First Reading

Reading from the prophecy of Hosea 

Hosea 14:2-10

Thus says the Lord God:
«Israel, return to the Lord, your God,
for your wickedness has made you stumble.
Repent and draw near to the Lord to say to him:
‘Forgive all our iniquities,
accept our sincere repentance,
which we solemnly promise you.

Assyria will no longer save us,
we will no longer trust in our army,
nor will we again call ‘our god’
the works of our hands,
for only in you does the orphan find mercy’.

I will forgive their unfaithfulness, says the Lord;
I will love them though they do not deserve it,
for my wrath has turned away from them.
I will be like dew to Israel;
my people will flourish like the lily,
they will sink deep roots like the poplar,
and their shoots will spread out;
their splendor will be like that of the olive
and they will have the fragrance of the cedars of Lebanon.

They will live again under my shadow,
they will cultivate wheat and vines,
which will be as famous as those of Lebanon.
Ephraim will have nothing more to do with idols.

I have punished you, but I will also restore you,
for I am like a cypress, always green,
and through me, you bear fruit.

Whoever is wise, let them understand these things
and whoever is prudent, let them know them.
The commandments of the Lord are right
and the righteous fulfill them;
sinners, on the other hand, stumble over them and fall»;

Gospel

Reading from the holy gospel according to Saint Mark 

Mark 12:28-34

At that time, one of the scribes approached Jesus and asked him: «Which is the first of all the commandments?» Jesus replied: «The first is: Listen, Israel: The Lord our God is the one Lord; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these».

The scribe replied: «Well said, Teacher. You are right in saying that the Lord is one and there is no other besides him, and to love him with all the heart, with all the soul, with all the strength, and to love the neighbor as oneself is worth more than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices».

Jesus, seeing that he had spoken very sensibly, said to him: «You are not far from the Kingdom of God». And no one dared to ask him any more questions.