First Reading

Reading from the Book of Jeremiah

Jeremiah 28, 1-17

In the fifth month of the fourth year of the reign of Zedekiah, Hananiah, son of Azzur and a prophet from Gibeon, said to Jeremiah in the temple, in the presence of the priests and all the people: “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two years I will bring back all the objects of the Lord’s temple, which King Nebuchadnezzar took from this place and carried off to Babylon; I will bring back Jeconiah, son of Jehoiakim and king of Judah, and all the exiles of Judah who have gone to Babylon, as soon as I break, says the Lord, the yoke of King Nebuchadnezzar’”.

Then the prophet Jeremiah answered Hananiah, in the presence of the priests and all the people who were in the temple of the Lord: “Amen. May the Lord do so. May the Lord confirm what you have prophesied and bring back from Babylon to this place the objects of the Lord’s temple and all the exiles. But pay attention to what I am about to say to you before all the people: Before me and before you, there have always been prophets who foretold to many countries and great kingdoms war, famine, and plague. And when a prophet foretells peace, only when his words come true can it be recognized that he is a true prophet, sent by the Lord”. Then Hananiah took the yoke that Jeremiah was wearing around his neck, broke it, and said before all the people: “Thus says the Lord: ‘So I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, within two years and remove it from the neck of all nations’ ”.

Jeremiah went away from there. But some time after Hananiah had broken the yoke from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, the Lord spoke to him and said: “Go and tell Hananiah: ‘Thus says the Lord: You have broken a yoke of wood, but I will replace it with one of iron. For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I have placed on the neck of all these nations a yoke of iron, to subject them to the service of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and even the beasts of the field will serve him’ ”. And Jeremiah added: “Listen, Hananiah: The Lord has not sent you, and you have made the people believe a lie. Therefore the Lord says to you: ‘I will remove you from the face of the earth. This year you will die, for having incited rebellion against the Lord’ ”. And the prophet Hananiah died that same year, in the seventh month.

Gospel

Reading from the holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew

Matthew 14, 22-36

At that time, immediately after the multiplication of the loaves, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After dismissing them, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.

Meanwhile, the boat was already far from the shore and was being tossed by the waves, because the wind was against them. At dawn, Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. The disciples, seeing him walking on the water, were terrified and said: “It’s a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage, and do not be afraid. It is I”.

Then Peter said to him: “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water”. Jesus answered: “Come”. Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus; but when he felt the force of the wind, he became afraid, began to sink, and cried out: “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, caught him, and said to him: “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Those who were in the boat fell down before Jesus, saying: “Truly you are the Son of God”.

After crossing over, they came to land at Gennesaret. When the people there recognized him, they sent word throughout the region and brought to him all who were sick. They begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.