Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time (I)

Official Translation

Reading 1 – Sirach 5.1-8

Do not set your heart on your wealth, nor say, “I have enough.”
Do not follow your inclination and strength, walking according to the desires of your heart.
Do not say, “Who will have power over me?”
or, “Who will subdue me for my deeds?”
for the Lord will surely punish you.
Do not say, “I sinned, and what happened to me?” for the Lord is slow to anger.
Do not be so confident of atonement that you add sin to sin.
Do not say, “His mercy is great, he will forgive the multitude of my sins,”
for both mercy and wrath are with him, and his anger rests on sinners.
Do not delay to turn to the Lord, nor postpone it from day to day;
for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will go forth,
and at the time of punishment you will perish.
Do not depend on dishonest wealth, for it will not benefit you in the day of calamity. 

Responsorial – Psalm 1.1-2, 3, 4+6 Resp. 40.5a

R. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord.

Blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stand on the sinners’ path,
nor sit in the scoffers’ seat,
but whose delight is in the Lord’s law.
On his law he meditates day and night.

R. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord.

He will be like a tree
planted by the streams of water,
that produces its fruit in its season,
whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does shall prosper.

R. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord.

The wicked are not so,
but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
For the Lord watches the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked shall perish.

R. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord.

Gospel – Mark 9.41-50

Jesus said to his disciples:
For whoever will give you a cup of water to drink, because you are Christ’s,
amen I tell you, they will certainly not lose their reward.
Whoever ensnares one of these little ones who believe in me,
it would be better for him if he were thrown into the sea
with a millstone hung around his neck.
If your hand ensnares you, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed,
rather than having your two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire.
If your foot ensnares you, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life lame,
rather than having your two feet to be cast into Gehenna.
If your eye ensnares you, pluck it out.
It is better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye,
rather than with two eyes to be cast into Gehenna
‘where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’
For everyone will be salted with fire.
Salt is beautiful, but if the salt has lost its saltiness,
how will you make it salty again?
Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”