First reading
Deuteronomy 6:2–6
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart.
Responsorial psalm
Psalm 17(18):2–4, 47, 51
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.
Second reading
Hebrews 7:23–28
Christ, because he remains for ever, can never lose his priesthood.
Gospel acclamation
John 14:23
All who love me will keep my words, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them.
Gospel
Mark 12:28–34
‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’
Images from the Word
- Listen
- Love your neighbour
- Far more important
- A long life
- Offering himself
Liturgical notes
Other lay people may be deputed to proclaim the readings from Sacred Scripture, people who are truly suited to carrying out this function and carefully prepared, so that by their hearing the readings from the sacred texts the faithful may conceive in their hearts a sweet and living affection for Sacred Scripture.
—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, §101
The first command of Christ is ‘listen’. It will be from our listening that our love of God and neighbour will flow. At every celebration of the Mass, we will be fed by the proclamation of God’s word. Our appointed readers, who have prepared themselves for this ministry by prayerful meditation on the Word, will give life to the written word of God so that God may be placed in our hearts. We are each then invited to allow that Word to give life through our love.
‘Forsake me not. O Lord, my God; be not far from me! Make haste and come to my help, O Lord, my strong salvation!’ —entrance antiphon