Mass Readings: Sunday - 01st November 2020

FIRST READING
A reading from the book of the Apocalypse 7:2-4. 9-14
I saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people of every
nation, race, tribe and language.

I, John saw another angel rising where the sun rises, carrying the
seal of the living God; he called in a powerful voice to the four
angels whose duty was to devastate land and sea, ‘Wait before
you do any damage on land or at sea or to the trees, until we
have put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.’
Then I heard how many were sealed: a hundred and forty-four
thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel.
After that I saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people
from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing
in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white
robes and holding palms in their hands. They shouted aloud,
‘Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ And
all the angels who were standing in a circle round the throne,
surrounding the elders and the four animals, prostrated themselves
before the throne, and touched the ground with their foreheads,
worshipping God with these words, ‘Amen. Praise and glory and
wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength to
our God for ever and ever., Amen.’
One of the elders then spoke, and asked me, ‘Do you know who
these people are, dressed in white robes, and where they have
come from?’ I answered him, ‘You can tell me, my lord.’ Then he
said, ‘These are the people who have been through the great
persecution, and because they have washed their robes white
again in the blood of the Lamb.

The Word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm  Ps 23

Response:  Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord

1. The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,
the world and all its peoples.
It is he who set it on the seas;
on the waters he made it firm.

2. Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart,
who desires not worthless things.

3. He shall receive blessings from the Lord
and reward from the God who saves him.
Such are the men who seek him,
seek the face of the God of Jacob.

SECOND READING
A reading from the first letter of John 3:1-3
We shall see God as he really is.

Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us,
by letting us be called God’s children;
and that is what we are.
Because the world refused to acknowledge him,
therefore it does not acknowledge us.
My dear people, we are already the children of God
but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed;
all we know is, that when it is revealed
we shall be like him because we shall see him as he really is.
Surely everyone who entertains this hope must purify himself,
must try to be as pure as Christ.

The Word of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation   Mt 11: 28

Alleluia, Alleluia!
Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
Alleluia

GOSPEL
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew   5:1-12
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.

‘How happy are the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy the gentle: they shall have the earth for their heritage.
Happy those who mourn: they shall be comforted.
Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right: they shall be
satisfied.
Happy the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them.
Happy the pure in heart: they shall see God.
Happy the peacemakers: they shall be called sons of God.
Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right: theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
‘Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and
speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice
and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how
they persecuted the prophets before you.’

The Gospel of the Lord.