First Reading

Reading from the prophecy of Ezekiel

Ezekiel 2, 8–3, 4

Thus says the Lord: “Son of man, listen to what I am going to say to you and do not be rebellious like the rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I am going to give you”.

Then I saw a hand stretched out toward me, with a scroll rolled up. He unrolled it before me: it was written on the front and on the back; it had written on it lamentations and threats. And he said to me: “Son of man, eat what you have here; eat this scroll and go speak to the children of Israel”.

I opened my mouth and he gave me the scroll to eat, saying to me: “Son of man, feed your belly and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you”. I ate it and it tasted sweet as honey to me. And he said to me: “Son of man, go; go to the children of Israel and tell them my words”.

Gospel

Reading from the holy gospel according to Saint Matthew

Matthew 18, 1-5. 10. 12-14

One day the disciples came to Jesus and asked him: “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”

Jesus called a child, placed him in their midst and said to them: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever becomes small like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

Take care not to despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of my Father who is in heaven.

What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he will rejoice more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In the same way, your heavenly Father does not want any of these little ones to be lost”.