DAILY MASS READING - WEDNESDAY JUNE 22nd, 2016

Wednesday of week 12 in Ordinary Time 

  or Saint Paulinus of Nola, Bishop 

  or Saints John Fisher, Bishop, and Thomas More, Martyrs 

Liturgical Colour: Green.

Readings at Mass

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Entrance Antiphon	Cf. Ps 27: 8-9

The Lord is the strength of his people,

a saving refuge for the one he has anointed.

Save your people, Lord, and bless your heritage,

and govern them for ever.

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Collect

Grant, O Lord,

that we may always revere and love your holy name,

for you never deprive of your guidance

those you set firm on the foundation of your love.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

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First reading
2 Kings 22:8-13,23:1-3

The high priest Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, ‘I have found the Book of the Law in the Temple of the Lord.’’’ And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who read it. Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him as follows, ‘Your servants’ he said ‘have melted down the silver which was in the Temple and have handed it over to the masters of works attached to the Temple of the Lord.’ Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, ‘Hilkiah the priest has given me a book’; and Shaphan read it aloud in the king’s presence.

  On hearing the contents of the Book of the Law, the king tore his garments, and gave the following order to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s minister: ‘Go and consult the Lord, on behalf of me and the people, about the contents of this book that has been found. Great indeed must be the anger of the Lord blazing out against us because our ancestors did not obey what this book says by practising everything written in it.’

  The king then had all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem summoned to him, and the king went up to the Temple of the Lord with all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, priests, prophets and all the people, of high or low degree. In their hearing he read out everything that was said in the book of the covenant found in the Temple of the Lord. The king stood beside the pillar, and in the presence of the Lord he made a covenant to follow the Lord and keep his commandments and decrees and laws with all his heart and soul, in order to enforce the terms of the covenant as written in that book. All the people gave their allegiance to the covenant.

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Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 118:33-37,40

Lord, teach me your statutes.

Teach me the demands of your statutes

  and I will keep them to the end.

Train me to observe your law,

  to keep it with my heart.

Lord, teach me your statutes.

Guide me in the path of your commands;

  for there is my delight.

Bend my heart to your will

  and not to love of gain.

Lord, teach me your statutes.

Keep my eyes from what is false;

  by your word, give me life.

See, I long for your precepts;

  then in your justice, give me life.

Lord, teach me your statutes.

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Gospel Acclamation	Ps118:18

Alleluia, alleluia!

Open my eyes, O Lord, that I may consider

the wonders of your law.

Alleluia!

Or	Jn15:4,5

Alleluia, alleluia!

Make your home in me, as I make mine in you,

says the Lord;

whoever remains in me bears fruit in plenty.

Alleluia!

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Gospel	Matthew 7:15-20

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Beware of false prophets who come to you disguised as sheep but underneath are ravenous wolves. You will be able to tell them by their fruits. Can people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, a sound tree produces good fruit but a rotten tree bad fruit. A sound tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor a rotten tree bear good fruit. Any tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown on the fire. I repeat, you will be able to tell them by their fruits.’

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Prayer over the Offerings

Receive, O Lord, the sacrifice of conciliation and praise

and grant that, cleansed by its action,

we may make offering of a heart pleasing to you.

Through Christ our Lord.

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Communion Antiphon	Ps 144: 15

The eyes of all look to you, Lord,

and you give them their food in due season.

Or	Jn 10: 11, 15

I am the Good Shepherd,

and I lay down my life for my sheep, says the Lord.

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Prayer after Communion

Renewed and nourished

by the Sacred Body and Precious Blood of your Son,

we ask of your mercy, O Lord,

that what we celebrate with constant devotion

may be our sure pledge of redemption.

Through Christ our Lord.