First Reading
A reading from the prophet Isaiah
The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In the days to
come the mountain of the Temple of the Lord shall tower above the mountains and be
lifted higher than the hills. All the nations will stream to it, peoples without number
will come to it; and they will say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to
the Temple of the God of Jacob that he may teach us his ways so that we may walk in
his paths; since the Law will go out from Zion, and the oracle of the Lord from
Jerusalem." He will wield authority over the nations and adjudicate between many
peoples; these will hammer their swords into ploughshares, their spears into sickles.
Nation will not lift sword against nation, there will be no more training for war.
Responsorial Psalm
I rejoiced when I heard them say:
'Let us go to God's house.'
I rejoiced when I heard them say:
'Let us go to God's house'.
And now our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
I rejoiced when...
Jerusalem is built as a city
strongly compact.
It is there that the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord.
I rejoiced when...
For love of my brethren and friends
I say: 'Peace upon you!'
For love of the house of the Lord
I will ask for your good.
I rejoiced when...
Second Reading
A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans
You know 'the time' has come: you must wake up now: our salvation is even nearer
than it was when we were converted. The night is almost over, it will be daylight soon
- let us give up all the things we prefer to do under cover of the dark; let us arm
ourselves and appear in the light. Let us live decently as people do in the daytime: no
drunken orgies, no promiscuity or licentiousness, and no wrangling or jealousy. Let
your armour be the Lord Jesus Christ; forget about satisfying your bodies with all their
cravings.This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Gospel
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
Glory to you, Lord. Jesus said to his disciples: 'As it was in Noah's day, so will it be
when the Son of Man comes. For in those days before the Flood people were eating,
drinking, taking wives, taking husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark,
and they suspected nothing till the Flood came and swept all away. It will be like this
when the Son of Man comes. Then of two men in the fields one is taken, one left; of
two women at the millstone grinding, one is taken, one left. 'So stay awake, because
you do not know the day when your master is coming. You may be quite sure of this,
that if the householder had known at what time of the night the burglar would come,
he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the
wall of his house. Therefore, 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. Praise to you,
Lord Jesus Christ.
