Saturday of the First Week in Lent

Official Translation

Reading 1 - Deuteronomy 26.16-19

Moses spoke to the people, saying:
“This day the Lord your God
commands you to do these statutes and ordinances.
You shall therefore keep and do them
with all your heart and with all your soul.
You have declared this day that the Lord is your God,
and that you would walk in his ways,
and keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his ordinances,
and listen to his voice.
The Lord has declared this day
that you are a people peculiarly his own,
as he has promised you,
and that you should keep all his commandments.
He will make you high above all nations that he has made,
in praise, in name, and in honor;
and that you may be a holy people to the Lord your God,
as he has spoken.”

Responsorial – Psalm 119.1-2, 4-5, 7-8 Resp. 1b

R. Blessed are those who walk according to the Lord’s law.

Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,
who walk according to the Lord’s law.
Blessed are those who keep his statutes,
who seek him with their whole heart.

R. Blessed are those who walk according to the Lord’s law.

You have commanded your precepts,
that we should fully obey them.
O that my ways were steadfast
to obey your statutes!

R. Blessed are those who walk according to the Lord’s law.

I will give thanks to you with uprightness of heart,
when I learn your righteous judgments.
I will observe your statutes.
Do not utterly forsake me.

R. Blessed are those who walk according to the Lord’s law.

Gospel - Matthew 5.43-48

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’
But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you,
do good to those who hate you,
and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,
that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven.
For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good,
and sends rain on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?
Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
If you only greet your brothers and sisters,
what more do you do than others?
Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
Therefore you shall be perfect,
just as your Father in heaven is perfect.