Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1
Heb 8:6-13
Brothers and sisters:Now our high priest has obtained so much more excellent a ministryas he is mediator of a better covenant, enacted on better promises.
For if that first covenant had been faultless, no place would have been sought for a second one.But he finds fault with them and says:Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord,when I will conclude a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathersthe day I took them by the hand to lead them forth from the land of Egypt;for they did not stand by my covenantand I ignored them, says the Lord.But this is the covenant I will establish with the house of Israelafter those days, says the Lord:I will put my laws in their mindsand I will write them upon their hearts.I will be their God,and they shall be my people.And they shall not teach, each one his fellow citizen and kin, saying,"Know the Lord,"for all shall know me, from least to greatest.For I will forgive their evildoingand remember their sins no more.
When he speaks of a "new" covenant, he declares the first one obsolete.And what has become obsolete and has grown old is close to disappearing.
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Responsorial Psalm
Ps 85:8 and 10, 11-12, 13-14
R. (11a) Kindness and truth shall meet.
Show us, O LORD, your mercy,
and grant us your salvation.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R. Kindness and truth shall meet.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R. Kindness and truth shall meet.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and salvation, along the way of his steps.
R. Kindness and truth shall meet.
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Gospel
Mk 3:13-19
Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him.He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles,that they might be with himand he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons:He appointed the Twelve:Simon, whom he named Peter; James, son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder;Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew,Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean,and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
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