Mass Readings - Sunday, 24th February 2019

FIRST READING          1 Samuel 26:2,7-9,11-13,22-23
Do not lift your hand against the Lord's anointed


Saul set off and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, accompanied by
three thousand men chosen from Israel to search for David in the
wilderness of Ziph.

In the dark David and Abishai made their way towards the force,
where they found Saul lying asleep inside the camp, his spear stuck in
the ground beside his head, with Abner and the troops lying round
him.

Then Abishai said to David, ‘Today God has put your enemy in
your power; so now let me pin him to the ground with his own spear.
Just one stroke! I will not need to strike him twice.’ David answered
Abishai, ‘Do not kill him, for who can lift his hand against the Lord’s
anointed and be without guilt? The Lord forbid that I should raise my
hand against the Lord’s anointed! But now take the spear beside his
head and the pitcher of water and let us go away.’ David took the
spear and the pitcher of water from beside Saul’s head, and they made
off. No one saw, no one knew, no one woke up; they were all asleep,
for a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen on them.

David crossed to the other side and halted on the top of the
mountain a long way off; there was a wide space between them. He
called out, ‘Here is the king’s spear. Let one of the soldiers come
across and take it. The Lord repays everyone for his uprightness and
loyalty. Today the Lord put you in my power, but I would not raise
my hand against the Lord’s anointed.’

The word of the Lord



RESPONSORIAL PSALM:          Psalm 102

Response:  The Lord is compassion and love.

1. My soul, give thanks to the Lord,
all my being, bless his holy name.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord
and never forget all his blessings.  Response

2. It is he who forgives all your guilt,
who heals every one of your ills,
who redeems your life from the grave,
who crowns you with love and compassion. Response

3. The Lord is compassion and love,
Slow to anger and rich in mercy.
He does not treat us according to our sins
nor repay us according to our faults. Response

4. As far as the east is from the west
so far does he remove our sins.
As a father has compassion on his sons,
the Lord has pity on those who fear him. Response



SECOND READING          1 Corinthians (15:45-49)
The first Adam became a living soul; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.

The first man, Adam, as scripture says, became a living soul; but the
last Adam has become a life-giving spirit. That is, first the one with
the soul, not the spirit, and after that, the one with the spirit. The first
man, being from the earth, is earthly by nature; the second man is
from heaven. As this earthly man was, so are we on earth; and as the
heavenly man is, so are we in heaven. And we, who have been
modelled on the earthly man, will be modelled on the heavenly man.

The word of the Lord.



Gospel Acclamation          John 13:34
Alleluia, alleluia!

I give you a new commandment:
love one another just as I have loved you,
says the Lord.

Alleluia!



GOSPEL          Luke 6:27-38
Love your enemies

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I say this to you who are listening: Love
your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse
you, pray for those who treat you badly. To the man who slaps you on
one cheek, present the other cheek too; to the man who takes your
cloak from you, do not refuse your tunic. Give to everyone who asks
you, and do not ask for your property back from the man who robs
you. Treat others as you would like them to treat you. If you love
those who love you, what thanks can you expect? Even sinners love
those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to
you, what thanks can you expect? For even sinners do that much. And
if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what thanks can
you expect? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back the same amount.
Instead, love your enemies and do good, and lend without any hope of
return. You will have a great reward, and you will be sons of the Most
High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.

‘Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge,
and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will
not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned.
Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down,
shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap;
because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given
back.’

The Gospel of the Lord