Ord. Time, Week 23, Saturday

Reading 1 (1Cor 10,14-22)

Because of this, most beloved of mine, flee from the worship of idols. Since I am speaking to those who are prudent, judge what I say for yourselves. The cup of benediction that we bless, is it not a communion in the Blood of Christ? And the bread that we break, is it not a participation in the Body of the Lord? Through the one bread, we, though many, are one body: all of us who are partakers of the one bread. Consider Israel, according to the flesh. Are not those who eat from the sacrifices partakers of the altar? What is next? Should I say that what is immolated to idols is anything? Or that the idol is anything? But the things that the Gentiles immolate, they immolate to demons, and not to God. And I do not want you to become partakers with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons. You cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord, and partakers of the table of demons. Or should we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he is? All is lawful to me, but not all is expedient.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 116)

What shall I repay to the Lord, for all the things that he has repaid to me? I will take up the cup of salvation, and I will call upon the name of the Lord.

I will sacrifice to you the sacrifice of praise, and I will invoke the name of the Lord. I will repay my vows to the Lord in the sight of all his people,

Gospel (Luke 6,43-49)

For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor does an evil tree produce good fruit. For each and every tree is known by its fruit. For they do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather the grape from the bramble bush. A good man, from the good storehouse of his heart, offers what is good. And an evil man, from the evil storehouse, offers what is evil. For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. But why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I say? Anyone who comes to me, and listens to my words, and does them: I will reveal to you what he is like. He is like a man building a house, who has dug deep and has laid the foundation upon the rock. Then, when the floodwaters came, the river was rushing against that house, and it was not able to move it. For it was founded upon the rock. But whoever hears and does not do: he is like a man building his house upon the soil, without a foundation. The river rushed against it, and it soon fell down, and the ruin of that house was great.”