St. John of the Cross, Priest, Doctor of the Church (Memorial)

December 14, 2019

Saints

Daily Readings:

First Option

  • First Reading

    Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11

    1Then the prophet Elijah arose like a fire, and his word burned like a torch. 2He brought a famine upon them, and by his zeal he made them few in number. 3By the word of the Lord he shut up the heavens, and also three times brought down fire. 4How glorious you were, O Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! And who has the right to boast which you have? 9You who were taken up by a whirlwind of fire, in a chariot with horses of fire; 10you who are ready at the appointed time, it is written, to calm the wrath of God before it breaks out in fury, to turn the heart of the father to the son, and to restore the tribes of Jacob. 11Blessed are those who saw you, and those who have been adorned in love; for we also shall surely live.

  • Responsorial Psalm

    Psalms 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19

    1Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou who leadest Joseph like a flock! Thou who art enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth 2before E'phraim and Benjamin and Manas'seh! Stir up thy might, and come to save us! 14Turn again, O God of hosts! Look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine, 15the stock which thy right hand planted. 17But let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, the son of man whom thou hast made strong for thyself! 18Then we will never turn back from thee; give us life, and we will call on thy name!

  • Gospel

    Matthew 17:10-13

    10And the disciples asked him, "Then why do the scribes say that first Eli'jah must come?" 11He replied, "Eli'jah does come, and he is to restore all things; 12but I tell you that Eli'jah has already come, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of man will suffer at their hands." 13Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Second Option

  • First Reading

    1 Corinthians 2:1-10

    1When I came to you, brethren, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God in lofty words or wisdom. 2For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3And I was with you in weakness and in much fear and trembling; 4and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 6Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. 7But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glorification. 8None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him," 10God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.

  • Responsorial Psalm

    Psalms 37:3-6, 30-31

    3Trust in the LORD, and do good; so you will dwell in the land, and enjoy security. 4Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. 6He will bring forth your vindication as the light, and your right as the noonday. 30The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. 31The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.

  • Gospel

    Luke 14:25-33

    25Now great multitudes accompanied him; and he turned and said to them, 26"If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30saying, `This man began to build, and was not able to finish.' 31Or what king, going to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an embassy and asks terms of peace. 33So therefore, whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.