Daily Readings

The souls of the just are in the hand of God,
    and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
    and their passing away was thought an affliction
    and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.
For if before men, indeed, they be punished,
    yet is their hope full of immortality;
Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
    because God tried them
    and found them worthy of himself.
As gold in the furnace, he proved them,
    and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
In the time of their visitation they shall shine,
    and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;
They shall judge nations and rule over peoples,
    and the LORD shall be their King forever.
Those who trust in him shall understand truth,
    and the faithful shall abide with him in love:
Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones,
    and his care is with his elect.

R. (5) Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
    we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
    and our tongue with rejoicing.  

R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Then they said among the nations,
    “The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us;
    we are glad indeed.  

R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
    like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those who sow in tears
    shall reap rejoicing.  

R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Although they go forth weeping,
    carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
    carrying their sheaves.  

R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

R.  Alleluia, alleluia.

If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you,
for the Spirit of God rests upon you.  

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus said to his Apostles:
“Beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts
    and scourge you in their synagogues,
    and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake
    as a witness before them and the pagans.
When they hand you over,
    do not worry about how you are to speak
    or what you are to say.
You will be given at that moment what you are to say.
For it will not be you who speak
    but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Brother will hand over brother to death,
    and the father his child;
    children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
    but whoever endures to the end will be saved.”