Daily Readings - August 16, 2011 - Tuesday

Saint Stephen the Great, Patron Saint of Hungary
First Reading: Judges 6:11-24
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 85:9, 11-12, 13-14
Holy Gospel: Matthew 19:23-30


 

Holy Gospel

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I say to you: it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Yes, believe me: it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.”

25 On hearing this the disciples were astonished and said, “Who, then, can be saved?” 26 Jesus looked steadily at them and answered, “For humans it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

27 Then Peter spoke up and said, “You see we have given up everything to follow you: what will be our lot?”

28 Jesus answered, “You who have followed me, listen to my words: on the Day of Renew­al, when the Son of Man sits on his throne in glory, you, too, will sit on twelve thrones to rule the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 As for those who have left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or property for my Name’s sake, they will receive a hundredfold and be given eternal life. 30 Many who are now first will be last, and many who are now last will be first.


First Reading

11 The Angel of Yahweh came and sat under the sacred tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash, of the family of Abiezer. Gideon, the son of Joash, was threshing the wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midia­nites.

12 The Angel of Yahweh said to him, “Yahweh be with you, valiant warrior.” 13 Gideon answered, “Please, my lord, if Yahweh is with us, why is all this happening to us? Where are the wonders which our fathers recounted to us? Did they not say that Yahweh led them up from Egypt? Why has he abandoned us now and given us into the hands of the Midianites?”

14 Yahweh then turned to him and said, “Go, and with your courage, save Israel from the Midianites. It is I who send you.” 15 Gideon answered: “Pardon me, Lord, but how can I save Israel? My family is the lowliest in my tribe and I am the least in the family of my father.”

16 Yahweh said to him, “I will be with you and you shall defeat the people of Midian with one single stroke.” 17 Gideon said to him, “Please give me a sign that it is indeed you who speak. 18 Do not leave until I return with an offer­ing  and present it to you.” Yahweh ­responded, “I am go­ing to wait for you here.”

19 Gideon went and prepared a young goat, took a measure of flour and baked unleavened bread. He put the broth in a pot and the meat in a basket, and went to present them to the Angel under the tree. 20 Then the Angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the bread; put them on this rock, and pour the broth over them.” Gideon did so. 21 At that moment, the Angel of Yahweh extended the staff he was holding and touched the meat and the bread. Suddenly, fire blazed from the rock. The fire consumed the meat and the bread, and the Angel of Yahweh disappeared.

22 Gideon realized that he was the Angel of Yahweh and said, “Alas, O Lord Yahweh! I have seen the Angel of Yahweh face to face.” 23 But Yahweh said to him, “Peace be with you. Do not fear for you shall not die.” 24 Gideon built an altar to Yahweh in that place and called it Yahweh-Peace. To this day, it is still in Ophrah of Abiezer.


Responsorial Psalm:

Would that I hear God’s proclamation,
that he promise peace to his people,
his saints – lest they come back to their folly.

11 Love and faithfulness have met;
righteousness and peace have embraced.
12 Faithfulness will reach up from the earth
while justice bends down from heaven.

13 The Lord will give what is good,
and our land will yield its fruit.
14 Justice will go before him,
and peace will follow along his path.

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