Knights of Columbus Father William O'Byrne Council #3574 Jacksonville NC

09/17/2026

Thursday of the Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Saint Robert Bellarmine, Cardinal, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

First Reading
1 Cor 15:1-11
So we preach and so you believed.
A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians

I am reminding you, brothers and sisters, of the Gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures; that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. After that he appeared to James, then to all the Apostles. Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me. For I am the least of the Apostles, not fit to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective. Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them; not I, however, but the grace of God that is with me. Therefore, whether it be I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 118:1b-2, 16ab-17, 28
℟. (1) Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say,
“His mercy endures forever.”

℟. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

“The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
the right hand of the Lord has struck with power.”
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD.

℟. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

You are my God, and I give thanks to you;
O my God, I extol you.

℟. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

Acclamation before the Gospel
Mt 11:28
℟. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Lk 7:36-50
Her many sins have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love.
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

Acertain Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment, she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. “Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty. Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?” Simon said in reply, “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.” He said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The others at table said to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” But he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:
The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Then he kisses the book, saying quietly:
Through the words of the Gospel may our sins be wiped away.

09/16/2026

Wednesday of the Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Saints Cornelius, Pope and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyr

First Reading
1 Cor 12:31-13:13
So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians

Brothers and sisters:
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.

But I shall show you a still more excellent way.

If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 33:2-3, 4-5, 12 and 22
℟. (12) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.

℟. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

For upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.

℟. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.

℟. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Acclamation before the Gospel
See Jn 6:63c, 68c
℟. Alleluia, alleluia.
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life, you have the words of everlasting life.
℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Lk 7:31-35
We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

Jesus said to the crowds:
“To what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another,

‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance.
We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.’

For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking w**e, and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:
The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Then he kisses the book, saying quietly:
Through the words of the Gospel may our sins be wiped away.

09/16/2026

09/15/2026

Tuesday of the Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Saint Nicomedes, Martyr on the via Nomentana
Our Lady of Sorrows

First Reading
1 Cor 12:12-14; 27-31a
Now you are Christ’s Body, and individually parts of it.
A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians

Brothers and sisters:
As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

Now the body is not a single part, but many.

Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it. Some people God has designated in the Church to be, first, Apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then, mighty deeds; then, gifts of healing, assistance, administration, and varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work mighty deeds? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5
℟. (3) We are his people: the sheep of his flock.

Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.

℟. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.

Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.

℟. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him; bless his name.

℟. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.

For he is good, the LORD,
whose kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

℟. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.

Acclamation before the Gospel
Lk 7:16
℟. Alleluia, alleluia.
A great prophet has arisen in our midst and God has visited his people.
℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Lk 7:11-17
Young man, I tell you, arise!
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming, “A great prophet has arisen in our midst,” and “God has visited his people.” This report about him spread through the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region.

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:
The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Then he kisses the book, saying quietly:
Through the words of the Gospel may our sins be wiped away.

09/14/2026

Monday of the Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Saint Albert, Patriarch of Jerusalem

The Exultation of the Holy Cross

First Reading
1 Cor 11:17-26, 33
If there are divisions among you, then you do not eat the Lord’s supper.
A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians

Brothers and sisters:
In giving this instruction, I do not praise the fact that your meetings are doing more harm than good. First of all, I hear that when you meet as a Church there are divisions among you, and to a degree I believe it; there have to be factions among you in order that also those who are approved among you may become known. When you meet in one place, then, it is not to eat the Lord’s supper, for in eating, each one goes ahead with his own supper, and one goes hungry while another gets drunk. Do you not have houses in which you can eat and drink? Or do you show contempt for the Church of God and make those who have nothing feel ashamed? What can I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this matter I do not praise you.

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, “This is my Body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my Blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 17
℟. (1 Cor 11:26b) Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.

Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin‑offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.”

℟. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.

“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!”

℟. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.

I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O Lord, know.

℟. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.

May all who seek you
exult and be glad in you
And may those who love your salvation
say ever, “The LORD be glorified.”

℟. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.

Acclamation before the Gospel
Jn 3:16
℟. Alleluia, alleluia.
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.
℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Lk 7:1-10
Not even in Israel have I found such faith.
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

When Jesus had finished all his words to the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die, and he was valuable to him. When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and save the life of his slave. They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying, “He deserves to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us.” And Jesus went with them, but when he was only a short distance from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed. For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him and, turning, said to the crowd following him, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” When the messengers returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:
The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Then he kisses the book, saying quietly:
Through the words of the Gospel may our sins be wiped away.

09/13/2026

Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

First Reading
Sir 27:30-28:7
Forgive your neighbor’s injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven.
A reading from the Book of Sirach

Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight. The vengeful will suffer the LORD’s vengeance, for he remembers their sins in detail. Forgive your neighbor’s injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven. Could anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the LORD? Could anyone refuse mercy to another like himself, can he seek pardon for his own sins? If one who is but flesh cherishes wrath, who will forgive his sins? Remember your last days, set enmity aside; remember death and decay, and cease from sin! Think of the commandments, hate not your neighbor; remember the Most High’s covenant, and overlook faults.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12
℟. (8) The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.

Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.

℟. The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.

He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills.
redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.

℟. The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.

He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.

℟. The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.

For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.

℟. The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.

Second Reading
Rom 14:7-9
Whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans

Brothers and sisters:
None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For this is why Christ died and came to life, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

The word of the Lord.

Acclamation before the Gospel
Jn 13:34
℟. Alleluia, alleluia.
I give you a new commandment, says the Lord; love one another as I have loved you.
℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mt 18:21-35
I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he refused. Instead, he had the fellow servant put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:
The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Then he kisses the book, saying quietly:
Through the words of the Gospel may our sins be wiped away.

The Creed is said.

09/12/2026

Saturday of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time
Saint Guy of Anderlecht
The Most Holy Name of Mary

First Reading
1 Cor 10:14-22
We, though many, are One Body, for we all partake of the one bread.
A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians

My beloved ones, avoid idolatry. I am speaking as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I am saying. The cup of blessing that we bless is it not a participation in the Blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the Body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one Body, for we all partake of the one loaf.

Look at Israel according to the flesh; are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? So what am I saying? That meat sacrificed to idols is anything? Or that an idol is anything? No, I mean that what they sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to become participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and also the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons. Or are we provoking the Lord to jealous anger? Are we stronger than him?

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 116:12-13, 17-18
℟. (17) To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.

How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.

℟. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.

To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.

℟. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.

Acclamation before the Gospel
Jn 14:23
℟. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him.
℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Lk 6:43-49
Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord,” but do not do what I command?
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

Jesus said to his disciples:
“A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.”

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:
The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Then he kisses the book, saying quietly:
Through the words of the Gospel may our sins be wiped away.

09/11/2026

Friday of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time
Blessed Bonaventura of Barcelona, Franciscan friar

First Reading
1 Cor 9:16-19, 22b-27
I have become all things to all, to save at least some.

A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians

Brothers and sisters:
If I preach the Gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it! If I do so willingly, I have a recompense, but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship. What then is my recompense? That, when I preach, I offer the Gospel free of charge so as not to make full use of my right in the Gospel.

Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible. I have become all things to all, to save at least some. All this I do for the sake of the Gospel, so that I too may have a share in it.

Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win. Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. Thus I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing. No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 84:3, 4, 5-6, 12
℟. (2) How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

My soul yearns and pines
for the courts of the LORD.
My heart and my flesh
cry out for the living God.

℟. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest
in which she puts her young—
Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
my king and my God!

℟. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

Blessed they who dwell in your house!
continually they praise you.
Blessed the men whose strength you are!
their hearts are set upon the pilgrimage.

℟. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

For a sun and a shield is the LORD God;
grace and glory he bestows;
The LORD withholds no good thing
from those who walk in sincerity.

℟. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

Acclamation before the Gospel
Jn 17:17b, 17a
℟. Alleluia, alleluia.
Your word, O Lord, is truth; consecrate us in the truth.
℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Lk 6:39-42
Can a blind person guide a blind person?
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

Jesus told his disciples a parable:
“Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.”

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:
The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Then he kisses the book, saying quietly:
Through the words of the Gospel may our sins be wiped away.

09/10/2026

Thank you to our Brother Knights who cooked and served a delicious breakfast to our First Responders.

JOE FRANK
TONY FAZIO
KERRY MASON
TIM IERONIMO
KEVIN KEANE

09/10/2026

Thursday of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time
Saint Nicholas da Tolentino, Agostinian

First Reading
1 Cor 8:1b-7, 11-13
When you sin against your brothers, weak as they are, you are sinning against Christ.
A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians

Brothers and sisters:
Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up. If anyone supposes he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if one loves God, one is known by him.

So about the eating of meat sacrificed to idols: we know that there is no idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. Indeed, even though there are so-called gods in heaven and on earth (there are, to be sure, many “gods” and many “lords”), yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom all things are and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things are and through whom we exist.

But not all have this knowledge. There are some who have been so used to idolatry up until now that, when they eat meat sacrificed to idols, their conscience, which is weak, is defiled.

Thus, through your knowledge, the weak person is brought to destruction, the brother for whom Christ died. When you sin in this way against your brothers and wound their consciences, weak as they are, you are sinning against Christ. Therefore, if food causes my brother to sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I may not cause my brother to sin.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 23-24
℟. (24b) Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.

℟. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.

℟. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

Probe me, O God, and know my heart;
try me, and know my thoughts;
See if my way is crooked,
and lead me in the way of old.

℟. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

Acclamation before the Gospel
1 Jn 4:12
℟. Alleluia, alleluia.
If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.
℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Lk 6:27-38
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

Jesus said to his disciples:
“To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.

“Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:
The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Then he kisses the book, saying quietly:
Through the words of the Gospel may our sins be wiped away.