Friday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time
Mass Readings
First Reading – 1 Kgs 19:9a, 11-16
At the mountain of God, Horeb, Elijah came to a cave, where he took shelter. But the word of the LORD came to him, “Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will be passing by.” A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD— but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake— but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire— but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave. A voice said to him, “Elijah, why are you here?” He replied, “I have been most zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. But the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to the sword. I alone am left, and they seek to take my life.” The LORD said to him, “Go, take the road back to the desert near Damascus. When you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king of Aram. Then you shall anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, as king of Israel, and Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, as prophet to succeed you.”
Responsorial Psalm – Ps 27:7-8a, 8b-9abc, 13-14 (R.8b)
R. I long to see your face, O Lord.
Hear, O LORD, the sound of my call;
have pity on me, and answer me.
Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks. R.
Your presence, O LORD, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your servant.
You are my helper: cast me not off. R.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD. R.
Gospel – Mt 5:27-32
Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna. “It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce. But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
Featured Saints
St. Elisha, disciple of Elijah. He was prophet in Israel from the reign of Jehoram until the time of Jehoash.
St. Fortunatus of Naples, bishop (†fourth century). He preserved his diocese from the Arian heresy, proclaiming far and wide the divinity of Jesus Christ.
St. Methodius, bishop (†847). Patriarch of Constantinople. Of Sicilian origin, he lived as a monk on the Island of Chios, Greece. He had recourse to Rome in abolishing iconoclasm.
Sts. Valerius and Rufinus, martyrs (†fourth century). Christians from Soissons, France, beheaded for spreading the Gospel among pagans.
Sts. Anastasius, priest, Felix, monk, and Digna, virgin, and martyrs (†853). Beheaded by order of the Moorish king of Cordova. St. Anastasius and St. Felix for professing the Christian Faith; St. Digna for denouncing the injustice.
Blessed Francisca de Paula de Jesus, laywoman (†1895). Born as a slave and orphaned at age ten, she was freed in 1820, and dedicated her life to prayer, serving the needy, and gathering the means for the construction of a Marian Chapel in Baependi, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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