First Reading

Reading from the book of Leviticus

Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18

In those days, the Lord said to Moses: “Speak to the assembly of the children of Israel and tell them: ‘Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy. You shall not steal. You shall not lie or deceive one another. You shall not swear falsely by my name; that would profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.

You shall not oppress or exploit your neighbor. You shall not withhold until the next day the wages of the laborer who works for you. You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind. You shall fear your God. I am the Lord.

You shall not be unjust in judgment, neither favoring the poor nor respecting the powerful. You shall judge your neighbor justly. You shall not go about slandering your own people, nor stand as a false witness against the life of your neighbor. I am the Lord.

You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall rebuke him, so that you do not share in his sin. You shall not take vengeance or bear any grudge against the children of your people. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord’ ”.

Gospel

Reading from the holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew

Matthew 25:31-46

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’

They will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life”.