Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time (I)

Official Translation

Reading 1 - Hebrews 4.1-5, 11

Let us fear therefore, lest while this promise of entering into his rest continues,
any of you should seem to have fallen short.
For indeed we have had the Good News preached to us, even as they also did,
but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united with faith by those who heard.
For we who have believed do enter into that rest, even as he has said,
“As I swore in my wrath, they will not enter into my rest.”

Although his works were finished from the foundation of the world.
For he has said this somewhere about the seventh day,
“God rested on the seventh day from all his works”;
and in that other place once again, “They will not enter into my rest.”

Let us therefore strive to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience.

Responsorial – Psalm 78.3+4bc, 6c-7, 8 Resp. 7b

R. Do not forget God’s deeds.

What we have heard and known,
and our fathers have told us,
we will not hide from their children but tell to the generation to come
the praises of the Lord, his strength.

R. Do not forget God’s deeds.

That they too should arise and tell their children,
that they might put their hope in God,
and not forget God’s deeds,
but keep his commandments.

R. Do not forget God’s deeds.

And might not be as their fathers,
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation that did not make their hearts steadfast
whose spirit was not entirely with God.

R. Do not forget God’s deeds.

Gospel – Mark 2.1-12

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days,
it was heard that he was in the house.
Immediately many were gathered together,
so that there was no more room,
not even around the door;
and he spoke the word to them.

And a paralyzed person came to him, carried by four people.
When they could not come near to him because of the crowd,
they removed the roof where he was.
When they had broken it up,
they let down the mat that the paralyzed one was lying on.
Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralyzed one,
“Child, your sins are forgiven you.”
But there were some of the scribes sitting there,
and reasoning in their hearts,
“Why does this man speak blasphemies like that?
Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit
that they so reasoned within themselves, said to them,
“Why do you think such things in your hearts?
Which is easier, to tell the paralyzed one, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’
or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed, and walk?’
But that you may know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins”—
he said to the paralyzed one—
“I tell you, arise, take up your mat, and go to your house.”
He arose, and immediately took up the mat,
and went out in front of them all;
so that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying,
“We never saw anything like this!”