The First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church (Optional Memorial)

June 30, 2018

Saints

Daily Readings:

First Option

  • First Reading

    Lamentations 2:2, 10-14, 18-19

    2The Lord has destroyed without mercy all the habitations of Jacob; in his wrath he has broken down the strongholds of the daughter of Judah; he has brought down to the ground in dishonor the kingdom and its rulers. 10The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence; they have cast dust on their heads and put on sackcloth; the maidens of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground. 11My eyes are spent with weeping; my soul is in tumult; my heart is poured out in grief because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because infants and babes faint in the streets of the city. 12They cry to their mothers, "Where is bread and wine?" as they faint like wounded men in the streets of the city, as their life is poured out on their mothers' bosom. 13What can I say for you, to what compare you, O daughter of Jerusalem? What can I liken to you, that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For vast as the sea is your ruin; who can restore you? 14Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions; they have not exposed your iniquity to restore your fortunes, but have seen for you oracles false and misleading. 18Cry aloud to the Lord! O daughter of Zion! Let tears stream down like a torrent day and night! Give yourself no rest, your eyes no respite! 19Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the watches! Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord! Lift your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint for hunger at the head of every street.

  • Responsorial Psalm

    Psalms 74:1-7, 20-21

    1O God, why dost thou cast us off for ever? Why does thy anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture? 2Remember thy congregation, which thou hast gotten of old, which thou hast redeemed to be the tribe of thy heritage! Remember Mount Zion, where thou hast dwelt. 3Direct thy steps to the perpetual ruins; the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary! 4Thy foes have roared in the midst of thy holy place; they set up their own signs for signs. 5At the upper entrance they hacked the wooden trellis with axes. 6And then all its carved wood they broke down with hatchets and hammers. 7They set thy sanctuary on fire; to the ground they desecrated the dwelling place of thy name. 20Have regard for thy covenant; for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence. 21Let not the downtrodden be put to shame; let the poor and needy praise thy name.

  • Gospel

    Matthew 8:5-17

    5As he entered Caper'na-um, a centurion came forward to him, beseeching him 6and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress." 7And he said to him, "I will come and heal him." 8But the centurion answered him, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9For I am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, `Go,' and he goes, and to another, `Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, `Do this,' and he does it." 10When Jesus heard him, he marveled, and said to those who followed him, "Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith. 11I tell you, many will come from east and west and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth." 13And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; be it done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed at that very moment. 14And when Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever; 15he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and served him. 16That evening they brought to him many who were possessed with demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick. 17This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, "He took our infirmities and bore our diseases."

Second Option

  • First Reading

    Romans 8:31-39

    31What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who is against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him? 33Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies; 34who is to condemn? Is it Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us? 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36As it is written, "For thy sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

  • Responsorial Psalm

    Psalms 124:2-5, 7-8

    2if it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us, 3then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; 4then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us; 5then over us would have gone the raging waters. 7We have escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped! 8Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

  • Gospel

    Matthew 24:4-13

    4And Jesus answered them, "Take heed that no one leads you astray. 5For many will come in my name, saying, `I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray. 6And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: 8all this is but the beginning of the birth-pangs. 9"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10And then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another. 11And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12And because wickedness is multiplied, most men's love will grow cold. 13But he who endures to the end will be saved.