First Reading

Reading from the First Book of Kings

1 Kings 21, 17-29

After Naboth’s death, the Lord spoke to the prophet Elijah and said: “Arise and go to meet Ahab, king of Israel, who lives in Samaria. He is in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. Say to him: ‘Thus says the Lord: So you have committed murder and now you are also stealing?’ And say to him: ‘Therefore, thus says the Lord, in the very place where the dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, the dogs shall lick up your blood as well’ ”.

Ahab said to Elijah: “Have you found me, my enemy?” Elijah answered: “Yes, I have found you. ‘Because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in my sight, says the Lord, I myself will bring disaster upon you; I will consume your descendants and cut off from Israel every male belonging to you, whether free or slave. I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked my anger and caused Israel to sin. Dogs will devour those of Ahab’s descendants who die in the city; and those who die in the field the birds of the air will eat’. The Lord also spoke concerning Jezebel, saying: ‘The dogs shall devour Jezebel in the field of Jezreel’”.

(Indeed, there was no one like Ahab, who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord, urged on by his wife Jezebel. He acted most abominably by going after idols, as the Amorites had done, whom the Lord drove out before the Israelites).

When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted; he lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly. Then the Lord spoke to the prophet Elijah, saying: “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son’s days I will bring the disaster on his house”.

Gospel

Reading from the holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew

Matthew 5, 43-48

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said: Love your neighbor and hate your enemy; but I say to you: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute and slander you, so that you may be children of your heavenly Father, who makes his sun rise on the good and the bad, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you deserve? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what extraordinary thing are you doing? Do not the pagans do the same? Therefore, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect”.