Mass Readings: Sunday, 16th August 2020

FIRST READING
A reading from the book of the Prophet Isaiah 56:1. 6-7
I will bring foreigners to my holy mountain

Thus says the Lord: Have a care for justice, act with integrity, for soon
my salvation will come and my integrity be manifest.
Foreigners who have attached themselves to the Lord to serve him
and to love his name and be his servants – all who observe the
sabbath, not profaning it, and cling to my covenant – these I will
bring to my holy mountain. I will make them joyful in my house of
prayer. Their holocausts and their sacrifices will be accepted on my
altar, for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the
peoples.

The Word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm   Ps 66

Response:  Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.

1. O God, be gracious and bless us
and let your face shed its light upon us
So will your ways be known upon earth
and all nations learn your saving help.

2. Let the nations be glad and exult
With fairness you rule the peoples,
you guide the nations on earth.
for you rule the world with justice.

3. Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
May God still give us his blessing.
till the ends of the earth revere him.

SECOND READING   Romans 11:13-15. 29-32
With Israel, God never takes back his gifts or revokes his choice.

Let me tell you pagans this: I have been sent to the pagans as their
apostle, and I am proud of being sent, but the purpose of it is to
make my own people envious of you, and in this way save some of
them. Since their rejection meant the reconciliation of the world, do
you know what their admission will mean? Nothing less than a
resurrection from the dead! God never takes back his gifts or revokes
his choice.
Just as you changed from being disobedient to God, and now enjoy
mercy because of their disobedience, so those who are disobedient
now – and only because of the mercy shown to you – will also enjoy
mercy eventually. God has imprisoned all men in their own
disobedience only to show mercy to all mankind.

The Word of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation   Jn 10: 27

Alleluia, alleluia!

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,

says the Lord,

I know them and they follow me.

Alleluia!

or   Ps 129: 5

Alleluia, alleluia!

My Soul is waiting on the Lord,

I count on his word

Alleluia!

GOSPEL

A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew M 15:21-28

Woman, you have great faith.

Jesus left Genenesaret and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.

Then out came a Canaanite woman from that district and started

shouting, ‘Sir, Son of David, take pity on me. My daughter is

tormented by a devil.’ But he answered her not a word. And his

disciples went and pleaded with him. ‘Give her what she wants,’

they said ‘because she is shouting after us.’ He said in reply, ‘I was

sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel’. But the woman

had come up and was kneeling at his feet. ‘Lord,’ she said ‘help

me.’ He replied, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it

to the house-dogs’. She retorted, ‘Ah yes, sir; but even house-dogs

can eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table’. Then Jesus

answered her, ‘Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be

granted.’ And from that moment her daughter was well again.

The Gospel of the Lord.