Reading 1 JER 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13This word of the LORD came to me:Go, cry out this message for Jerusalem to hear!I remember the devotion of your youth,how you loved me as a bride,Following me in the desert,in a land unsown.Sacred to the LORD was Israel,the first fruits of his harvest;Should any presume to partake of them,evil would befall them, says the LORD.When I brought you into the garden land to eat its goodly fruits,You entered and defiled my land,you made my heritage loathsome.The priests asked not,“Where is the LORD?”Those who dealt with the law knew me not:the shepherds rebelled against me.The prophets prophesied by Baal,and went after useless idols.Be amazed at this, O heavens,and shudder with sheer horror, says the LORD.Two evils have my people done:they have forsaken me, the source of living waters;They have dug themselves cisterns,broken cisterns, that hold no water.Gospel MT 13:10-17The disciples approached Jesus and said,“Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?”He said to them in reply,“Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heavenhas been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.This is why I speak to them in parables, becausethey look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:You shall indeed hear but not understand,you shall indeed look but never see.Gross is the heart of this people,they will hardly hear with their ears,they have closed their eyes,lest they see with their eyesand hear with their earsand understand with their hearts and be convertedand I heal them.“But blessed are your eyes, because they see,and your ears, because they hear.Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous peoplelonged to see what you see but did not see it,and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

First ReadingJEREMIAH 1:1, 4-101The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilki'ah, of the priests who were in An'athoth in the land of Benjamin, 4Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, 5"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." 6Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth." 7But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, `I am only a youth'; for to all to whom I send you you shall go, and whatever I command you you shall speak. 8Be not afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD." 9Then the LORD put forth his hand and touched my mouth; and the LORD said to me, "Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. 10See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."GospelMATTHEW 13:1-91That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat there; and the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3And he told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6but when the sun rose they were scorched; and since they had no root they withered away. 7Other seeds fell upon thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9He who has ears, let him hear."

GospelMATTHEW 12:46-5046While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. 48But he replied to the man who told him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" 49And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 50For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother."

GospelMATTHEW 12:46-5046While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. 48But he replied to the man who told him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" 49And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 50For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother."

First ReadingGENESIS 18:1-101And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the earth, 3and said, "My lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. 4Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, 5while I fetch a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on -- since you have come to your servant." So they said, "Do as you have said." 6And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes." 7And Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. 8Then he took curds, and milk, and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate. 9They said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" And he said, "She is in the tent." 10The LORD said, "I will surely return to you in the spring, and Sarah your wife shall have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.GospelLUKE 10:38-4238Now as they went on their way, he entered a village; and a woman named Martha received him into her house. 39And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. 40But Martha was distracted with much serving; and she went to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." 41But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; 42one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her."Benedictus prayer:What is the Benedictus prayer?The Benedictus prayer is a canticle said during Morning Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours.The Benedictus is a prayer of thanksgiving said by Zachariah at the birth of St. John the Baptist. The word Benedictus is the Latin word for “Blessed” and is the first word of Zachariah’s canticle in the Gospel of Luke (cf. Luke 1:68–79).It begins with the words in Latin, “Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel,” translated into English, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel.“The canticle expresses Zachariah’s joy at the birth of his son, giving thanks and praise to God for the gift of his life. It also foreshadows the ministry of St. John the Baptist and looks forward to his role as a prophet, preparing the way for Jesus.In the Church’s Liturgy of the Hours, the Benedictus is recited or sung during Morning Prayer and is a complement to the Magnificat, which is said at Evening Prayer.Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior,born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of oldthat he would save us from our enemies,from the hands of all who hate us.He promised to show mercy to our fathersand to remember his holy covenant.This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:to set us free from the hands of our enemies,free to worship him without fear,holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,to give his people knowledge of salvationby the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our Godthe dawn from on high shall break upon us,to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.Amen.

First ReadingGENESIS 18:1-101And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the earth, 3and said, "My lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. 4Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, 5while I fetch a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on -- since you have come to your servant." So they said, "Do as you have said." 6And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes." 7And Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. 8Then he took curds, and milk, and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate. 9They said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" And he said, "She is in the tent." 10The LORD said, "I will surely return to you in the spring, and Sarah your wife shall have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.GospelLUKE 10:38-4238Now as they went on their way, he entered a village; and a woman named Martha received him into her house. 39And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. 40But Martha was distracted with much serving; and she went to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." 41But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; 42one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her."Benedictus prayer:What is the Benedictus prayer?The Benedictus prayer is a canticle said during Morning Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours.The Benedictus is a prayer of thanksgiving said by Zachariah at the birth of St. John the Baptist. The word Benedictus is the Latin word for “Blessed” and is the first word of Zachariah’s canticle in the Gospel of Luke (cf. Luke 1:68–79).It begins with the words in Latin, “Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel,” translated into English, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel.“The canticle expresses Zachariah’s joy at the birth of his son, giving thanks and praise to God for the gift of his life. It also foreshadows the ministry of St. John the Baptist and looks forward to his role as a prophet, preparing the way for Jesus.In the Church’s Liturgy of the Hours, the Benedictus is recited or sung during Morning Prayer and is a complement to the Magnificat, which is said at Evening Prayer.Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior,born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of oldthat he would save us from our enemies,from the hands of all who hate us.He promised to show mercy to our fathersand to remember his holy covenant.This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:to set us free from the hands of our enemies,free to worship him without fear,holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,to give his people knowledge of salvationby the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our Godthe dawn from on high shall break upon us,to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.Amen.

GospelMATTHEW 12:14-2114But the Pharisees went out and took counsel against him, how to destroy him. 15Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all, 16and ordered them not to make him known. 17This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: 18"Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 19He will not wrangle or cry aloud, nor will any one hear his voice in the streets; 20he will not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick, till he brings justice to victory; 21and in his name will the Gentiles hope."