St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs (Memorial)

Saints

• Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
• St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs of Uganda

Daily Readings:

First Option

• First Reading

  2 Timothy 1:1-3, 6-12
  

  1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life which is in Christ Jesus, 2To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3I thank God whom I serve with a clear conscience, as did my fathers, when I remember you constantly in my prayers. 6Hence I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; 7for God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control. 8Do not be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel in the power of God, 9who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not in virtue of our works but in virtue of his own purpose and the grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus ages ago, 10and now has manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11For this gospel I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12and therefore I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.

• Responsorial Psalm

  Psalms 123:1-2
  

  1To thee I lift up my eyes, O thou who art enthroned in the heavens! 2Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he have mercy upon us.

• Gospel

  Mark 12:18-27
  

  18And Sad'ducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection; and they asked him a question, saying, 19"Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man must take the wife, and raise up children for his brother. 20There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no children; 21and the second took her, and died, leaving no children; and the third likewise; 22and the seven left no children. Last of all the woman also died. 23In the resurrection whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife." 24Jesus said to them, "Is not this why you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God? 25For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God said to him, `I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? 27He is not God of the dead, but of the living; you are quite wrong."

Second Option

• First Reading

  2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14
  

  1It happened also that seven brothers and their mother were arrested and were being compelled by the king, under torture with whips and cords, to partake of unlawful swine's flesh. 2One of them, acting as their spokesman, said, "What do you intend to ask and learn from us? For we are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our fathers." 9And when he was at his last breath, he said, "You accursed wretch, you dismiss us from this present life, but the King of the universe will raise us up to an everlasting renewal of life, because we have died for his laws." 10After him, the third was the victim of their sport. When it was demanded, he quickly put out his tongue and courageously stretched forth his hands, 11and said nobly, "I got these from Heaven, and because of his laws I disdain them, and from him I hope to get them back again." 12As a result the king himself and those with him were astonished at the young man's spirit, for he regarded his sufferings as nothing. 13When he too had died, they maltreated and tortured the fourth in the same way. 14And when he was near death, he said, "One cannot but choose to die at the hands of men and to cherish the hope that God gives of being raised again by him. But for you there will be no resurrection to life!"

• 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 5:1-12
  

  1Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. 2And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. 8"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11"Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.