Tuesday, 21 January 2025
The Memorial of Saint Agnes, Virgin & Martyr – Year I
Antiphons on p. 1900 and Readings on p. 733 of the Daily Missal.
First Reading: Hebrews 6:10-20
Brothers and sisters:
God is not so unjust as to overlook your work
and the love which you showed for his sake in serving the saints,
as you still do.
And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness
in realizing the full assurance of hope until the end,
so that you may not be sluggish,
but imitators of those who through faith and patience
inherit the promises.
For when God made a promise to Abraham,
since he had no one greater by whom to swear,
he swore by himself, saying,
“Surely I will bless you and multiply you.”
And thus Abraham, having patiently endured,
obtained the promise.
People indeed swear by a greater than themselves,
and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation.
So when God desired to show more convincingly
to the heirs of the promise
the unchangeable character of his purpose,
he interposed with an oath,
so that through two unchangeable things,
in which it is impossible that God should prove false,
we who have fled for refuge
might have strong encouragement
to seize the hope set before us.
We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul,
a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain,
where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf,
having become a high priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 111:1bc-2.4-5.9 & 10c (R. 5b)
R/. The Lord keeps his covenant ever in mind.
I will praise the Lord with all my heart,
in the meeting of the just and the assembly.
Great are the works of the Lord,
to be pondered by all who delight in them.
He has given us a memorial of his wonders.
The Lord is gracious and merciful.
He gives food to those who fear him;
keeps his covenant ever in mind.
He has sent redemption to his people,
and established his covenant forever.
Holy his name, to be feared.
His praise endures forever!
R/. The Lord keeps his covenant ever in mind.
Gospel: Mark 2:23-28
It happened that one sabbath
Jesus was going through the grainfields;
and as they made their way
his disciples began to pluck ears of grain.
And the Pharisees said to him, “Look,
why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?”
And he said to them,
“Have you never read what David did,
when he was in need and was hungry,
he and those who were with him:
how he entered the house of God,
when Abiathar was high priest,
and ate the showbread,
which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat,
and also gave it to those who were with him?”
And he said to them, “The sabbath was made for people,
not people for the sabbath;
so the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
