First Readings
A reading from the book of Job
Job said:
'Ah, would that these words of mine were written down,
inscribed on some monument
with iron chisel and engraving tool,
cut into the rock forever.
This I know: that my Avenger lives,
and he, the Last will take his stand on earth.
After my waking, he will set me close to him,
and from my flesh I shall look on God.
He whom I shall see will take my part:
these eyes will gaze on him and find him not aloof.'
This is the word of the Lord.
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A reading from the book of Wisdom
The souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God,
no torment shall ever touch them.
In the eyes of the unwise, they did appear to die,
their going looked like a disaster,
their leaving us like annihilation;
but they are in peace.
If they experienced punishment as men see it,
their hope was rich with immortality;
slight was their affliction, great will their blessings be.
God has put them to the test
and proved them worthy to be with him;
he has tested them like gold in a furnace,
and accepted them as a holocaust.
They who trust in him will understand the truth,
those who are faithful will live with him in love;
for grace and mercy await those he has chosen.
This is the word of the Lord
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A reading from the book of Wisdom
The virtuous man, though he die before his time, will find rest.
Length of days is not what makes age honourable, nor number of years the true measure of life;
understanding, this is man’s grey hairs, untarnished life, this is ripe old age.
He has sought to please God, so God has loved him;
and he was living among sinners, he has been taken up.
He has been carried off so that evil may not warp his understanding or treachery seduce his soul;
for the fascination of evil throws good things into the shade,
and the whirlwind of desire corrupts a simple heart.
Coming to perfection in so short a while, he achieved long life;
his soul being pleasing to the Lord,
he has taken him quickly from the wickedness around him.
Yet people look on, uncomprehending;
it does not enter their heads
that grace and mercy await the chosen of the Lord,
and protection, his holy ones.
This is the word of the Lord.
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A reading from the prophet Isaiah
On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will prepare for all the peoples a banquet of rich food.
On this mountain he will remove the mourning veil covering all the peoples, and the shroud enwrapping all nations, he will destroy Death for ever.
The Lord will wipe away the tears from every cheek; he will take away his people's shame everywhere on earth, for the Lord has said so.
That day, it will be said: See, this is our God in whom we hoped for salvation; the Lord is the one in whom we hoped.
We exult and we rejoice that he has saved us.
This is the word of the Lord.
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A reading from the book of Lamentations
My soul is shut out from peace;
I have forgotten happiness.
And now I say, ' My strength is gone,
that hope which came from the Lord'.
brooding on my anguish and affliction
is gall and wormwood.
My spirit ponders it continually
and sinks within me.
This is what I shall tell my heart,
and so recover hope:
the favours of the Lord are not all past,
his kindnesses are not exhausted;
every morning they are renewed;
great is his faithfulness.
'My portion is the Lord' says my soul
and so I will hope in him.'
The Lord is good to those who trust him,
to the soul that searches for him.
It is good to wait in silence
for the Lord to save.
This is the word of the Lord.
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A reading from the prophet Daniel
I, Daniel, was doing penance when I received this message from the Lord:
'At that time Michael will stand up, the great prince who mounts
guard over your people. There is going to be a time of great distress
unparalleled since the nations first came into existence. When that time
comes , your own people will be spared, all those whose names are
found written in the Book. Of those who lie sleeping in the dust of the
earth many will awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and
everlasting disgrace. The learned will shine as brightly as the vault of
heaven, and those who have instructed many in virtue, as bright as
stars for all eternity.'
This is the word of the Lord.
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Reading from the second book of Maccabees
Judas, the leader of the Jews, took collectionn from the people
individually, amounting to nearly two thousand drachmae, and sent
it to Jerusalem to have a sacrafice for sin offered, an together fine
and noble action, in which he took full account of the ressurection. For
if he had not expected the fallen to rise again it would have been
superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead, whereas if he had in view
the splendid recompense reserved for those who make a pious end, the
thought was holy and devout. This is why he had atonement
sacrifice offered for the dead, so that they might be released from theirsin.
This is the word of the Lord.
Second Readings
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans
Hope is not deceptive, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given us. We were still helpless when at his appointed moment Christ died for sinful men. It is not easy to die even for a good man - though of course for someone really worthy, a man might be prepared to die - but what proves that God loves us is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners.
Having died to make us righteous, is it likely that he would now fail to save us from God's anger? When we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, we were still enemies; now that we have been reconciled, surely we may count on being saved by the life of his Son? Not merely because we have been reconciled but because we are filled with joyful trust in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have already gained our reconciliation.
This is the word of the Lord.
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A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans
If it is certain that death reigned over everyone as the consequenc of
one man's fall, it is even more certain that one man, Jesus Christ, will
cause everyone to reign in life who receives the free gift that he does
not deserve, of being made righteous. Again, as one man's fall brought
condemnation on everyone, so the good act of one man brings
everyone life and makes them justified. As by one man's disobedience
many were made sinners, so by one man's obedience many will be
made righteous. When law came, it was to multiply the opportunities
of falling, but however great the number of sins committed, grace was
even greater; and so, just as sin reigned wherever there was death, so
grace will reign to bring eternal life thanks to the righteousness that
comes through Jesus Christ our Lord.
This is the word of the Lord
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A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans
When we were baptised in Christ Jesus we were baptised in his death;
in other words, when we were baptised we went into the tomb with
him and joined him in death, so that as Christ was raised from th
dead by the Father's glory, we too might live a new life.
If in union with Christ we have imitated his death, we shall also
imitate him in his ressurection. We must realise that our former
selves have been crucified with him to destroy this sinful body and to
free us from the slavery of sin.
But we believe that having died with Christ we shall return to life
with him: Christ, as we know, having been raised from the dead will
never die again. Death has no power over him any more.
This is the word of the Lord.
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A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans
Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God. The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again; it is the spirit of sons, and it makes us cry out, 'Abba, Father!' The Spirit himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God.
And if we are children we are heirs as well: heirs of God and coheirs with Christ, sharing his sufferings so as to share his glory.
I think that what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory, as yet unrevealed, which is waiting for us. The whole creation is eagerly awaiting for God to reveal his sons It was not for any fault on the part of creation that it was made unable to attain its purpose, it was made so by God; but creation still retains the hope of being freed, like us, from its slavery to decadence, to enjoy the same freedom and glory as the children of God. From the beginning till now the entire creation, as we know has been groaning in one great act of giving birth; and not only creation, but all of us who possess the first-fruits of the Spirits, we too groan inwardly as we wait for our bodies to be set free.
This is the word of the Lord.
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A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans
With God on our side who can be against us? Since God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up to benefit us all, we may be certain after such a gift, that he will not refuse anything he can give. Could anyone accuse those that God has chosen? When God acquits, could anyone condemn? Could Christ Jesus? No! He not only died for us - he rose from the dead, and there at God's right hand he stands and pleads for us.
Nothing therefore can come between us and the love of Christ, even if we are troubled or worried, or being persecuted, or lacking food or clothes, or being threatened or even attacked. These are the trials through which we triumph, by the power of him who loved us.
For I am certain of this: neither death nor life, no angel, no prince, nothing that exists, nothing still to come, not any power, or height or depth, nor any created thing, can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This is the word of the Lord.
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A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans
The life and death of each of us has its influence on others; if we live,
we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord, so that alive or
dead we belong to the Lord. This explains why Christ both died and
came to life, it was so that he might be Lord of both the dead and of the
living. We shall all have to stand before the judgement seat of God; as
scripture says: By my life - it is the Lord who speaks - every knee
shall bend before me, and every tongue shall praise God. It is to God,
therefore, that each of us must give account of himself.
This is the word of the Lord.
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A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians
Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have
fallen asleep. Death came through one man and in the same way the
resurrection of the dead has come through one man. Just as all men
die in Adam, so all men will be brought to life in Christ; but all of
them in their proper order; Christ as the first-fruits and then, after
the coming of Christ, those who belong to him. After that will come
the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father. For he
must be king until he has put all his enemies under his feet and the
last of the enemies to be destroyed is death, for everything is to be put
under his feet. - Though when it is said that everything is subjected,
this clearly cannot include the One who subjected everything to him.
And when everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will be
subject in turn to the One who subjected all things to him, so that
God may be all in all.
This is the word of the Lord.
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A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians
I will tell you something that has been a secret: that we are not all
going to die, but we shall be changed. This will be instantaneous,
in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet sounds. It will
sound and the dead will be raised, imperishable, and we shall be
changed as well, because our present perishable nature must put on
imperishability and this mortal nature must put on immortality.
When this perishable nature has put on imperishability, and when
this mortal nature has put on immortality, then the words of scripture
will come true: Death is swallowed up in victory. Death, where is your
victory? Death, where is your sting? Now the sting of death is sin, and
sin gets its power from the Law. So let us thank God for giving us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is the word of the Lord.
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A reading from the second letter of St Paul to the Corinthians
We know that he who raised the Lord Jesus to life will raise us with
Jesus in our turn,and put us by his side and you with us. You see, all
this is for your benefit, so that the more grace is multiplied among
people, the more thanksgiving there will be, to the glory of God.
That is why there is no weakening on our part, and instead,
though this outer man of ours may falling into decay, the inner
man is renewed day by day. Yes the troubles which are soon be over,
though they weigh little, train us for the carrying of a weight of
eternal glory which is out of all proportion to them. And so we have no
eyes for things that are visible, but only for things that are invisible;
for visible things last only for a time, and the invisible things are
eternal.
For we know that when the tent that we live in on earth is folded
up, there is a house built by God for us, an everlasting home not made
by human hands, in the heavens.
This is the word of the Lord.
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A reading from the second letter of St Paul to the Corinthians
We know that when the tent that we live in on earth is folded up, there is a house built by God for us, an everlasting home not made by human hands, in the heavens.
We are always full of confidence, then, when we remember that to live in the body means to be exiled from the Lord, going as we do by faith and not by sight - we are full of confidence, I say, and actually want to be exiled from the body and make our home with the Lord.
Whether we are living in the body or exiled from it, we are intent on pleasing him. For all truth about us will be brought out in the law court of Christ, and each of us will get what he deserves for the things he did in the body, good or bad.
This is the word of the Lord.
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A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Philipans
For us, our homeland is heaven, and from heaven comes the saviour
we are waiting for, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will transfigure
these wretched bodies of ours into copies of his glorious body. He will
do that by the same power with which he can subdue the whole
universe.
This is the Word of the Lord.
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A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Thessalonians
We want you to be quite certain, brothers and sisters about those who have died, to make sure that you do not grieve about them, like the other people who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and that it will be the same for those who have died in Jesus: God will bring them with him. We can tell you this from the Lord's own teaching, that any of us who are left alive until the Lord's coming will not have any advantage over those who have died. At the trumpet of God, the voice of the archangel will call out the command and the Lord himself will come down from heaven; those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise, and then those of us who are still alive will be taken up in the clouds, together with them, to meet the Lord in the air. So we shall stay with the Lord for ever. With such thoughts as these you should comfort one another.
This is the word of the Lord.
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A reading from the second letter of St Paul to Timothy
Remember the Good News that I carry, " Jesus Christ risen from the
dead, sprung from the race of David"; it is on account of this that I
have my own hardships to beat, even to being chained like a crimminal
- but they cannot chain up God's news. So I bear it all for the sake of
those who are chosen so that in the end they may have the salvation
that is in Christ Jesus and the eternal glory that comes with it.
Here is a saying that youn can rely on:
If we have died with him, then we shall live with him.
If we hold firm, then we shall reign with him.
If we disown him, then he will disown us.
We may be unfaithful, but he is always faithful,
for he cannot disown his own self.
This is the word of the Lord.
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A reading from the first letter of St John
Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us,
by letting us be called God's children;
and that is what we are.
Because the world refused to acknowledge him,
therefore it does not acknowledge us.
My dear people, we are already the children of God
but what we are to be in the future is to be revealed
we shall be like him
because we shall see him as he really is.
This is the word of the Lord.
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A reading from the first letter of St John
We have passed out of death and into life,
and of this we can be sure
because we love our brothers.
If you refuse to love, you must remain dead;
to hate your brother is to be a murderer,
and murderers, as you know, do not hav eternal life in them.
This has taught us love -
that he gave up his life for us;
and we too, ought to give up our life for our brothers.
This is the word of the Lord.
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Gospels
Gospel Acclamation 1 Jn 4:8.11
Alleluia, alleluia!
God is love;
let us love one another
as God has loved us.
Alleluia!
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was
joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught
them:
' How happy the poor in spirit;
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy the gentle:
they shall have the earth for their heritage.
Happy those who mourn:
they shall be comforted.
Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right
they shall be satisfied.
Happy the merciful:
they shall have mercy shown them.
Happy the pure in heart:
they shall see God.
Happy the peacemakers:
they shall be called sons of God.
Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right:
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
' Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak
all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.'
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
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Gospel Acclamation Mt11:25
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth;
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children.
Alleuia!
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
Jesus exclaimed, 'I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
'Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.'
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
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Gospel Acclamtion Phil 3:20
Alleluia, alleluia!
Our homeland is in heaven,
and from heaven comes the Saviour we are waiting for,
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Alleluia!
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
Jesus spoke this parable to his disciples:
'The kingdom of heaven will be like this: Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them wee foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones did tkae their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom was late and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry. "The bridegrrom is here! Go out and meet him." At this, all those bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, "Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out". But they replied, "There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves". They had gone off to buy some when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. The other bridesmaids arrived later. "Lord, Lord," they said, "open the door for us." But he replied, "I tell you solemnly, I do not know you". So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.'
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Gospel Acclamation Mt 25:34
Alleluia, alleluia!
Come, you whom my Father has blessed,
says the Lord;
take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you
since the foundation of the world.
Alleluia!
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
Jesus said to his disciples: 'When the Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All the nations will be assembled before him and he will separate men onr from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hands and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right hand, "Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me." Then the virtuous will say to him in reply, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?" And the King will answer, 'I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me." Next he will say to those on his left hand, "Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you never gave me food; I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink; I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, naked and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me." Then it will be their turn to ask, "Lord when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or naked, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?" Then he will answer, 'I tell you solemnly, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me." And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the virtuous to eternal life.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
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Gospel Acclamtion 2 Tim 2:11-12
Alleluia, alleluia!
If we have died with Christ, then we shall live with him;
if we hold firm, then we shall reign with him.
Alleluia!
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark
When the sixth hour came there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?' which means , 'My God, my God, why have you deserted me?' When some of those who stood by heard this, they said, 'Listen, he is calling Elijah.' Someone ran and soaked a sponge in vinegar and, putting it on a reed, gave it him to drink saying, 'Wait and see if Elijah will come to take him down.' But Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. And the veil of the Temple was torn fromthe top to bottom. The centurion, who was tanding in front of him, had seen how he had died and he said, 'In truth this man was a son of God.'
When the sabbath was over, Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices with which to go and anoint him. And very early in themorning on the first day of the week they went to the tomb, just as the sun was rising.
They had been saying to one another, 'Who will rol away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?' But when they looked they could see that the stone which was very big had already been rolled back. On entering the tomb they saw a young man in a white robe seated on the right-hand side, and they were struck with amazement. But he said to them, "There is no need for alarm. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified: he has risen, he is not here. See, here is the place where they laid him.'
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
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Gospel Acclamtion Jn 11:25-26
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the resurrection and the life,
says the Lord:
whoever believes in me will never die.
Alleluia!
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
Jesus went to a town called NAil, accompanied by his disciples and a great number of people. When he was near the gate of the town it happened that a dead man was being carried out for burial, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a considerable number of the townspeoplewere with her. When the Lord saw her he felt sorry for her. 'Do not cry,' he sais. Then he went up and put his hand on the bier and the bearers stood still, and he said, 'Young man, I tell you to get up'. And the dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Everyone was filled with awe and praised God saying, 'A great prophet has appeared among us; God has visited his people'. And this opinion of him spread throughout Judaea and all over the countryside.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
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Gospel Acclamtion Phil 3:20
Alleluia, alleluia!
Our homeland is in heaven,
and from heaven comes the Saviour we are waiting for,
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Alleluia!
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
Jesus said to his disciples: 'See that you are dressed for action and have your lamps lit. Be like mmen waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast, ready to open the door as soon as he comes and knocks. Happy are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. I tell you solemnly, he will put on an apron, sit them down at table and wait on them. It may be on the second watch he comes, or in the third, but happy are those servants if he finds them ready. You may be quite sure of this, that is the householder had known at what hour the burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through the wall of his house. You too must stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.'
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
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Gospel Acclamtion Apoc 14:13
Alleluia, alleluia!
Happy are those who die in the Lord!
Now they can rest for ever after their work,
since their good deeds go with them.
Alleluia!
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
When the soldiers reached the place called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there and the two criminals also, one on the right, the other on the left.
One of the criminals hanging there abused him. 'Are you not the Christ?' he said. 'Save yourself and us as well.' But the other spoke up and rebuked him. 'Have you no fear of God at all?' he said. 'You got the same sentence as he did, but in our case we deserved it: we are paying for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus,' he said, 'remember me when you come into your kingdom.' 'Indeed, I promise you,' he replied, 'today you will be with me in paradise.'
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
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Gospel Acclamtion Apoc 1:5-6
Alleluia, alleluia!
Jesus Christ is the First-born from the dead;
to him be glory andpower for ever and ever. Amen.
Alleluia!
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
It was about the sixth hour and, with the sun eclipsed, a darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. The veil of the Temple was torn right down the middle; and when Jesus had cried out in a loud voice, he said, 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit'. With these words he breathed his last.
Then a member of the council arrived, and upright and virtuous man named Joseph. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. He then took it down, wrapped it in a shroud and put him in a tomb which was hewn in stone in which no one had yet been laid.
On the first day of the week, at the first sign of dawn, the women went to the tomb with the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, but on entering discovered that the body of the Lord Jesus was not there. As they suddenly not knowing what to think, two men in brilliant clothes suddenly appeared at their side. Terrified, the women lowered their eyes. But the two men said to them, 'Why look among the dead for someone who is alive? He is not here; he has risen.'
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
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Gospel Acclamtion Jn 3:16
Alleluia, alleluia!
God loved the world so much
that he gave his only Son;
everyone who believes in him has eternal life.
Alleluia!
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
On the first day of the week, two of the disciples were on their way to a village called Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking together about all that had happened. Now as they talked this over, Jesus himself came up and walked by their side; but something prevented them from recognising him. He said to them, 'What matters are you discussing as you walk along?' They stopped short, their faces downcast.
Then one of them, called Cleopas, answered him, 'You must be the only person staying in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have been happening there these last few days.' 'What things?" he asked. 'All about Jesus of Nazareth,' they answered, 'who proved he was agreat prophet by the things he said and did in the sight of God and of the whole people; and how our chief priests and our leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and had him crucified. Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free. And this is not all: two whole days have gone since it all happened: and some women from our group have astounded us; they went to the tomb in the early morning, and when they did not find the body, they came back to tell us they had seen a vision of angels who declared he was alive. Some of our friends went to the tomb and found everything exactly as the women had reported, but of him they saw nothinng.'
Then he said to them, 'You foolish men! So slow to believe the full message of the prophets! Was it not ordained that the Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory?' Then, starting with Moses and going through all the prophets, he explained to them the passages throughout the scriptures that were about himself.
When they drew near to the village to which they were going, he made as if to go on; but they pressed him to stay with them. 'It is nearly evening,' they said, 'and the day is almost over.' So he went in to stay with them. ow while he was there at table, he took the bread and said the blessing; then he broke it and handed it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognised him; but he had vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, 'Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?'
They set out that instant and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven assembled together with their companions, who said to them, 'Yes, it is true. The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.' Then they told their story of what had happened on the road and how theey had recognised him at the breaking of bread.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
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Gospel Acclamtion Mt 25:34
Alleluia, alleluia!
Come, you whom my Father has blessed,
says the Lord;
take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you
since the foundation of the world.
Alleluia!
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
Jesus said to the Jews:
I tell you solemnly,
whoever listens to my words,
and believes in the one who sent me,
has eternal life;
wthout being brought to judgement
he has passed from death to life.
I tell you solemnly,
the hour will come in fact it is here already
when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God,
and all who hear it will live.
For the Father, who is the source of life,
has made the Son the source of life;
and, because he is the Son of Man,
has appointed him supreme judge.
Do not be surprised at this,
for the hour is coming
when the dead will leave their graves
at he sound of his voice;
those who did good
will rise again to life;
and those who did evil, to condemnation.
I can do nothing for myself;
I can only judge as I am told to judge,
and my judging is just,
because my aim is not to do my own will,
but the will of him who sent me.'
This is the Gosepl of the Lord.
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Gospel Acclamtion Jn 6:39
Alleluia, alleluia!
It is my Father's will, says the Lord,
that I should lose nothing
of all that he has given to me,
and that I should raise it up on the last day.
Alleluia!
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
Jesus said to the crowd:
'All that the Father gives me will come to me,
and whoever comes to me
I shall not turn him away;
because I have come from heaven,
not to do my own will,
but to do the will of the one who sent me.
Now the will of him who ent me
is that I should lose nothing
of all that he has given to me,
and that I should raise it up on the last day.
Yes, t is my Father's will
that whoever sees the Son and believes in him
shall have eternal life,
and that I shall raise him up on the last day.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
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Gospel Acclamtion Jn 6:51-52
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the living bread
which has come down from heaven,
says the Lord.
Anyone who eats this bread
will live for ever.
Alleluia!
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
Jesus said to the crowd:
'I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;
and the bread that I shall give
is my flesh, for the life of the world.'
Then the Jews started arguing with one another: 'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?' they said. Jesus replied:
'I tell you solemnly,
if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink his blood,
you will not have life in you.
Anyone who does not eat my flesh and drink my blood
has eternal life,
and I shall raise him up on the last day.
For my flesh is real food
and my blood is real drink.
He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood
lives in me
and I live in him.
As I, who am sent by the living Father,
myself draw life from the Father,
so whoever eats me will draw life from me.
This is the bread come down from heaven;
not like the bread our ancestors ate:
they are dead,
but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.'
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
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Gospel Acclamtion Jn 11:25.26
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the resurection and the life,
says the Lord,
whoever believes in me will never die.
Alleluia!
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
On arriving at Bethany, Jesus found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days already. Bethany is only about two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to sympathise with them over their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus had come she went to meet him. Mary remained sitting in the house. Martha said to Jesus, 'If you had been here, my brother would not have died, but I know that, even now, whatever you ask of God, he will grant you'. 'Your brother,' said Jesus to her, 'will rise again.' Martha said, 'I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day'.
Jesus said:
'I am the resurrection and the life.
If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live,
and whoever lives and believes in me
will never die.
Do you believe this?'
'Yes, Lord,' she said, 'I believe that you are that Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world.'
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
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Gospel Acclamtion Apoc. 14:13
Alleluia, alleluia!
Happy are those who die in the Lord!
Now they can rest for ever after their work,
since their good deeds go with them.
Alleluia!
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
Jesus said to his disciples:
'Now the hour has come
for the Son of Man to be glorified.
I tell you, most solemnly,
unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies,
it remains only a single grain;
but if it dies,
it yields a rich harvest.
Anyone who loves his life loses it;
anyone who hates his life in this world
will keep it for eternal life.
If a man serves me, he must follow me,
wherever I am my servant will be there too.
If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him.
Now my soul is troubled.
What shall I say:
Father, save me from this hour?
But it is for this very reason that I have come to this hour.
Father, glorify your name!'
A voice came from heaven, 'I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.'
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
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Gospel Acclamation Jn 6:40
Alleluia, alleluia!
It is my Father's will, says the Lord,
that whoever believes in the Son
shall have eternal life,
and that I shall raise him up on the last day.
Alleluia!
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
Jesus said to his disciples:
'Do not let your hearts be troubled
Trust in God still, and trust in me.
There are many rooms in my Father's house;
if there were not, I should have told you.
I am going to prepare you a place,
I shall return to take you with me;
so that where I am
you may be too.
You know the way to theplace where I am going.'
Thomas said, 'Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?' Jesus said:
'I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.
No one can come to the Father except through me,'
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
