Mass Readings: Sunday, 28th June 2020

FIRST READING
A reading from the Second Book of Kings    4:8-11. 14-16
The man who is constantly passing our way must be a holy man of God.

One day as Elisha was on his way to Shunem, a woman of rank who
lived there pressed him to stay and eat there. After this he always
broke his journey for a meal when he passed that way. She said to
her husband, ‘Look, I am sure the man who is constantly passing our
way must be a holy man of God. Let us build him a small room on
the roof, and put him a bed in it, and a table and chair and lamp;
whenever he comes to us he can rest there.’
One day when he came, he retired to the upper room and lay
down. ‘What can be done for her then?’ he asked. Gehazi
answered, ‘Well, she has no son and her husband is old’. Elisha said,
‘Call her’. The servant called her and she stood at the door. ‘This
time next year,’ he said ‘you will hold a son in your arms.’

The Word of the Lord.



Responsorial    Psalm Ps 88

Response:  I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

1. I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord;
through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth.
Of this I am sure, that your love lasts for ever,
that your truth is firmly established as the heavens.

Response:  I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

2. Happy the people who acclaim such a king,
who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face,
who find their joy every day in your name,
who make your justice the source of their bliss.

Response:  I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

3. For it is you, O Lord, who are the glory of their strength;
it is by your favour that our might is exalted:
for our ruler is in the keeping of the Lord;
our king in the keeping of the Holy One of lsrael.

Response:  I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.



SECOND READING
A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Romans    6: 3-4. 8-11
When we were baptised we went into the tomb with Christ, so that
we too might live a new life.

You have been taught that when we were baptised in Christ Jesus
we were baptised in his death; in other words, when we were
baptised we went into the tomb with him and joined him in death, so
that as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father’s glory, we too
might live a new life.
But we believe that having died with Christ we shall return to life with
him: Christ, as we know, having been raised from the dead will never
die again. Death has no power over him any more. When he died,
he died, once for all, to sin, so his life now is life with God; and in that
way, you too must consider yourselves to be dead to sin but alive for
God in Christ Jesus.

The Word of the Lord.



Gospel Acclamation    Acts 16: 10

Alleluia, alleluia!
Open our heart, O Lord,
to accept the words of your Son.
Alleluia!

Or 1 Peter 2:9

Alleluia, alleluia!
You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a people set apart,
to sing the praises of God
who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Alleluia!



GOSPEL
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew    10:37-42
Anyone who does not take his cross and follow in my footsteps is not
worthy of me. Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me.

Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows :
‘Anyone who prefers father or mother to me is not worthy of me.
Anyone who prefers son or daughter to me is not worthy of me.
Anyone who does not take his cross and follow in my footsteps is not
worthy of me.
Anyone who finds his life will lose it; anyone who loses his life for my
sake will find it.
Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me; and those who welcome
me welcome the one who sent me.
Anyone who welcomes a prophet will have a prophet’s reward; and
anyone who welcomes a holy man will have a holy man’s reward.
‘If anyone gives so much as a cup of cold water to one of these little
ones because he is a disciple, then I tell you solemnly, he will most
certainly not lose his reward.’

The Gospel of the Lord.