MONDAY OF THE THIRTY FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH

Antiphon

Cf. Ps 38 (37): 22-23

Forsake me not, O Lord, my God;

be not far from me!

Make haste and come to my help,

O Lord, my strong salvation!

Collect

Almighty and merciful God,

by whose gift your faithful offer you

right and praiseworthy service,

grant, we pray,

that we may hasten without stumbling

to receive the things you have promised.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, forever and ever.

Amen.

DAILY MASS READINGS

Monday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

Reading

PHIL 2:1-4

Brothers and sisters:

If there is any encouragement in Christ,

any solace in love,

any participation in the Spirit,

any compassion and mercy,

complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love,

united in heart, thinking one thing.

Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory;

rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves,

each looking out not for his own interests,

but also everyone for those of others.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 131:1BCDE, 2, 3

R. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.

O LORD, my heart is not proud,

nor are my eyes haughty;

I busy not myself with great things,

nor with things too sublime for me.

R. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.

Nay rather, I have stilled and quieted

my soul like a weaned child.

Like a weaned child on its mother’s lap,

so is my soul within me.

R. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.

O Israel, hope in the LORD,

both now and forever.

R. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.

Alleluia

JN 8:31B-32

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,

and you will know the truth, says the Lord.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

LK 14:12-14

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine

at the home of one of the leading Pharisees.

He said to the host who invited him,

“When you hold a lunch or a dinner,

do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters

or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors,

in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.

Rather, when you hold a banquet,

invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;

blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.

For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

SAINT OF THE DAY

October 31

Saint Wolfgang (d. 994)

Bishop and reformer.

Born in Swabia, Germany, he studied at Reichenau under the Benedictines and at Wurzburg before serving as a teacher in the cathedral school of Trier. He soon entered the Benedictines at Einsiedeln (964) and was appointed head of the monastery school, receiving ordination in 971. He then set out with a group of monks to preach among the Magyars of Hungary, but the following year (972) was named bishop of Regensburg by Emperor Otto II (r. 973-983). As bishop, he distinguished himself brilliantly for his reforming zeal and his skills as a statesman. He brought the clergy of the diocese into his reforms, restored monasteries, promoted education, preached enthusiastically, and was renowned for his charity and aid to the poor, receiving the title Eleemosynarius Major (Grand Almoner). 

He also served as tutor to Emperor Henry II (r. 1014-1024) while he was still king.

Wolfgang died at Puppingen near Linz, Austria.

He was canonized in 1052 by Pope St. Leo IX (r. 1049-1054).

OFFICE OF READINGS

O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will proclaim Your Praise!

Invitatory Psalm

Psalm 94 (95)

Let us listen for the voice of the Lord and enter into his peace.

Come, let us rejoice in the Lord,

let us acclaim God our salvation.

Let us come before him proclaiming our thanks,

let us acclaim him with songs.

Let us listen for the voice of the Lord and enter into his peace.

For the Lord is a great God,

a king above all gods.

For he holds the depths of the earth in his hands,

and the peaks of the mountains are his.

For the sea is his: he made it;

and his hands formed the dry land.

Let us listen for the voice of the Lord and enter into his peace.

Come, let us worship and bow down,

bend the knee before the Lord who made us;

for he himself is our God and we are his flock,

the sheep that follow his hand.

Let us listen for the voice of the Lord and enter into his peace.

If only, today, you would listen to his voice:

“Do not harden your hearts

as you did at Meribah,

on the day of Massah in the desert,

when your fathers tested me –

they put me to the test,

although they had seen my works.”

Let us listen for the voice of the Lord and enter into his peace.

“For forty years they wearied me,

that generation.

I said: their hearts are wandering,

they do not know my paths.

I swore in my anger:

they will never enter my place of rest.”

Let us listen for the voice of the Lord and enter into his peace.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Let us listen for the voice of the Lord and enter into his peace.

Hymn

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,

In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,

Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,

Almighty, victorious, thy great Name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,

Nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;

Thy justice like mountains high soaring above

Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all life thou givest, to both great and small;

In all life thou livest, the true life of all;

We blossom and flourish, like leaves on the tree,

Then wither and perish; but naught changeth thee.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,

Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;

All laud we would render: O help us to see

‘Tis only the splendor of light hideth thee.

Psalm 135 (136)

A paschal hymn

The Lord alone has wrought marvellous works,

for his love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,

for his love is forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods,

for his love is forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords,

for his love is forever.

He alone works wonders,

for his love is forever.

In his wisdom he made the heavens,

for his love is forever.

He set the Earth upon the waters,

for his love is forever.

He created the great lights,

for his love is forever.

The sun, to rule over the day,

for his love is forever.

The moon and stars, to rule over the night,

for his love is forever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

The Lord alone has wrought marvellous works,

for his love endures forever.

Psalm 135 (136)

He brought Israel out from Egypt,

with arm outstretched, with power in his hand.

He struck down the first-born of Egypt,

for his love is forever.

He led Israel out from their midst,

for his love is forever.

With a strong hand and an outstretched arm,

for his love is forever.

He divided the Red Sea in two,

for his love is forever.

He led Israel out through the sea,

for his love is forever.

He overthrew Pharaoh and his army,

for his love is forever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

He brought Israel out from Egypt,

with arm outstretched, with power in his hand.

Psalm 135 (136)

To the Lord of heaven give thanks:

he set us free from our foes.

He led his people through the wilderness,

for his love is forever.

He struck down great kings,

for his love is forever.

Sihon, king of the Amorites,

for his love is forever.

And Og, the king of Bashan,

for his love is forever.

He gave their land to his people,

for his love is forever.

A heritage for Israel his servant,

for his love is forever.

He remembered us in our affliction,

for his love is forever.

He rescued us from our enemies,

for his love is forever.

He gives food to all creatures that live,

for his love is forever.

Give thanks to the God of heaven,

for his love is forever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

To the Lord of heaven give thanks:

he set us free from our foes.

Lord, show me your ways,

– and teach me your paths.

First Reading

Wisdom 11:21-12:2,11-19

Lord, who can withstand the might of your arm?

In your sight the whole world is like a grain of dust that tips the scales,

like a drop of morning dew falling on the ground.

Yet you are merciful to all, because you can do all things

and overlook men’s sins so that they can repent.

Yes, you love all that exists, you hold nothing of what you have made in abhorrence,

for had you hated anything, you would not have formed it.

And how, had you not willed it, could a thing persist,

how be conserved if not called forth by you?

You spare all things because all things are yours, Lord, lover of life,

you whose imperishable spirit is in all.

Little by little, therefore, you correct those who offend,

you admonish and remind them of how they have sinned,

so that they may abstain from evil and trust in you, Lord.

Nor was it from awe of anyone that you left them unpunished for their sins.

Who would venture to say, ‘What have you done?’

Who would dare to defy your sentence?

Who arraign you for destroying nations which you have created?

What champion of guilty men dare come to confront you and challenge you?

For there is no god, other than you, who cares for every thing,

to whom you might have to prove that you never judged unjustly;

as for those you punished, no king, no despot, dare reproach you with it to your face.

Being just yourself, you order all things justly,

holding it unworthy of your power

to condemn a man who has not deserved to be punished.

Your justice has its source in strength,

your sovereignty over all makes you lenient to all.

You show your strength when your sovereign power is questioned

and you expose the insolence of those who know it;

but, disposing of such strength, you are mild in judgement,

you govern us with great lenience,

for you have only to will, and your power is there.

By acting thus you have taught a lesson to your people

how the virtuous man must be kindly to his fellow men,

and you have given your sons the good hope

that after sin you will grant repentance.

Responsory

Lord,

you alone are all-merciful and not one of your creatures do you reject.

You overlook our human failings,

hoping for our repentance,

because you are the Lord our God.

Look upon us and be gracious,

and show us your mercy,

because you are the Lord our God.

Second Reading

St Catherine of Siena's Dialogue on Divine Providence

How good and how delightful is your spirit, Lord, in all men!

The eternal Father, indescribably kind and tender, turned his eye to this soul and spoke to her thus:

‘O dearest daughter, I have determined to show my mercy and loving kindness to the world, and I choose to provide for mankind all that is good. But man, ignorant, turns into a death-giving thing what I gave in order to give him life. Not only ignorant, but cruel: cruel to himself. But still I go on providing. For this reason I want you to know:

whatever I give to man, I do it out of my great providence.

‘So it was that when, by my providence, I created man, I looked into myself and fell in love with the beauty of the creature I had made – for it had pleased me, in my providence, 

to create man in my own image and likeness.

‘Moreover, I gave man memory, to be able to remember the good things I had done for him and to be able to share in my own power, the power of the eternal Father.

‘Moreover, I gave man intellect, so that, seeing the wisdom of my Son, 

he could recognise and understand my own will;

for I am the giver of all graces and I give them with a burning fatherly love.

‘Moreover, I gave man the desire to love, sharing in the tenderness of the Holy Spirit,

so that he might love the things that his intellect had understood and seen.

‘But my kind providence did all this solely that man might be able to understand me and enjoy me, rejoicing in my vision for all eternity. And as I have told you elsewhere, 

the disobedience of your first parent Adam closed heaven to you –

and from that disobedience came all evil through the whole world.

‘To relieve man of the death that his own disobedience had brought, I tenderly and providently gave you my only-begotten Son to heal you and bring satisfaction for your needs. I gave him the task of being supremely obedient, to free the human race of the poison that your first parent’s disobedience had spread throughout the world. Falling in love, as it were, with his task, and truly obedient, he hurried to a shameful death on the most holy Cross. By his most holy death he gave you life: 

not human life this time, but with the strength of his divinity.’

Responsory

Guard me, O Lord, as the apple of your eye;

hide me in the shadow of your wings.

Display your great love,

you whose right hand saves those who trust in you;

hide me in the shadow of your wings.

Let us pray.

Lord God, deepen our faith,

strengthen our hope,

enkindle our love;

and so that we may obtain what you promise,

make us love what you command.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Let us praise the Lord.

– Thanks be to God.

OCTOBER 30 - THE THIRTY FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH

Antiphon

Cf. Ps 38 (37): 22-23

Forsake me not, O Lord, my God;

be not far from me!

Make haste and come to my help,

O Lord, my strong salvation!

Collect

Almighty and merciful God,

by whose gift your faithful offer you

right and praiseworthy service,

grant, we pray,

that we may hasten without stumbling

to receive the things you have promised.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, forever and ever.

Amen.

DAILY MASS READINGS

Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1

WIS 11:22-12:2

Before the LORD the whole universe is as a grain from a balance

or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth.

But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things;

and you overlook people's sins that they may repent.

For you love all things that are

and loathe nothing that you have made;

for what you hated, you would not have fashioned.

And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it;

or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you?

But you spare all things, because they are yours,

O LORD and lover of souls,

for your imperishable spirit is in all things!

Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little,

warn them and remind them of the sins they are committing,

that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O LORD!

Responsorial Psalm

PS 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13, 14

R. I will praise your name forever, 

my king and my God.

I will extol you, O my God and King,

and I will bless your name forever and ever.

Every day will I bless you,

and I will praise your name forever and ever.

R. I will praise your name forever, 

my king and my God.

The LORD is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger and of great kindness.

The LORD is good to all

and compassionate toward all his works.

R. I will praise your name forever, 

my king and my God.

Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,

and let your faithful ones bless you.

Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom

and speak of your might.

R. I will praise your name forever, 

my king and my God.

The LORD is faithful in all his words

and holy in all his works.

The LORD lifts up all who are falling

and raises up all who are bowed down.

R. I will praise your name forever, 

my king and my God.

Reading 2

2 THES 1:11-2:2

Brothers and sisters:

We always pray for you,

that our God may make you worthy of his calling

and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose

and every effort of faith,

that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,

and you in him,

in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.

We ask you, brothers and sisters,

with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ

and our assembling with him,

not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be alarmed

either by a “spirit,” or by an oral statement,

or by a letter allegedly from us

to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand.

Alleluia

JN 3:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

LK 19:1-10

At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.

Now a man there named Zacchaeus,

who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,

was seeking to see who Jesus was;

but he could not see him because of the crowd,

for he was short in stature.

So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus,

who was about to pass that way.

When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said,

“Zacchaeus, come down quickly,

for today I must stay at your house.”

And he came down quickly and received him with joy.

When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying,

“He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.”

But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,

“Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor,

and if I have extorted anything from anyone

I shall repay it four times over.”

And Jesus said to him,

“Today salvation has come to this house

because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.

For the Son of Man has come to seek

and to save what was lost.”

SAINT OF THE DAY

October 30

Saint Alphonsus Rodriquez (1532 - 1617)

Confessor and Jay brother, also called Alonso.

He was born in Segovia, Spain, on July 25, 1532, the son of a wealthy merchant, and was prepared for First Communion by Blessed Peter Favre, a friend of Alphonsus' father. While studying with the Jesuits at Alcala, Alphonsus had to return home when his father died. In Segovia he took over the family business, was married, and had a son. That son died, as did two other children and then his wife. Alphonsus sold his business and applied to the Jesuits. His lack of education and his poor health, undermined by his austerities, made him less than desirable as a candidate for the religious life, but he was accepted as a lay brother by the Jesuits on January 31, 1571. He underwent novitiate training and was sent to Montesion College on the island of Majorca. There he labored as a hall porter for twenty-four years. Overlooked by some of the Jesuits in the house, Alphonsus exerted a wondrous influence on many. Not only the young students, such as St. Peter Claver, but local civic tad and social leaders came to his porter's lodge for advice tad and direction. Obedience and penance were the hallmarks of his life, as well as his devotion to the Immaculate Conception. He experienced many spiritual consolations, 

and he wrote religious treatises, very simple in style but sound in doctrine.

Alphonsus died after a long illness on October 31, 1617, and his funeral was attended by Church and government leaders. He was declared Venerable in 1626, and was named a patron of Majorca in 1633. Alphonsus was beatified in 1825 and canonized in September 1888 with St. Peter Claver.

OFFICE OF READINGS

O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will proclaim Your Praise!

Invitatory Psalm

Psalm 99 (100)

Indeed, how good is the Lord:

bless his holy name.

Rejoice in the Lord, all the earth,

and serve him with joy.

Exult as you enter his presence.

Indeed, how good is the Lord:

bless his holy name.

Know that the Lord is God.

He made us and we are his

– his people, the sheep of his flock.

Indeed, how good is the Lord:

bless his holy name.

Cry out his praises as you enter his gates,

fill his courtyards with songs.

Proclaim him and bless his name;

for the Lord is our delight.

His mercy lasts forever,

his faithfulness through all the ages.

Indeed, how good is the Lord:

bless his holy name.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Indeed, how good is the Lord:

bless his holy name.

Hymn

God has spoken by his prophets,

Spoken his unchanging word,

Each from age to age proclaiming

God the One, the righteous Lord.

Mid the world’s despair and turmoil,

one firm anchor holdeth fast:

God is King, his throne eternal,

God the first and God the last.

God has spoken by Christ Jesus,

Christ, the everlasting Son,

Brightness of the Father’s glory,

With the Father ever one;

Spoken by the Word incarnate,

God of God, ere time began,

Light of Light, to earth descending,

Man, revealing God to man.

Psalm 37 (38)

The plea of a sinner in great peril

Do not punish me, Lord, in your rage.

Lord, do not rebuke me in your wrath,

do not ruin me in your anger:

for I am pierced by your arrows

and crushed beneath your hand.

In the face of your anger

there is no health in my body.

There is no peace for my bones,

no rest from my sins.

My transgressions rise higher than my head:

a heavy burden, they weigh me down.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Do not punish me, Lord, in your rage.

Psalm 37 (38)

O Lord, you know all my longing.

My wounds are corruption and decay

because of my foolishness.

I am bowed down and bent,

bent under grief all day long.

For a fire burns up my loins,

and there is no health in my body.

I am afflicted, utterly cast down,

I cry out from the sadness of my heart.

Lord, all that I desire is known to you;

my sighs are not hidden from you.

My heart grows weak, my strength leaves me,

and the light of my eyes – even that has gone.

My friends and my neighbors

keep far from my wounds.

Those closest to me keep far away,

while those who would kill me set traps,

those who would harm me make their plots:

they plan mischief all through the day.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

O Lord, you know all my longing.

Psalm 37 (38)

I confess my guilt to you, Lord;

do not forsake me, my savior.

But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;

like one who is dumb, I do not open my mouth.

I am like someone who cannot hear,

in whose mouth there is no reply.

For in you, Lord, I put my trust:

you will listen to me, Lord, my God.

For I have said, “Let them never triumph over me:

if my feet stumble, they will gloat.”

For I am ready to fall:

my suffering is before me always.

For I shall proclaim my wrongdoing:

I am anxious because of my sins.

All the time my enemies live and grow stronger;

they are so many, those who hate me without cause.

Returning evil for good they dragged me down,

because I followed the way of goodness.

Do not abandon me, Lord:

my God, do not leave me.

Hurry to my aid,

O Lord, my savior.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

I confess my guilt to you, Lord;

do not forsake me, my savior.

My eyes are weary with longing for your salvation

– and for your words of justice.

First Reading

Wisdom 8:1-21

Wisdom deploys her strength from one end of the earth to the other,

ordering all things for good.

She was it I loved and searched for from my youth;

I resolved to have her as my bride,

I fell in love with her beauty.

Her closeness to God lends lustre to her noble birth,

since the Lord of All has loved her.

Yes, she is an initiate in the mysteries of God’s knowledge,

making choice of the works he is to do.

If in this life wealth be a desirable possession,

what is more wealthy than Wisdom whose work is everywhere?

Or if it be the intellect that is at work,

where is there a greater than Wisdom, designer of all?

Or if it be virtue you love,

why, virtues are the fruit of her labors,

since it is she who teaches temperance and prudence,

justice and fortitude;

nothing in life is more serviceable to men than these.

Or if you are eager for wide experience,

she knows the past, she forecasts the future;

she knows how to turn maxims, and solve riddles;

she has foreknowledge of signs and wonders,

of the unfolding of the ages and the times.

I therefore determined to take her to share my life,

knowing she would be my counsellor in prosperity,

my comfort in cares and sorrow.

Through her, I thought, I shall be acclaimed where people gather

and honoured, while still a youth, among the elders.

I shall be reckoned shrewd when I sit in judgement,

in presence of the great I shall be admired.

They will wait on my silences,

and pay attention when I speak;

if I speak at some length, they will lay their hand on their lips.

By means of her, immortality shall be mine,

I shall leave an everlasting memory to my successors.

I shall govern peoples and nations will be subject to me;

at the sound of my name fearsome despots will be afraid;

I shall show myself kind to my people and valiant in battle.

When I go home I shall take my ease with her,

for nothing is bitter in her company,

when life is shared with her there is no pain,

gladness only, and joy.

Inwardly revolving these thoughts,

and considering in my heart

that immortality is found in being kin to Wisdom

pure contentment in her friendship,

inexhaustible riches in what she does,

intelligence in the cultivation of her society,

and renown in the fellowship of her conversation,

I went in all directions seeking by what means I might make her mine.

I was a boy of happy disposition,

I had received a good soul as my lot,

or rather, being good, I had entered an undefiled body;

but knowing I could not master Wisdom but by the gift of God

– a mark itself of understanding, to know whose the bounty was –

I turned to the Lord.

Responsory

I prayed, and understanding was given me;

I entreated, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.

I esteemed her more than sceptres and thrones.

If there is any one of you who needs wisdom,

he must ask God, who gives to all freely and ungrudgingly:

it will be given to him.

I entreated, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.

I esteemed her more than sceptres and thrones.

Second Reading

A tractate

by St Baldwin of Canterbury

The word of God is alive and active

The word of God is something alive and active: it cuts like any double-edged sword but more finely. These words tell us how much power and wisdom there is in the word of God for those who seek Christ, who is the word and the power and the wisdom of God. This word, with the Father from the beginning and co-eternal with him, came at its own chosen time, was revealed to them, was proclaimed by them, and was humbly received in faith by its believers. A word, therefore, in the Father; a word in the mouth;

and a word in the heart.

This word of God is alive. The Father gave it life coming from itself just as the Father’s own life comes from himself. The word is not just alive, therefore, it is life, as it said itself: I am the way, the truth, and the life. Since the word is life, the word is alive to give life. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son gives life to anyone he chooses. He gives life,

as when he calls the dead man out of the tomb, saying Lazarus, come forth.

When this word is preached, the voice of its preaching which is heard outwardly calls forth a voice of power that is heard inwardly, that voice by which the dead are restored to life and their praise raises up sons for Abraham. So this word is alive in the heart of the Father, alive in the mouth of the preacher, and alive in the hearts of those who believe and love. If a word is alive in this way, 

how can it not also be active?

The word is active in creating, active in guiding the world, active in redeeming the world. What could be more active? What could be more powerful? Who shall tell of his powerful deeds? 

Who shall proclaim the praises of the Lord? It is active when it works,

it is active when it is preached. For it does not come back empty-handed: wherever it is sent, it prospers.

It is active and cuts finer than a double-edged sword when it is believed and loved. For what is impossible to the believer? What is hard for the lover? When this word speaks, its words transfix the heart like a flight of sharp arrows, like nails hammered deep into its very essence. This word is sharper than a double-edged sword in that it cuts deeper than any strength or power,

it is finer than anything made by human ingenuity, sharper than any human wisdom or learned speech.

Responsory

The source of wisdom is the word of God in the heavens;

her ways are the eternal laws.

To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

her ways are the eternal laws.

Let us pray.

Lord God, deepen our faith,

strengthen our hope,

enkindle our love;

and so that we may obtain what you promise,

make us love what you command.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Let us praise the Lord.

– Thanks be to God.