Responsorial Psalm
The Lord gives justice to the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free.
The Lord gives sight to the blind,
the Lord straightens the bent.
The Lord protects the stranger,
sustains the widow and the orphan.
The Lord loves the virtuous,
but he brings to ruin the way of the wicked.
The Lord will reign forever,
your God, O Zion,
from generation to generation. Alleluia!
2nd. READING (1Tm 6, 11-16)
As a man dedicated to God, shun all this. Strive to be holy and godly. Live in faith
and love, with endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith and win
everlasting life to which you were called when you made the good profession of faith
in the presence of so many witnesses. Now, in the presence of God who gives life to
all things, and of Christ Jesus who gave the good testimony before Pontius Pilate, I
command you to keep the commandment. Keep yourself pure and blameless until the
glorious coming of Christ Jesus, our Lord, which God will bring about at the proper
time, he, the magnificent sovereign, King of kings and Lord of lords. To him, alone
immortal, who lives in unapproachable light and whom no one has ever seen or can
see, to him be honour and power for ever and ever. Amen!
Gospel
Jesus said to the Pharisees. Once there was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine
linen and feasted every day. At his gate lay Lazarus, a poor man covered with sores,
who longed to eat just the scraps falling from the rich man's table. Even dogs used to
come and lick his sores. It happened that the poor man died and angels carried him to
take his place with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. From hell where
he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham afar off, and with him Lazarus at
rest. He called out: 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus with the tip of
his finger dipped in water to cool my tongue, for I suffer so much in this fire.'
Abraham replied: 'My son, remember that in your lifetime you were well-off while the
lot of Lazarus was misfortune. Now he is in comfort and you are in agony. But that is
not all. Between your place and ours a great chasm has been fixed, so that no one can
cross over from here to you or from your side to us.' The rich man implored once
more: 'Then I beg you, Father Abraham, to send Lazarus to my father's house where
my five brothers live. Let him warn them so that they may not end up in this place of
torment.' Abraham replied: 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to
them.' But the rich man said: 'No, Father Abraham. But if someone from the dead
goes to them, they will repent.' Abraham said: 'If they will not listen to Moses and the
prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the grave.'"
