Responsorial Psalm
Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness,
In your compassion blot out my offence.
O wash me more and more from my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.
My offences truly I know them;
my sin is always before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned:
what is evil in your sight I have done.
A pure heart create for me, O God,
put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
not deprive me of your holy spirit.
Give me again the joy of your help;
with a spirit of fervour sustain me.
O Lord, open my lips
and my mouth shall declare your praise.
2nd. READING
A reading from the second letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians 5:20-6:2
We are ambassadors for Christ; it is as though God were appealing through us, and the
appeal that we make in Christ's name is: be reconciled to God. For our sake God made
the sinless one into sin, so that in him we might become the goodness of God. As his
fellow workers, we beg you once again not to neglect the grace of God that you have
received. For he says: At the favourable time, I have listened to you; on the day of
salvation I came to your help. Well, now is the favourable time; this is the day of
salvation.
Gospel
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew 6:1-6.16-18
Jesus said to his disciples: «Be careful not to parade your good deeds before men to
attract their notice; by doing this you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven.
So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the
hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win men's admiration.
I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you give alms, your left
hand must not know what your right is doing; your almsgiving must be secret, and
your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.
'And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers
standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them. I tell
you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you pray, go to your private
room and, when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in that secret
place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.
'When you fast do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they pull long faces
to let men know they am fasting. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But
when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that no one will know you
are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who
sees all that is done in secret will reward you.»
