Tuesday of the 1st week of Lent

First reading

Isaiah 55:10-11

The word that goes out from my mouth does not return to me empty

Thus says the Lord: ‘As the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, so the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.’

Psalm or canticle

Psalm 33(34):4-7,16-19

Glorify the Lord with me.
 Together let us praise his name.
I sought the Lord and he answered me;
 from all my terrors he set me free.

Look towards him and be radiant;
 let your faces not be abashed.
This poor man called, the Lord heard him
 and rescued him from all his distress.

The Lord turns his face against the wicked
 to destroy their remembrance from the earth.
The Lord turns his eyes to the just
 and his ears to their appeal.

They call and the Lord hears
 and rescues them in all their distress.
The Lord is close to the broken-hearted;
 those whose spirit is crushed he will save.

Gospel

Matthew 6:7-15

How to pray

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘In your prayers do not babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard. Do not be like them; your Father knows what you need before you ask him. So you should pray like this:
‘Our Father in heaven,
may your name be held holy,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us.
And do not put us to the test,
but save us from the evil one.

‘Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either.’


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Scripture readings taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc, and used by permission of the publishers. For on-line information about other Random House, Inc. books and authors, see the Internet web site at http://www.randomhouse.com.