FIRST READING: 1 Peter 2: 2 - 5, 9 - 12
2 Like newborn babes, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation;
3 for you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.
4 Come to him, to that living stone, rejected by men but in God's sight chosen and precious;
5 and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
10 Once you were no people but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy.
11 Beloved, I beseech you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh that wage war against your soul.
12 Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles, so that in case they speak against you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
PSALM: Psalms 100: 2 - 5
2 Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!
3 Know that the LORD is God! It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him, bless his name!
5 For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures for ever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
GOSPEL: Mark 10: 46 - 52
46 And they came to Jericho; and as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great multitude, Bartimae'us, a blind beggar, the son of Timae'us, was sitting by the roadside.
47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
48 And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"
49 And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; rise, he is calling you."
50 And throwing off his mantle he sprang up and came to Jesus.
51 And Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" And the blind man said to him, "Master, let me receive my sight."
52 And Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.
