First Reading

First reading

Reading from the Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4, 8-11. 14-16a

One day Elisha passed through the city of Shunem, and a distinguished woman invited him insistently to eat at her house. From then on, whenever Elisha passed through there, he would go to eat at her house. On one occasion, she said to her husband: “I know that this man, who visits us so often, is a man of God. Let us build him a small room on the upper floor. We will put there a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, so that he may stay there when he comes to visit us”.

So it was done, and when Elisha returned to Shunem, he went up to the room and lay down on the bed. Then he said to his servant: “What can we do for this woman?” The servant replied: “Look, she has no children, and her husband is already an old man”. Then Elisha said: “Call her”. The servant called her, and when she arrived, she stood at the door. Elisha said to her: “Next year, at this same time, you will have a son in your arms”.

Second reading

Reading from the Letter of the Apostle Saint Paul to the Romans

Romans 6, 3-4. 8-11

Brothers and sisters: All of us who have been united with Christ Jesus through baptism have been united with his death. In fact, through baptism we were buried with him in his death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Therefore, if we have died with Christ, we are sure that we will also live with him; for we know that Christ, once raised from the dead, will never die again. Death no longer has dominion over him, because by dying, he died to sin once and for all; and by rising, he now lives for God. Likewise, consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Gospel

Gospel of the day

Matthew 10, 37-42

At that time, Jesus said to his apostles: Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Whoever saves his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

Whoever receives you receives me; and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.

Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; whoever receives a righteous person because he is righteous will receive a righteous person’s reward.

And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, truly I tell you, he will not lose his reward”.