Saturday, November 6 2021. Week 31 in Ordinary Time
Saturday, November 6 2021
All the Saints of Ireland
First reading: Ecclesiasticus 44:1-15
Their name lives on for all generations
Let us praise illustrious men,
our ancestors in their successive generations.
The Lord has created an abundance of glory,
and displayed his greatness from earliest times.
Some wielded authority as kings
and were renowned for their strength;
others were intelligent advisers
and uttered prophetic oracles.
Others directed the people by their advice,
by their understanding of the popular mind,
and by the wise words of their teaching;
others composed musical melodies,
and set down ballads;
others were rich and powerful,
living peacefully in their homes.
All these were honoured by their contemporaries,
and were the glory of their day.
Some of them left a name behind them,
so that their praises are still sung.
While others have left no memory,
and disappeared as though they had not existed,
they are now as though they had never been,
and so too, their children after them.
But here is a list of generous men
whose good works have not been forgotten.
In their descendants there remains
a rich inheritance born of them.
Their descendants stand by the covenants
and, thanks to them, so do their children’s children.
Their offspring will last for ever,
their glory will not fade.
Their bodies have been buried in peace,
and their name lives on for all generations.
The peoples will proclaim their wisdom,
the assembly will celebrate their praises.
Responsorial: Psalm 14(15):2-5
R./: The just will live in the presence of the Lord.
Lord, who shall dwell on your holy mountain?
He who walks without fault;
he who acts with justice
and speaks the truth from his heart;
he who does not slander with his tongue. (R./)
He who does no wrong to his brother,
who casts no slur on his neighbour,
who holds the godless in disdain,
but honours those who fear the Lord. (R./)
He who keeps his pledge, come what may;
who takes no interest on a loan
and accepts no bribes against the innocent
Such a man will stand firm for ever. (R./)
Gospel: Luke 6:17-23
Happy are you who are poor, who are hungry, who weep
Jesus came down with the Twelve and stopped at a piece of level ground where there was a large gathering of his disciples with a great crowd of people from all parts of Judaea and from Jerusalem and from the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon who had come to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. People tormented by unclean spirits were also cured, and everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him because power came out of him that cured them all.
Then fixing his eyes on his disciples he said:
‘How happy are you who are poor: yours is the kingdom of God.
Happy you who are hungry now: you shall be satisfied.
Happy you who weep now: you shall laugh.
Happy are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name as criminal, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice when that day comes and dance for joy, for then your reward will be great in heaven. This was the way their ancestors treated the prophets.