FIRST READING (As long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel had the better of the fight.)

A reading from the Book of Exodus (17:8-13)

In those days, Amalek came and waged war against Israel. Moses, therefore, said to Joshua, “Pick out certain men, and tomorrow go out and engage Amalek in battle. I will be standing on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” So Joshua did as Moses told him: he engaged Amalek in battle after Moses had climbed to the top of the hill with Aaron and Hur. As long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel had the better of the fight, but when he let his hands rest, Amalek had the better of the fight. Moses’ hands, however, grew tired; so they put a rock in place for him to sit on. Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other, so that his hands remained steady till sunset. And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. —The Word of the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8)

R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. (Cf. Ps 121:2)

I lift up my eyes toward the mountains; whence shall help come to me? My help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. (R)

May he not suffer your foot to slip; may he slumber not who guards you: indeed he neither slumbers nor sleeps, the guardian of Israel. (R)

The Lord is your guardian; the Lord is your shade; he is beside you at your right hand. The sun shall not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. (R)

The Lord will guard you from all evil; he will guard your life. The Lord will guard your coming and your going, both now and forever. (R)

SECOND READING (One who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work.)

A reading from the second Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy (3:14-4:2)

Beloved: Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it, and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching. —The Word of the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Heb 4:12)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The word of God is living and effective, discerning reflections and thoughts of the heart. (R)

GOSPEL (God will secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him.)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (18:1-8)

Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, “There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’ For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.’” The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” —The Gospel of the Lord.

R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

OR

FIRST READING (Upon you the Lord shines, and over you appears his glory.)

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (60:1-6)

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the Lord shines, and over you appears his glory. Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance. Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you: your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.

Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you. Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; all from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the Lord.—The Word of the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (19:2-3, 4-5)

R. The heavens declare the glory of God. (Ps 19:2)

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day pours out the word to day; and night to night imparts knowledge. (R)

Not a word nor a discourse whose voice is not heard; through all the earth their voice resounds, and to the ends of the world, their message. (R)

SECOND READING (“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God.)

A reading from the Book of Revelation (1:3-8)

Blessed is the one who reads aloud and blessed are those who listen to this prophetic message and heed what is written in it, for the appointed time is near.

John, to the seven churches in Asia: grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father. To him be glory and power. Amen.

Behold, Jesus Christ is coming amid the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. All the peoples of the earth will lament him. Yes, Amen.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty.”—The Word of the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (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)

GOSPEL (As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world.)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (17:11b, 17-23)

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying: “Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one.

“Consecrate them in truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth.

“I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me.”—The Gospel of the Lord.

R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.