33rd Week of Ordinary Time

Year II
Sunday
FIRST READING
From the first book of Maccabees 1 M 4:36-59
Purification and dedication of the temple.
Then said Judas and his brothers, “Behold, our enemies are crushed; let us go up to cleanse the sanctuary and
dedicate it.” So all the army assembled and they went up to Mount Zion. And they saw the sanctuary desolate, the
altar profaned, and the gates burned. In the courts they saw bushes sprung up as in a thicket, or as on one of the
mountains. They saw also the chambers of the priests in ruins. Then they tore their clothes, and mourned with great
lamentation, and sprinkled themselves with ashes. They fell face down on the ground, and sounded the signal on the
trumpets, and cried out to Heaven. Then Judas detailed men to fight against those in the citadel until he had cleansed
the sanctuary.
He chose blameless priests devoted to the law, and they cleansed the sanctuary and removed the defiled stones to
an unclean place. They deliberated what to do about the altar of burnt offering, which had been profaned. And they
thought it best to tear it down, lest it bring reproach upon them, for the Gentiles had defiled it. So they tore down the
altar, and stored the stones in a convenient place on the temple hill until there should come a prophet to tell what to do
with them. Then they took unhewn stones, as the law directs, and built a new altar like the former one. They also
rebuilt the sanctuary and the interior of the temple, and consecrated the courts. They made new holy vessels, and
brought the lampstand, the altar of incense, and the table into the temple. Then they burned incense on the altar and
lighted the lamps on the lampstand, and these gave light in the temple. They placed the bread on the table and hung
up the curtains. Thus they finished all the work they had undertaken.
Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, which is the month of Chis'lev, in the one hundred
and forty-eighth year, they rose and offered sacrifice, as the law directs, on the new altar of burnt offering which they
had built. At the very season and on the very day that the Gentiles had profaned it, it was dedicated with songs and
harps and lutes and cymbals. All the people fell on their faces and worshiped and blessed Heaven, who had prospered
them. So they celebrated the dedication of the altar for eight days, and offered burnt offerings with gladness; they
offered a sacrifice of deliverance and praise. They decorated the front of the temple with golden crowns and small
shields; they restored the gates and the chambers for the priests, and furnished them with doors. There was very great
gladness among the people, and the reproach of the Gentiles was removed.
Then Judas and his brothers and all the assembly of Israel determined that every year at that season the days of the
dedication of the altar should be observed with gladness and joy for eight days, beginning with the twenty-fifth day of
the month of Chis'lev.

RESPONSORY 1 M 4:56-58; 2 M 10:38

They decorated the front of the temple with golden crowns and small shields, and celebrated the dedication of the
altar for eight days.
— There was very great gladness among the people.
They blessed the Lord with hymns and thanksgiving.
— There was very great gladness among the people.

SECOND READING
From a catechetical instruction by Saint Cyril of Alexandria, bishop
(Cat. 5, De fide et symbolo, 12-13: PG, 33, 519-523)
On the creed
In learning and professing the faith, you must accept and retain only the Church’s present tradition, confirmed as it
is by the Scriptures. Although not everyone is able to read the Scriptures, some because they have never learned to
read, others because their daily activities keep them from such study, still so that their souls will not be lost through
ignorance, we have gathered together the whole of the faith in a few concise articles.
Now I order you to retain this creed for your nourishment throughout life and never to accept any alternative, not
even if I myself were to change and say something contrary to what I am now teaching, not even if some angel of
contradiction, changed into an angel of light, tried to lead you astray. For even if we, or an angel from heaven, should
preach to you a gospel contrary to that which you have now received, let him be accursed in your sight (Ga 1:8).
So for the present be content to listen to the simple words of the creed and to memorize them; at some suitable time
you can find the proof of each article in the Scriptures. This summary of the faith was not composed at man’s whim;
the most important sections were chosen from the whole Scripture to constitute and complete a comprehensive
statement of the faith. Just as the mustard seed contains in a small grain many branches, so this brief statement of the
faith keeps in its heart, as it were, all the religious truth to be found in Old and New Testament alike. That is why, my
brothers, you must consider and preserve the traditions you are now receiving. Inscribe them across your heart.
Observe them scrupulously, so that no enemy may rob any of you in an idle and heedless moment; let no heretic
deprive you of what has been given to you. Faith is rather like depositing in a bank the money entrusted to you, and
God will surely demand an account of what you have deposited. In the words of the Apostle: I charge you before the
God who gives life to all things, and before Christ who bore witness under Pontius Pilate in a splendid declaration (1
Tm 6:13), to keep unblemished this faith you have received, until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You have now been given life’s great treasure; when he comes the Lord will ask for what he has entrusted to you.
At the appointed time he will reveal himself, for he is the blessed and sole Ruler, King of kings, Lord of lords. He
alone is immortal, dwelling in unapproachable light. No man has seen or ever can see him (1 Tm 6:15-16). To him
be glory, honor and power for ever and ever. Amen.
RESPONSORY See Hebrews 10:38-39
The just man will live by faith; but if he draws back, I will take no pleasure in him.
— We are not people who draw back and are lost;
we live by faith, that we might be saved.
The unbeliever has no integrity.
— We are not people who draw back and are lost;
we live by faith, that we might be saved.

Monday
FIRST READING
From the second book of Maccabees 2 M 12:32-46
The sacrifice for the dead.
After the feast called Pentecost, they hastened against Gor'gias, the governor of Idume'a. And he came out with
three thousand infantry and four hundred cavalry. When they joined battle, it happened that a few of the Jews fell. But
a certain Dosith'eus, one of Bace'nor's men, who was on horseback and was a strong man, caught hold of Gor'gias,
and grasping his cloak was dragging him off by main strength, wishing to take the accursed man alive, when one of
the Thracian horsemen bore down upon him and cut off his arm; so Gorgias escaped and reached Mar'isa.
As Es'dris and his men had been fighting for a long time and were weary, Judas called upon the Lord to show
himself their ally and leader in the battle. In the language of their fathers he raised the battle cry, with hymns; then he
charged against Gor'gias' men when they were not expecting it, and put them to flight.
Then Judas assembled his army and went to the city of Adul'lam. As the seventh day was coming on, they purified
themselves according to the custom, and they kept the sabbath there.
On the next day, as by that time it had become necessary, Judas and his men went to take up the bodies of the fallen
and to bring them back to lie with their kinsmen in the sepulchres of their fathers. Then under the tunic of every one
of the dead they found sacred tokens of the idols of Jam'nia, which the law forbids the Jews to wear. And it became
clear to all that this was why these men had fallen. So they all blessed the ways of the Lord, the righteous Judge, who
reveals the things that are hidden; and they turned to prayer, begging that the sin which had been committed might be
wholly blotted out. And the noble Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with
their own eyes what had happened because of the sin of those who had fallen. He also took up a collection, man by
man, to the amount of two thousand drachmas of silver, and sent it to Jerusalem to provide for a sin offering. In doing
this he acted very well and honorably, taking account of the resurrection. For if he were not expecting that those who
had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he was looking to
the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he
made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin.

RESPONSORY 2 M 12:44-45
Those who have fallen asleep in godliness will rise again;
— a splendid reward is laid up for them.
It is a holy and pious thought to make atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin.
— A splendid reward is laid up for them.

SECOND READING
From a sermon by Saint Gregory Nazianzen, bishop
(Or. 7, in laudem Caesarii fratris, 23-24: PG 35, 786-787)
It is a holy thought to pray for the dead
What is man that you are mindful of him? (Ps 8:5)What is this new mystery surrounding me? I am both small and
great, both lowly and exalted, mortal and immortal, earthly and heavenly. I am to be buried with Christ and to rise
again with him, to become a coheir with him, a son of God, and indeed God himself.
This is what the great mystery means for us; this is why God became man and became poor for our sake: it was to
raise up our flesh, to recover the divine image, to re-create mankind, so that all of us might become one in Christ who
perfectly became in us everything that he is himself. So we are no longer to be male and female, barbarian and
Scythian, slave and free (cf Col 3:1) — distinctions deriving from the flesh — but are to bear within ourselves only
the seal of God, by whom and for whom we were created. We are to be so formed and molded by him that we are
recognized as belonging to his one family.
If only we could be what we hope to be, by the great kindness of our generous God! He asks so little and gives so
much, in this life and in the next, to those who love him sincerely. In a spirit of hope and out of love for him, let us
then bear and endure all things and give thanks for everything that befalls us, since even reason can often recognize
these things as weapons to win salvation. And meanwhile let us commend to God our own souls and the souls of
those who, being more ready for it, have reached the place of rest before us although they walked the same road as
we do.
Lord and Creator of all, and especially of your creature man, you are the God and Father and ruler of your children;
you are the Lord of life and death, you are the guardian and benefactor of our souls. You fashion and transform all
things in their due season through your creative Word, as you know to be best in your deep wisdom and providence.
Receive now those who have gone ahead of us in our journey from this life.
And receive us too at the proper time, when you have guided us in our bodily life as long as may be for our profit.
Receive us prepared indeed by fear of you, but not troubled, not shrinking back on that day of death or uprooted by
force like those who are lovers of the world and the flesh. Instead, may we set out eagerly for that everlasting and
blessed life which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
RESPONSORY See Psalm 102:15
We ask you, OLord our God, to raise up the souls of the dead
for whom you laid down your life.
— Remember that we are dust,
and our lives are as fleeting as the flower or the grass of the field.
O merciful, kind and compassionate Lord.
— Remember that we are dust,
and our lives are as fleeting as the flower or the grass of the field.

Tuesday
FIRST READING
From the first book of Maccabees 1 M 6:1-17
The end of Antiochus.
King Anti'ochus was going through the upper provinces when he heard that Elyma'is in Persia was a city famed for
its wealth in silver and gold. Its temple was very rich, containing golden shields, breastplates, and weapons left there
by Alexander, the son of Philip, the Macedonian king who first reigned over the Greeks. So he came and tried to take
the city and plunder it, but he could not, because his plan became known to the men of the city and they withstood
him in battle. So he fled and in great grief departed from there to return to Babylon.
Then some one came to him in Persia and reported that the armies which had gone into the land of Judah had been
routed; that Lys'ias had gone first with a strong force, but had turned and fled before the Jews; that the Jews e had
grown strong from the arms, supplies, and abundant spoils which they had taken from the armies they had cut down;
that they had torn down the abomination which he had erected upon the altar in Jerusalem; and that they had
surrounded the sanctuary with high walls as before, and also Beth-zur, his city.
When the king heard this news, he was astounded and badly shaken. He took to his bed and became sick from
grief, because things had not turned out for him as he had planned. He lay there for many days, because deep grief
continually gripped him, and he concluded that he was dying. So he called all his friends and said to them, “Sleep
departs from my eyes and I am downhearted with worry. I said to myself, ‘To what distress I have come! And into
what a great flood I now am plunged! For I was kind and beloved in my power.’ But now I remember the evils I did
in Jerusalem. I seized all her vessels of silver and gold; and I sent to destroy the inhabitants of Judah without good
reason. I know that it is because of this that these evils have come upon me; and behold, I am perishing of deep grief
in a strange land.”
Then he called for Philip, one of his friends, and made him ruler over all his kingdom. He gave him the crown and
his robe and the signet, that he might guide Anti'ochus his son and bring him up to be king. Thus Anti'ochus the king
died there in the one hundred and forty-ninth year. And when Lys'ias learned that the king was dead, he set up
Anti'ochus the king’s son to reign. Lysias had brought him up as a boy, and he named him Eu'pator.

RESPONSORY Lk 1:51-52; 14:11

He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
— The Lord has put the mighty down from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree.
For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
— The Lord has put the mighty down from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree.

SECOND READING
From The Theological Confession by John of Fecamp, abbot
(Part 2,3-4)
Christ the good Shepherd intercedes for us miserable ones.
I thank you for the incarnation and the birth of your Son and for his glorious Mother, my Lady, through whom I am
confident that I will be helped a lot by your mercy. I thank you for his passion and his cross, for his death and his
resurrection, for his ascension into heaven and because he now sits with power at your right hand. I thank you for all
his teachings and his works, because with these examples he forms and educates us to lead a holy and irreprehensible
life.
I thank you for that wonderful pouring out of your precious blood by which we have been redeemed, and together
through the sacred saving mystery of his body and his blood, which every day nourishes us and sanctifies us in your
holy Church and makes us participants of the unique highest divinity.
I thank you for your infinite mercy, Lord our God, for all the mercy with which you have deigned in such an
extraordinary way to come to our help: of us, who were already lost because of sin, and saved by your same Son our
redeemer, who has been put to death for our sins and who has risen for our justification (Rm 4:25). He now lives
forever at your right hand interceding for us wretches, like the good shepherd and true priest who shares the
sufferings of the faithful flock acquired with his blood. Together with you he has compassion, because he also is God,
generated from you, co-eternal and consubstantial to you in everything: therefore he can save us forever, because
being God he is also omnipotent.
He himself then has been constituted by you judge of the living and the dead. You in fact do not judge anyone, but
you have entrusted all judgement to the Son, in whose breast is enclosed every treasure of science and of wisdom, in
order to be judge and a perfectly just and truthful witness, so that no conscience can flee from his gaze.
With difficulty will the just man save himself from his tremendous exam; and I, who am so miserable, what will I
say, what will I do when I will be presented in front of his tribunal, I who have transgressed almost all his
commandments? But I beg you, God the Father full of mercy, through the same eternal judge, through him who is the
victim of expiation of our sins (1 Jn 2:2), grant me the contrition of heart and the gift of tears, so that the wounds of
my soul may cry unceasingly, day and night, because this is the time of mercy and the day of salvation. May my
many evil actions and my numerous sins, which now are hidden, not appear on the day of that tremendous judgement
in front of the angels and the archangels, the prophets and the apostles, the saints and all the just men. Have mercy on
me, Lord, have mercy on me, you who say: I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked desists
from his conduct and lives (Ez 33:11).
RESPONSORY Tobit 13:1.2; See Daniel 3:40.26.42
Blessed be God who lives forever, he punishes and uses mercy, he lowers down into the abyss of the earth and he
raises up from the great perdition.
— There is no delusion for those who trust in him.
Blessed be the Lord, God of our fathers, who has dealt with us according to the greatness of his mercy.
— There is no delusion for those who trust in him.

Wednesday
FIRST READING
From the first book of Maccabees 1 M 9:1-22
Judas Maccabee dies in battle.
When Deme'trius heard that Nica'nor and his army had fallen in battle, he sent Bacchi'des and Al'cimus into the
land of Judah a second time, and with them the right wing of the army. They went by the road which leads to Gilgal
and encamped against Mes'aloth in Arbe'la, and they took it and killed many people. In the first month of the one
hundred and fifty-second year they encamped against Jerusalem; then they marched off and went to Bere'a with
twenty thousand foot soldiers and two thousand cavalry.
Now Judas was encamped in El'asa, and with him were three thousand picked men. When they saw the huge
number of the enemy forces, they were greatly frightened, and many slipped away from the camp, until no more than
eight hundred of them were left.
When Judas saw that his army had slipped away and the battle was imminent, he was crushed in spirit, for he had
no time to assemble them. He became faint, but he said to those who were left, “Let us rise and go up against our en-
emies. We may be able to fight them.” But they tried to dissuade him, saying, “We are not able. Let us rather save our
own lives now, and let us come back with our brethren and fight them; we are too few.” But Judas said, “Far be it
from us to do such a thing as to flee from them. If our time has come, let us die bravely for our brethren, and leave no
cause to question our honor.”
Then the army of Bacchi'des marched out from the camp and took its stand for the encounter. The cavalry was
divided into two companies, and the slingers and the archers went ahead of the army, as did all the chief warriors.
Bacchi'des was on the right wing. Flanked by the two companies, the phalanx advanced to the sound of the trumpets;
and the men with Judas also blew their trumpets. The earth was shaken by the noise of the armies, and the battle
raged from morning till evening.
Judas saw that Bacchi'des and the strength of his army were on the right; then all the stouthearted men went with
him, and they crushed the right wing, and he pursued them as far as Mount Azo'tus. When those on the left wing saw
that the right wing was crushed, they turned and followed close behind Judas and his men. The battle became
desperate, and many on both sides were wounded and fell. Judas also fell, and the rest fled.
Then Jonathan and Simon took Judas their brother and buried him in the tomb of their fathers at Mo'dein, and wept
for him. And all Israel made great lamentation for him; they mourned many days and said,
“How is the mighty fallen,
the savior of Israel!”
Now the rest of the acts of Judas, and his wars and the brave deeds that he did, and his greatness, have not been
recorded, for they were very many.

RESPONSORY 1 M 4:8-10
Do not fear the enemy’s numbers or be afraid when they charge.
— And now let us cry to Heaven to see whether he will favor us, remember his covenant with our fathers and crush
this army before us.
Remember how our fathers were saved at the Red Sea when Pharaoh and his forces pursued them.
— Now let us cry to Heaven to see whether he will favor us, remember his covenant with our fathers and crush this
army before us.

SECOND READING
From a treatise on death as a blessing by Saint Ambrose, bishop
(Cap. 3,9;4,15: CSEL 32,710.716-717)
Let us show Christ crucified in our lives
The Apostle tells us: The wrold is crucifed to me, and I to the world (Ga 6:4). We are to understand that this death
by crucifixion takes place in this life, and that this death is a blessing. So he goes on to urge us to bear the death of
Jesus with us in our bodies, for whoever bears the death of Jesus in his body will bear also in his body the life of the
Lord Jesus (cf 2 Co 4:10).
Death must be active within us if life also is to be active within us. “Life” is life after death, a life that is a blessing.
This blessing of life comes after victory, when the contest is over, when the law of our fallen nature no longer rebels
against the law of our reason, when we no longer need to struggle against the body that leads to death, for the body
already shares in victory. It seems to me that this “death” is more powerful than “life.” I accept the authority of the
Apostle when he says: Death is therefore active within us, but life also is active within you (2 Co 4:12). Yet the
“death” of this one man was building up life for countless multitudes of peoples! He therefore teaches us to seek out
this kind of death even in this life, so that the death of Christ may shine forth in our lives – that blessed death by
which our outward self is destroyed and our inmost self renewed (2 Co 4:16), and our earthly dwelling crumbles
away (2 Co 5:11) and a home in heaven opens before us.
The person who cuts himself off from this fallen nature of ours and frees himself from its chains is imitating death.
These are the bonds spoken of by the Lord through Isaiah: Loose the bonds of injustice, untie the thongs of the yoke,
set free the oppressed and break every yoke of evil (cf Is 58:6).
The Lord allowed death to enter this world so that sin might come to an end. But he gave us the resurrection of the
dead so that our nature mifht not end once more in death; death was to bring guilt to an end, and the resurrection was
to enable our nature to continue forever.
“Death” in this context is a passover made by all mankind. You must keep facing it with perseverance. It is a
passover from corruption, from mortality to immortality, from rough seas to a calm harbor. The word “death” must
not trouble us; the blessings that come from a safe journey should bring us joy. What is death but the burial of sin and
the resurrection of goodness? Scripture says: Let my soul die among the souls of the just; that is, let me be buried with
the just, so that I may cast off my sins and put on the grace of the just, of those who bear the death of Christ with
them, in theier bodies and in their souls.
RESPONSORY See 2 Timothy 2:11-12; Sirach 1:20
Here is a saying you can depend on:
If we have died with him, we shall also live with him
— If we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him.
A petient man will stand firm until the right time,
and then joy will break through for him.
— If we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him.

Thursday
FIRST READING
From the book of the prophet Daniel Dn 1:1-21
The faithfulness of the young Israelites in the palace of the king of Babylon.
In the third year of the reign of Jehoi'akim king of Judah, Nebuchadnez'zar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and
besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoi'akim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God;
and he brought them to the land of Shi'nar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god.
Then the king commanded Ash'penaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family
and of the nobility, youths without blemish, handsome and skilful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge,
understanding learning, and competent to serve in the king’s palace, and to teach them the letters and language of the
Chalde'ans. The king assigned them a daily portion of the rich food which the king ate, and of the wine which he
drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king.
Among these were Daniel, Hanani'ah, Mish'a-el, and Azari'ah of the tribe of Judah. And the chief of the eunuchs gave
them names: Daniel he called Belteshaz'zar, Hanani'ah he called Shad'rach, Mish'a-el he called Me'shach, and
Azari'ah he called Abed'nego.
But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s rich food, or with the wine which he drank;
therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and
compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs; and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear lest my lord
the king, who appointed your food and your drink, should see that you were in poorer condition than the youths who
are of your own age. So you would endanger my head with the king.” Then Daniel said to the steward whom the
chief of the eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, Hanani'ah, Mish'a-el, and Azari'ah; “Test your servants for ten days;
let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat
the king’s rich food be observed by you, and according to what you see deal with your servants.” So he listened to
them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in
appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s rich food. So the steward took away their rich
food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.
As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all letters and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding
in all visions and dreams. At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in. the
chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnez'zar. And the king spoke with them, and among them all
none was found like Daniel, Hanani'ah, Mish'a-el, and Azari'ah; therefore they stood before the king. And in every
matter of wisdom and understanding concerning which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than
all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. And Daniel continued until the first year of King
Cyrus.
RESPONSORY Dn 1:17,20
God gave them learning and skill in all wisdom; and endowed them with knowledge.
— The Lord filled their hearts with understanding.
In every matter of wisdom and understanding concerning which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times
better than all the magicians and enchanters in his kingdom.
— The Lord filled their hearts with understanding.

SECOND READING
From a homily written in the second century
(Cap. 1, 1—2, 7: Funk 1, 145-149)
Christ willed to save those who were perishing
Brethren, we ought to regard Jesus Christ as God and judge of the living and the dead. We should not hold our
Savior in low esteem, for if we esteem him but little, we may hope to obtain but little from him. Moreover, people
who hear these things and think them of small importance commit sin, and we ourselves sin if we do not realize what
we have been called from, who has called us, and to what place, and how much suffering Jesus Christ endured on our
account.
How then shall we repay him? What fruit can we bear that would be worthy of what he has given us? For how
many benefits are we not in his debt! He has enlightened our minds; he has called us sons as a father does; he saved
us when we were about to perish. How then shall we praise him, how repay him for his gifts? Spiritually blind, we
worshiped stones and pieces of wood, gold and silver and bronze, things made by men, and our whole life was death.
Darkness enfolded us, and nothing but gloom met our eyes. Then, by his will, we escaped from the cloud that
enveloped us and recovered our sight. For he saw our many errors and the damnation that awaited us, and knowing
that apart from him we had no hope of salvation, he pitied us, and in his mercy saved us. He called us when we were
not his people and willed us to become his people.
Rejoice, O barren woman who never bore a child; break into shouts of joy, you who never knew a mother’s pangs;
for the deserted wife shall have more children than she who has a husband (Is 54:1). When he says: Rejoice, O
barren woman who never bore a child, he is speaking of us, for our Church was barren until children were given her.
When he says: Break into shouts of joy, you who never knew a mother’s pangs, he means that we should not grow
weary like women in labor, but tirelessly and in all simplicity offer our prayers to God. He declares that the deserted
wife shall have more children than she who has a husband, because faith has now made our people who seemed to
have been deserted by God more numerous than those who were thought to possess him.
Another text says: I have come not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Mt 9:13), for it is those who are
perishing who must be saved. It is a great and wonderful work to uphold those who are falling, rather than those who
already stand firm. Christ willed to save people who were in danger of losing their souls, and he has been the
salvation of many. When we were on the point of perishing, he came and called us.
RESPONSORY See 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10; Colossians 1:13
God has not destined us to endure wrath but to win salvation
through our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us,
— So that we might live in him.
God rescued us from the power of darkness and brought us
into the kingdom of his own beloved Son.
— So that we might live in him.

Friday
FIRST READING
From the book of the prophet Daniel Dn 2:26-47
Dream of the statue broken by the small stone.
The eternal kingdom of God.
The king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshaz'zar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream that I
have seen and its interpretation?” Daniel answered the king, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can
show to the king the mystery which the king has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he
has made known to King Nebuchadnez'zar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as
you lay in bed are these: To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be hereafter, and he who
reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be. But as for me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than
all the living has this mystery been revealed to me, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the
king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind.
“You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you,
and its appearance was frightening. The head of this image was of fine gold, its breast and arms of silver, its belly and
thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. As you looked, a stone was cut out by no
human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces; then the iron, the clay, the
bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing
floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image
became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
“This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation. You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God
of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, and into whose hand he has given,
wherever they dwell, the sons of men, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the air, making you rule over them all—
you are the head of gold. After you shall arise another kingdom inferior to you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze,
which shall rule over all the earth. And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces
and shatters all things; and like iron which crushes, it shall break and crush all these. And as you saw the feet and toes
partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom; but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it,
just as you saw iron mixed with the miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the
kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. As you saw the iron mixed with miry clay, so they will mix with one
another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. And in the days of those kings
the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another
people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand for ever; just as you saw
that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the
silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be hereafter. The dream is certain, and its
interpretation sure.”
Then King Nebuchadnez'zar fell upon his face, and did homage to Daniel, and commanded that an offering and
incense be offered up to him. The king said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a
revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.”
RESPONSORY Dn 2:44; Lk 20:17-18
The God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; it shall break in pieces and bring to an end
all the kingdoms of the earth,
— and it shall stand forever.
The very stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. Everyone who falls on that stone will be
broken to pieces; when it falls on anyone it will crush him.
— And it shall stand forever.
SECOND READING
From a homily written in the second century
(Cap. 3, 1—4, 5; 7, 1-6: Funk 1, 149-152)
Let us confess our faith in God by our deeds
Great is the mercy that Jesus Christ has shown us. The first benefit that we owe to his mercy is that we who are
living do not sacrifice to dead gods or worship them, but have, through Christ, attained a knowledge of the Father.
What else is knowledge of the Father but the recognition of him through whom this knowledge comes to us? He
himself declares: Everyone who acknowledges me, I in my turn will acknowledge in the presence of the Father. This
then will be our reward if we acknowledge him through whom we have been saved. But how shall we show that we
acknowledge him? By doing what he says, by not disobeying his commands, and by honoring him not only with our
lips but with our whole heart and our whole mind. For he says in Isaiah: This people pays me lip service, but its heart
is far from me (Is 29:13).
Let us not only call him Lord, for that will not save us. Not everyone who says to me. Lord, Lord, will be saved, he
warns, but only the man who does what is right (cf Mt 7:21). So then, brothers, let us show our faith in him by our
deeds, by loving one another, by not committing adultery, by not finding fault with one another, or being envious.
Instead, let us be chaste, merciful and kind. We should also have compassion for one another, and not be covetous.
We have to prove that we believe in him by performing such actions as these and by avoiding whatever is contrary to
them, since we fear God rather than men. Should we fail to do so, we have the Lord’s warning: If you do not keep my
commandments, even though I had pressed you to my heart, I will thrust you away from me and say to you: Out of my
sight, you whose deeds are evil; you are complete strangers to me (cf Mt 7:23; Lk 13:27).
Therefore, my brothers, let us enter the lists in the knowledge that the contest is imminent. Many men travel far to
contend for a crown that soon fades, yet not all of them win, but only those who have strained every nerve and
competed fairly. Let us so contend that we may all be crowned. Let us run a straight course in the race of the Christian
life, setting out in great numbers to take part in it, and then striving for the crown with all our might. Even if we are
not all able to win, at least let us draw near to victory.
Now we must surely know that even when the contest is for a wreath that lasts but a day, if anyone is found to be
breaking the rules, he is flogged and driven off the racecourse. What do you suppose, then, will be the fate of the man
who breaks the rules in the contest of the Christian life? Of those who have not kept the seal of their baptism
unbroken Scripture says: The worm does not die and the fire is never extinguished. They will be a spectacle to all men
(Is 66:24)
RESPONSORY 1 Thessalonians 1:9.10; 1 John 2;28
You have turned away from idolatry to serve the living and true God,
and now you await the coming of his Son from heaven,
the one whom he raised from the dead:
— Jesus, our deliverer from the wrath that is to come.
Now, my children, live in him so that when he appears
you may be fully confident
and not turn away from him in shame at his coming.
— Jesus, our deliverer from the wrath that is to come.

Saturday
FIRST READING
From the book of the prophet Daniel Dn 3:8-12.19-23.24-30 (RSV not
Italics)
The golden statue of the king. The youth taken out of the furnace.
Therefore at that time certain Chalde'ans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews, they said to King
Nebuchadnez'zar, “O king, live for ever! You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of
the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image:
and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews
whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shad'rach. Me'shach, and Abed'nego. These
men, O king, pay no heed to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.”
Then Nebuchadnez'zar was full of fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shad'rach, Me'shach,
and Abed'nego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was accustomed to be heated. And he
ordered certain mighty men of his army to bind Shad'rach, Me'shach, and Abed'nego, and to cast them into the
burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their mantles, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments,
and they were cast into the burning fiery furnace. Because the king’s order was strict and the furnace very hot, the
flame of the fire slew those men who took up Shad'rach, Me'shach, and Abed'nego. And these three men, Shad'rach,
Me'shach, and Abed'nego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace.
Then King Nebuchadnez'zar was astonished and rose up in haste. He said to his counselors, “Did we not cast three
men bound into the fire?” They answered the king, “True, O king.” He answered, “But I see four men loose, walking
in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”
Then Nebuchadnez'zar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace and said, “Shad'rach, Me'shach, and
Abed'nego, servants of the Most High God, come forth, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and
saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men; the hair of their heads was not singed, their
mantles were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. Nebuchadnez'zar said, “Blessed be the God of
Shad'rach, Me'shach, and Abed'nego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set at
nothing the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own
God. Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shad'rach,
Me'shach, and Abed'nego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins; for there is no other god who is
able to deliver in this way.” Then the king promoted Shad'rach, Me'shach, and Abed'nego in the province of Babylon.

RESPONSORY Dn 3:26-27 (Greek),28

The angel of the Lord came down into the furnace to be with Azariah and his companions, and drove the blazing
flame out of the furnace;
— the fire did not touch, hurt or trouble them at all.
Blessed be God, who sent his angel and delivered the servants who trusted in him.
— The fire did not touch, hurt or trouble them at all.

SECOND READING
From a homily written in the second century
(Cap. 8, 1—9, 11: Funk 1, 152-156)
Sincere repentance
We should repent of our sins while we are still on earth. When a potter is making a vessel and it becomes
misshapen or breaks in his hands, he shapes it again; but once placed in the oven, it is beyond repair. Now the clay in
the craftsman's hands is an image of ourselves, and it teaches us that, while still in this world, we must wholeheartedly
repent of sins committed in the body and make it possible for the Lord to save us while there is time. When we have
left this world, we shall no longer be able to repent and confess our sins. We must do the will of the Father, keep our
bodies pure, and observe the commandments of the Lord, for this is the way to obtain eternal life. The Lord says in
the gospel: If you have not been observant in small matters, who will entrust you with anything important? For I tell
you that the man who is faithful in the smallest things is faithful in the greatest things as well (cf Lk 16:10.11). In
other words, in order to obtain eternal life, we must remain pure and keep the seal of our baptism undefiled.
Nor must any of you say that our bodies will not share in the judgment, nor rise again. In what were you saved? In
what did you receive your sight? Think for a moment. Was it not in this very body? Our bodies are the temple of
God, and as such we must guard them, for even as we were called in the body, so shall we also be judged in the body.
Since Christ, our Lord and Savior, who in the beginning was spirit, became flesh and in this way called us, it is in this
flesh of ours that we shall also receive our reward.
Therefore, let us love one another, so that we may all attain to the kingdom of God. While we can still be healed,
let us surrender ourselves into the hands of our divine physician and give him his recompense—the recompense of
true sorrow for our sins. Since he who knows all things sees what is in our hearts, let us praise him with our hearts as
well as our lips. He will then receive us as his sons. The Lord himself has said: Those who do my Father’s will are
my brothers (cf Lk 8:21).
RESPONSORY See Ezekiel 18:31.32; 2 Peter 3:9
Cast off the burden of all of your past sins, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
— I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord;
come back to me and live.
The Lord deals with you patiently, for he does not wish anyone to perish but for all to repent.
— I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord;
come back to me and live.