birds! I didn’t know they could make such sounds!” “And that noise coming from the water?” “It’s just the sound the stream makes as it trickles its way across the village.” “Wow!” His life is literally changed forever!

But Jesus asked them not to say anything. Why? Well, Scripture doesn’t answer that question directly. Maybe Jesus didn’t want the healing to distract from the hope and salvation God is offering them. You see, to these Greek thinking Gentiles, the body was corrupt. But Jesus used his body – his finger, his spit, his touch – to heal the deaf-mute. Perhaps Jesus’ lesson to the Gentiles was that the flesh is the hinge of salvation. Isn’t that what the Incarnation is all about?

Could they keep silent? Of course not! They told EVERYBODY! This Jesus can save us! And they hadn’t experienced the crucifixion and resurrection yet! Yet they believed Jesus could save them from their earthly impairments.

What curiosity of faith led them to bring their friend to Jesus? And what faith inspired them to share their friend’s good news?

And yet we who know about the crucifixion and the resurrection, we who’ve been baptized, we who call ourselves disciples – what is the average of the content we text or post on social media?

You see, all around us in church, there are people missing. People among our families and friends who long before the pandemic stopped coming to church. Maybe the pandemic gave them a reason to stop showing up. They need to hear the Good News. They need to be encouraged. They need to be invited. They need to feel welcomed because this world breeds such a powerful loneliness you just can’t imagine! The pandemic put a spotlight on it. It’s like our deaf-mute – totally cut off from everyone. Maybe surrounded by people, but no connection – lonely just the same. What is Jesus inviting us to do?

Homework! Nourished by the Word of God and the Eucharist, I encourage you to reflect on the following two questions.
First, review your text messages and social media posts for the last 30 days. What’s the average of that content? Does it reflect your hope in Jesus Christ?
Second, commit to share more Good News over the next 30 days. How can you encourage your family and friends?

I think doing our homework will help us be the intentional disciples we are called to be! Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you Father, Son and Holy Spirit. +Amen!

You’re listening to deacon rudy’s notes. Thank you for joining me today. Our theme music was composed by Silent Partner. You can find all sorts of helpful information on the website at www.deaconrudysnotes.org. I’m Deacon Rudy Villarreal. Join me again next weekend as we break open the Word. Peace!

Image: Social Medica. Artist Unknown. JPG.

Bibliography/Suggested Readings:
1. Anderson, Kelly and Daniel Keating. James, First, Second, and Third John. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2017. Kindle.
2. Healy, Mary. The Gospel of Mark. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2008. Kindle.
3. Montague, George T. SM. Mark: A Popular Commentary on the Earliest Gospel. Steubenville, Ohio: Franciscan University Press, 1992.

Catechism References http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm:
1. Faith: 150-65
2. The mercy of God: 270-1
3. Signs used by Christ, sacramental signs: 1151-52
4. Christ the physician: 1503-5
5. Respect for the human person: 1929-33
6. Love for the poor: 2443-49, 2462-63

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090521.cfm
Lectionary: 128

Reading 1
Isaiah 35:4-7a
Thus says the LORD:
Say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.
Streams will burst forth in the desert,
and rivers in the steppe.
The burning sands will become pools,
and the thirsty ground, springs of water.

Responsorial
Psalm 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10
R. (1b) Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The God of Jacob keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD gives sight to the blind;
the LORD raises up those who were bowed down.
The LORD loves the just;
the LORD protects strangers.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The fatherless and the widow the LORD sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2
Jame 2:1-5
My brothers and sisters, show no partiality
as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.
For if a man with gold rings and fine clothes
comes into your assembly,
and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in,
and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes
and say, “Sit here, please, ”
while you say to the poor one, “Stand there, ” or “Sit at my feet, ”
have you not made distinctions among yourselves
and become judges with evil designs?

Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters.
Did not God choose those who are poor in the world
to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom
that he promised to those who love him?

Alleluia
Cf. Matthew 4:23
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mark 7:31-37
Again Jesus left the district of Tyre
and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis.
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd.
He put his finger into the man’s ears
and, spitting, touched his tongue;
then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,
“Ephphatha!”— that is, “Be opened!” —
And immediately the man’s ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed,
and he spoke plainly.
He ordered them not to tell anyone.
But the more he ordered them not to,
the more they proclaimed it.
They were exceedingly astonished and they said,
“He has done all things well.
He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

First Sunday of Lent

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Mass Readings

First Reading: Genesis 9:8-15
Responsorial: Psalm 25:4-9
Second Reading: 1 Peter 3:18-22
Gospel: Mark 1:12-15

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022121.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

Today on deacon rudy’s notes, we’re going to talk about our Lenten journey in light of the pandemic. I’m Deacon Rudy Villarreal. Thank you for joining me today as we discuss this first Sunday in Lent.

It’s hard to believe we already in Lent. In some ways, it feels like we’ve spent the last year in Lent! Between the lockdowns, isolation, social distancing, and the supply shortages, and adverse weather, I think many people feel like they’ve already given up so much this year. What more could we possibly give up? Now that’s an interesting question!

It’s almost like the great flood described in Genesis. There’s this feeling of frustration – maybe call it cabin fever. There’s also this feeling of helplessness – especially if you’re in the hospital or someone you know is in the hospital. How many people have to be in the hospital without their family and friends?

Sadly, I’ve read stories in the news about people who are really struggling emotionally right now. And that’s not so difficult to understand, right?

But my brothers and sisters, there is hope for a new tomorrow. That’s what our first reading from Genesis is all about! God tells Noah and the survivors that the world has been made new! Our second reading from First Peter reminds us that Jesus rose from the dead! Jesus overcame hopelessness and despair! And in our Gospel, Jesus emerged from isolation in the desert and began to proclaim the Kingdom of God asking people to repent and to believe.

In some ways, many of our families and friends find themselves in a desert of sorts. That’s how isolation can feel. But rather than give in to hopelessness, we must put our faith in Christ Jesus. We need to make sure we don’t wallow in the sadness or self-pity. This is a temporary crisis! Our hope is in Christ alone!

As disciples of Christ Jesus, we need to be firmly planted in our faith. We’ve repented and believed. Now as disciples, we can reach out to our families and friends through all the wonderful technology at our disposal. We need to check-in with them. We need to listen. We need to let people vent. Our presence can radiate the peace of Jesus Christ.

But there’s a benefit for us too. You see, if we occupy ourselves with checking on our family, friends and neighbors, then we have less time to focus on negative thoughts. Keeping tabs on the people we know and love is good for them and good for us! It’s a win-win!

My brothers and sisters, we can use this Lenten season to renew ourselves and our relationship with God by not focusing on ourselves! Instead, we focus on the needs of other people. Maybe instead of spending many hours on the news or social media or TV or streaming entertainment, we could use some of that time to call our family, friends and neighbors?

Now that’s a great Lenten devotion! We can intentionally add checking in with people and all it costs us is time. By “intentionally” I mean we should have plan. Maybe create a list or a spreadsheet of names and cycle through the names a few at a time each day of the week. This helps us use technology to break up the feeling of isolation and remind ourselves that we are still very much a community! That’s a subtle we can remind people that we are all citizens of the Kingdom of God!

As we begin this Lenten season, let’s not look back and focus on the great flood of the pandemic that already happened. Instead, let’s look forward to Easter – the sun rising over this dark valley!

Homework! As we begin this Lenten season, I invite you to reflect on the following two questions.
First, instead of giving something up, make a plan to reach out to a couple of your family, friends and neighbors several days every week.
Second, in addition to staying connected with other people, set aside a few minutes every day to pray or read the Bible or make a small donation to your parish, a Christian charity or some other worthy cause that promotes the common good?

I think doing our homework will help refocus us away from the negatives of the pandemic and refocus us on the great joy of Easter. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

You’re listening to deacon rudy’s notes. Thank you for joining me today. Our theme music was composed by Silent Partner. You can find all sorts of helpful information on the website at www.deaconrudysnotes.org. I’m Deacon Rudy Villarreal. Join me again next weekend as we break open the Word. Peace!

Image Credit: Lent. Artist Unknown. PNG.

Bibliography/Suggested Readings:
1. Healy, Mary. The Gospel of Mark. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2008. Kindle.
2. Keating, Daniel. First and Second Peter, Jude. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2011. Kindle.

Catechism References http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm:
1. The Covenant with Noah: 56-58, 71
2. Typology: 128-30, 1094
3. Jesus and angels: 333
4. Jesus’ temptations: 394, 538-40, 2119
5. Suffering for the sake of Christ: 520, 556, 1435, 1967
6. Proclamation of the kingdom: 543-46
7. Christ’s sacrifice for sin: 613-15
8. Christ’s descent to hell: 632-35
9. Noah’s Ark prefigures the Church and baptism: 845, 1094, 1219
10. Covenant and sacraments (especially baptism): 1116, 1129, 1222
11. Baptism and its effects: 1214-22, 1257-74
12. God saves through baptism: 1257, 1811
13. “Lead us not into temptation:” 2846-2949

First Sunday of Lent https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022121.cfm
Lectionary: 23

Reading I
Genesis 9:8-15
God said to Noah and to his sons with him:
“See, I am now establishing my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
and with every living creature that was with you:
all the birds, and the various tame and wild animals
that were with you and came out of the ark.
I will establish my covenant with you,
that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed
by the waters of a flood;
there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth.”
God added:
“This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come,
of the covenant between me and you
and every living creature with you:
I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign
of the covenant between me and the earth.
When I bring clouds over the earth,
and the bow appears in the clouds,
I will recall the covenant I have made
between me and you and all living beings,
so that the waters shall never again become a flood
to destroy all mortal beings.”

Responsorial
Psalm 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R. (cf. 10) Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your love are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Good and upright is the LORD,
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and he teaches the humble his way.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.

Reading 2
1 Peter 3:18-22
Beloved:
Christ suffered for sins once,
the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous,
that he might lead you to God.
Put to death in the flesh,
he was brought to life in the Spirit.
In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison,
who had once been disobedient
while God patiently waited in the days of Noah
during the building of the ark,
in which a few persons, eight in all,
were saved through water.
This prefigured baptism, which saves you now.
It is not a removal of dirt from the body
but an appeal to God for a clear conscience,
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
who has gone into heaven
and is at the right hand of God,
with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.

Verse Before the Gospel
Matthew 4:4b
One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

Gospel
Mark 1:12-15
The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert,
and he remained in the desert for forty days,
tempted by Satan.
He was among wild beasts,
and the angels ministered to him.

After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment.
The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Solemnity of All Saints

Picture from an outdoor mass with John Paul II in Victory Square, Poland, 1979

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Mass Readings

Reading 1: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14
Responsorial: Psalm 24:1BC-4AB, 5-6
Reading 2: 1 John 3:1-3
Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12A

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/110120.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

All Saints’ Day is an opportunity to reflect on what it means to live as children of God. But before we get to that, let’s just do a little housekeeping, okay?

We don’t worship saints. Period. We worship God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

All believers are part of the community of saints. Why do we call some “saints?” Well, it’s definitely not for their benefit. As St. Paul tells us, the saints have already fought the good fight, they’ve run their race, and they kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7). And St. Bernard preaching in the 12th century said, “The saints have no need of honor from us; neither does our devotion add the slightest thing to what is theirs. Clearly, if we venerate their memory, it serves us, not them.” <1>

So, calling someone a “saint” is really a church thing. Why? Well, in our society today, we honor all sorts of people, right? We might hold up athletes, or actors and actresses, or successful and innovative businesspeople. We lift them up as inspiration and maybe even role models. How many children have thought to themselves, “I want to be just like him or her when I grow up!”

The Church lifts of people and calls them “saints” as role models for all of us. Some are martyrs for the faith, probably not unlike the three believers brutally murdered outside the Notre-Dame Basilica in Nice, France. Other saints lived lives of heroic virtue. We are all called to be holy. Jesus tells us, “You are therefore to be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). And the Second Vatican Council document, Lumen Gentium, devotes an entire chapter to the “Universal Call to Holiness”. <3> These saints are people who we believe made use of God grace – the same grace available to all of us – to help them in their quest for holiness.

Take for example the mother-physician Gianna Beretta Molla who in 1962 refused a life-saving procedure during her pregnancy that would have resulted in the abortion of her fourth baby. The Church lifts her up as an example of extraordinary faith and love.

Or take Blessed Stanley Rother, a priest from Oklahoma, who was murdered in 1981 in Guatemala. He had been recalled home but asked for permission and in fact returned to Guatemala despite the risks. In a letter to the faithful in Oklahoma, he wrote, “This is one of the reasons I have for staying in the face of physical harm. The shepherd cannot run at the first sign of danger.” <2> He is not just a role model for priests. He is a role model for all of us who are trying to live lives of intentional discipleship or as Pope Francis would say, missionary discipleship.

The lives of the saints and their stories should inspire us and hopefully give us some ideas about how we can live our lives in pursuit of holiness. Okay, this is the background for today’s celebration.

Today’s reading from Revelation paints a picture of heaven and there are people from all over the world dressed in white robes. They are martyrs for the faith. “These are those who come from the great trouble. And they washed their clothes and whitened them in the Lamb’s blood” (Revelation 7:14). In our second reading from First John, we are called “God’s children” (1 John 3:2).

What does it mean to be children of God?

Our Gospel today comes from the Sermon on the Mount which instructs us as disciples, believers, children of God, about justice. But Jesus teaches that justice should not be restricted to a perfunctory level, but he goes to the heart of the matter. We strive to be holy as the Father is holy. <4> And the path of the disciple is not easy. Most of us will never be asked to make the ultimate sacrifice like those three believers murdered in Nice, France this week. But we may face ridicule from our friends and families. We might even lose friendships over our faith. Jesus tells us:

• In a highly polarized world, Jesus wants us to forgive and turn the other cheek.
• In a world that values the symbols of wealth and the latest new “toy”, Jesus wants us to live humbly and to give generously.
• In a world scarred by war and division, Jesus wants us to love our enemies and to work for peace. <5>

All of us disciples are caught in a balancing act between what we need to do in this world to provide for families and the call to holiness. Every saint ever named understands this tug-of-war. Maybe that’s one of the reasons the Church asks us to celebrate “All Saints” today, so that we are inspired by those who have already run the race and who were filled with God’s grace. You see, we are not alone in the struggles we face. Every generation of believers has faced their own time of trial. While we should never stop working for justice, it is reassuring to know that we are united in faith with our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout time.

Homework! Inspired by the Word of God and by the Eucharist, I encourage you to reflect on the following two questions. First, when have I put more trust in this world that in God? Second, how can I live a simpler and more generous life?

I pray our homework will help us live our discipleship with greater conviction. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

Image Credit: Artist unknown. Pentecost Mass for 300,000 people celebrated by Pope John Paul II in Victory Square, Poland, 1979. JPG file.

Notes: Unless otherwise indicated, all Bible quotes are taken from The Bible: A Study Bible freshly translated by Nicholas King. Buxhall, Suffolk UK: Kevin Mayhew, 2013.

<1> Saint Bernard, abbot, sermon (Sermo 2: Opera omnia, Edit. Cisterc. 5 [1968], 364-368).
<2> Beecroft, Mason (December 16, 2014). “Making the Case for Martyrdom.” This Land. This Land Press. Accessed October 30, 2020. https://thislandpress.com/2014/12/16/making-the-case-for-martyrdom/
<3> See Lumen Gentium, Chapter V, beginning with paragraph 39: https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html.
<4> O’Neil and Black, The Essential Moral Handbook, 127.
<5> “Sunday, November 1 All Saints” the Word Among Us. Web. https://wau.org/meditations/2020/11/01/176958/.

References:
1. Anderson, Kelly and Daniel Keating. James, First, Second, and Third John. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academics, 2017. Kindle.
2. Mitch, Curtis and Edward Sri. The Gospel of Matthew. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2010. Kindle.
4. O’Neil, Kevin J. C.Ss.R. and Peter Black, C.Ss.R. The Essential Moral Handbook: A guide to Catholic Living. Liguori, Missouri: Liguori, 2003.
5. Williamson, Peter S. Revelation. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academics, 2015. Kindle.

Catechism References http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm:
1. Seeing God in the beatific vision, 163, 1023, 1028, 2519
2. Heaven, 326
3. Poor in spirit, 544, 2546
4. Church as sacrament of unity of human race, 775
5. Heaven, 769, 1023-29
6. Celebrants of the heavenly liturgy, 1136-39, 2642
7. The new people of God, 1138
8. The seal, 1295-96
9. Revelation that we are children of God, 1692
10. Christian beatitude, 1716-24
11. Peace makers, 2305, 2330
12. Pure in heart, 2518
13. Confidence before God, 2633, 2777-78

Solemnity of All Saints https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/110120.cfm
Lectionary: 667

Reading 1
Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14
I, John, saw another angel come up from the East,
holding the seal of the living God.
He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels
who were given power to damage the land and the sea,
“Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees
until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”
I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal,
one hundred and forty-four thousand marked
from every tribe of the children of Israel.

After this I had a vision of a great multitude,
which no one could count,
from every nation, race, people, and tongue.
They stood before the throne and before the Lamb,
wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
They cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne,
and from the Lamb.”

All the angels stood around the throne
and around the elders and the four living creatures.
They prostrated themselves before the throne,
worshiped God, and exclaimed:
“Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,
honor, power, and might
be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me,
“Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?”
I said to him, “My lord, you are the one who knows.”
He said to me,
“These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;
they have washed their robes
and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.”

Responsorial
Psalm 24:1BC-2, 3-4AB, 5-6
R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

Reading 2
1 John 3:1-3
Beloved:
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us
is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,
as he is pure.

Alleluia
Matthew 11:28
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Matthew 5:1-12A
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.”