First Reading

Reading from the prophecy of Amos

Amos 7, 10-17

At that time, Amaziah, priest of Bethel, sent this message to Jeroboam, king of Israel: «Amos is conspiring against you in Israel, and the country can no longer bear his words, for he keeps saying that Jeroboam will die by the sword and Israel will go into exile from its land».

Amaziah said to Amos: «Go away from here, seer, and flee to the land of Judah; earn your bread there by prophesying; but do not prophesy again in Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom».

Amos answered:
«I am not a prophet nor the son of a prophet,
but a shepherd and a cultivator of sycamore figs.
The Lord took me from following the flock and said to me:
‘Go and prophesy to my people, Israel’.

And now listen to the word of the Lord: ‘You say to me: Do not prophesy against the house of Israel. Do not foretell against the house of Isaac’. Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘Your wife will be dishonored in the public square; your sons and daughters will die by the sword; your land will be divided among the conquerors; you yourself will die in a pagan land and Israel will be exiled far from its country’ «.

Gospel

Reading from the holy gospel according to Saint Matthew

Matthew 9, 1-8

At that time, Jesus got into the boat again, crossed to the other side of the lake and came to Capernaum, his town.

Just then, some men brought to him a paralytic lying on a mat. Seeing the faith of those men, Jesus said to the paralytic: «Take courage, son. Your sins are forgiven».

On hearing this, some scribes thought: «This man is blaspheming». But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said to them: «Why do you think evil in your hearts? Which is easier: to say ‘Your sins are forgiven’, or to say ‘Get up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins, –he then said to the paralytic–: Get up, take your mat and go to your home».

He got up and went to his home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.