First Reading

Reading from the first book of Samuel

1 Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22

In those days all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Ramah to see Samuel. They said to him: “Look, you are old, and your sons do not follow your example. So give us a king to govern us like all the other nations.”

Samuel was displeased that they had asked for a king to govern them. He prayed to the Lord, who replied: “Grant the people’s every request. It is not you they reject, they are rejecting me as their king.”

Samuel told the people who had asked for a king exactly what the Lord had said: “This is how the king who will reign over you will treat you: He will take your sons and assign them to his chariots and horses, and they will run before his chariot. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. Others he will assign to plow his fields and harvest his crops. He will conscript your daughters to be ointments mixers, cooks, and bakers. He will take your best fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his officials. He will tithe your crops and grape harvests to give to his officials and his servants. He will take your male and female servants, as well as your best oxen and donkeys, and use them to do his work. He will also tithe your flocks. In short, you will become his slaves. On that day you will cry out to the Lord because of the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you.”

But the people refused to listen to Samuel and insisted: “No, we want a king over us, so that we too can be like all the other nations. Our king will govern us, lead us in battle, and fight our wars.” Samuel listened to all the people had to say and repeated it to the Lord, who then said to him: “Give them a king, as they ask.”

Gospel

Reading from the holy Gospel according to Saint Mark

Mark 2:1-12

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home. Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door, and he preached the word to them. They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves, “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?”

Jesus immediately knew in his mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth”—he said to the paralytic, “I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.”

He rose, picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone. They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”