First Reading

Reading from the book of Jeremiah 

Jeremiah 17:5-10

Thus says the Lord:
«Cursed is the man who trusts in man,
who makes flesh his strength
and turns his heart away from the Lord.
He will be like a shrub in the steppe,
that will never enjoy the rain.
He will live in the barrenness of the desert,
in a salty and uninhabitable land.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord
and places his hope in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water,
that sinks its roots into the stream;
when the heat comes, he will not feel it
and his leaves will always remain green;
in a year of drought he will not wither
nor cease to bear fruit.

The heart is the most treacherous thing
and the most difficult to heal.
Who can understand it?
I, the Lord, search the mind
and penetrate the heart,
to give to each one according to his actions,
according to the fruit of his works».

Gospel

Reading from the holy gospel according to Saint Luke 

Luke 16:19-31

At that time, Jesus said to the Pharisees: «There was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and feasted sumptuously every day. And a beggar named Lazarus lay at his gate, covered with sores and longing to be filled with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

It happened that the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. He was in the place of torment, in the midst of torments, when he raised his eyes and saw Abraham in the distance and Lazarus at his side.

Then he cried out: ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in these flames.’ But Abraham replied: ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received good things, and Lazarus in turn evil things. That is why he now enjoys consolation, while you suffer torments. Besides, between you and us a great chasm is fixed, so that no one can cross over from here to you or from there to us.’

The rich man insisted: ‘Then I beg you, Father Abraham, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers there, so that he may warn them and they too may not end up in this place of torment.’ Abraham said to him: ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them.’ But the rich man replied: ‘No, Father Abraham. If someone from the dead goes to them, then they will repent.’ Abraham said: ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead’ «.