Daily Readings

READING (Sirach 5.1-8)

Do not rely on your wealth, or say, “I have enough.” Do not follow your inclination and strength in pursuing the desires of your heart. Do not say, “Who can have power over me?” for the Lord will surely punish you.

Do not say, “I sinned, yet what has happened to me?” for the Lord is slow to anger. Do not be so confident of forgiveness that you add sin to sin. Do not say, “His mercy is great, he will forgive the multitude of my sins,” for both mercy and wrath are with him, and his anger will rest on sinners. Do not delay to turn back to the Lord, and do not postpone it from day to day; for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will come upon you, and at the time of punishment you will perish. Do not depend on dishonest wealth, for it will not benefit you on the day of calamity.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (Psalm 1)

R.  Happy are they who hope in the Lord.

Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night. R.

They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. R.

The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. R.

GOSPEL (Mark 9.41-50)

Jesus said to the disciples: “Truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.

“If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea.

“If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.

“For everyone will be salted with fire, and every sacrifice will be salted with salt. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you restore it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”