Mass Readings

First reading	Baruch 1:15-22 ©
Integrity belongs to the Lord our God; to us the look of shame we wear today, to us, the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem, to our kings and princes, our priests, our prophets, as to our ancestors, because we have sinned in the sight of the Lord, have disobeyed him, and have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God telling us to follow the commandments which the Lord had ordained for us. From the day when the Lord brought our ancestors out of the land of Egypt until today we have been disobedient to the Lord our God, we have been disloyal, refusing to listen to his voice. And so the disasters, and the curse which the Lord pronounced through his servant Moses the day he brought our fathers out of Egypt to give us a land where milk and honey flow, have seized on us, disasters we experience today. Despite all the words of those prophets whom he sent us, we have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God, but, each following the dictates of his evil heart, we have taken to serving alien gods, and doing what is displeasing to the Lord our God.

First reading

Baruch 1:15-22 ©

Integrity belongs to the Lord our God; to us the look of shame we wear today, to us, the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem, to our kings and princes, our priests, our prophets, as to our ancestors, because we have sinned in the sight of the Lord, have disobeyed him, and have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God telling us to follow the commandments which the Lord had ordained for us. From the day when the Lord brought our ancestors out of the land of Egypt until today we have been disobedient to the Lord our God, we have been disloyal, refusing to listen to his voice. And so the disasters, and the curse which the Lord pronounced through his servant Moses the day he brought our fathers out of Egypt to give us a land where milk and honey flow, have seized on us, disasters we experience today. Despite all the words of those prophets whom he sent us, we have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God, but, each following the dictates of his evil heart, we have taken to serving alien gods, and doing what is displeasing to the Lord our God.

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 78:1-5,8-9

Gospel	Matthew 18:1-5,10 ©
The disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ So he called a little child to him and set the child in front of them. Then he said, ‘I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ‘Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. ‘See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.’

Gospel

Matthew 18:1-5,10 ©

The disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ So he called a little child to him and set the child in front of them. Then he said, ‘I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

‘Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. ‘See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.’

From: Baruch 1:15-22

Admission of sin
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[15] And you shall say: 'Righteousness belongs to the Lord our God, but confu-
sion of face, as at this day, to us, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Je-
rusalem, [16] and to our kings and our princes and our priests and our prophets
and our fathers, [17] because we have sinned before the Lord, [18] and have dis-
obeyed him, and have not heeded the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in the
statutes of the Lord which he set before us. [19] From the day when the Lord
brought our fathers out of the land of Egypt until today, we have been disobe-
dient to the Lord our God, and we have been negligent, in not heeding his voice.
[20] So to this day there have clung to us the calamities and the curse which
the Lord declared through Moses his servant at the time when he brought our
fathers out of the land of Egypt to give to us a land flowing with milk and honey.
[21] We did not heed the voice of the Lord our God in all the words of the pro-
phets whom he sent to us, but we each followed the intent of his own wicked
heart by serving other gods and doing what is evil in the sight of the Lord our
God.

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Commentary:

1:15-22. This passage marks the start of a prayer of lamentation and contrition --
themes that take up a large part of the book. Similar sentiments are to be found
in Daniel 9:5-11. A chorus is repeated at three points: "We have not heeded the
voice of the Lord" (cf. vv. 18, 19, 21; cf. 2:5). Three sins are singled out – disobe-
dience to the Lord's commandments (v. 18); failure to listen to the message of
the prophets sent by God (v. 21); and lapsing into idolatry (v. 22).

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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.