FIRST READING:
2 Peter 1: 2 - 7
2
May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and
of Jesus our Lord.
3
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life
and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own
glory and excellence,
4
by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises,
that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the
world because of passion, and become partakers of the divine nature.
5
For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with
virtue, and virtue with knowledge,
6
and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness,
and steadfastness with godliness,
7
and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with
love.
PSALM:
Psalms 91: 1 - 2, 14 - 16
1
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, who abides in the
shadow of the Almighty,
2
will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress; my God, in
whom I trust."
14
Because he cleaves to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect
him, because he knows my name.
15
When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in
trouble, I will rescue him and honor him.
16
With long life I will satisfy him, and show him my salvation.
GOSPEL: Mark
12: 1 - 12
1
And he began to speak to them in parables. "A man planted a
vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a pit for the wine
press, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into
another country.
2
When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, to get from
them some of the fruit of the vineyard.
3
And they took him and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.
4
Again he sent to them another servant, and they wounded him in the
head, and treated him shamefully.
5
And he sent another, and him they killed; and so with many others,
some they beat and some they killed.
6
He had still one other, a beloved son; finally he sent him to them,
saying, `They will respect my son.'
7
But those tenants said to one another, `This is the heir; come, let
us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'
8
And they took him and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.
9
What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the
tenants, and give the vineyard to others.
10
Have you not read this scripture: `The very stone which the builders
rejected has become the head of the corner;
11
this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?"
12
And they tried to arrest him, but feared the multitude, for they
perceived that he had told the parable against them; so they left him
and went away.
