Reading I

A reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians (1 Cor 6:1-11)

Brothers and sisters:

How can any one of you with a case against another

dare to bring it to the unjust for judgment

instead of to the holy ones?

Do you not know that the holy ones will judge the world?

If the world is to be judged by you,

are you unqualified for the lowest law courts?

Do you not know that we will judge angels?

Then why not everyday matters?

If, therefore, you have courts for everyday matters,

do you seat as judge people of no standing in the Church?

I say this to shame you.

Can it be that there is not one among you wise enough

to be able to settle a case between brothers?

But rather brother goes to court against brother,

and that before unbelievers?

Now indeed then it is, in any case,

a failure on your part that you have lawsuits against one another.

Why not rather put up with injustice?

Why not rather let yourselves be cheated?

Instead, you inflict injustice and cheat, and this to brothers.

Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the Kingdom of God?

Do not be deceived;

neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers

nor boy prostitutes nor sodomites nor thieves

nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers

will inherit the Kingdom of God.

That is what some of you used to be;

but now you have had yourselves washed, you were sanctified,

you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ

and in the Spirit of our God.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b)

R. (see 4) The Lord takes delight in his people.

Sing to the LORD a new song

of praise in the assembly of the faithful.

Let Israel be glad in their maker,

let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.

R. The Lord takes delight in his people.

Let them praise his name in the festive dance,

let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.

For the LORD loves his people,

and he adorns the lowly with victory.

R. The Lord takes delight in his people.

Let the faithful exult in glory;

let them sing for joy upon their couches;

Let the high praises of God be in their throats.

This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.

R. The Lord takes delight in his people.

Alleluia (Jn 15:16)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I chose you from the world,

That you may go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Luke (Lk 6:12-19)

Jesus departed to the mountain to pray,

and he spent the night in prayer to God.

When day came, he called his disciples to himself,

and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:

Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,

James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,

Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,

Simon who was called a Zealot,

and Judas the son of James,

and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground.

A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people

from all Judea and Jerusalem

and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon

came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;

and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured.

Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him

because power came forth from him and healed them all.

WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER

“In the Gospel of Luke” we have seen the Church in activity, in action: Jesus who prays, who chooses the Apostles, who gives a name to each one, who heals body and soul and who was among the disciples, and even among the crowds which sought to touch him, because from him came the strength that healed everyone”. Precisely “this is the Church that which Paul taught us is this in action”. The Apostle confirms that “the cornerstone is Jesus himself”; and indeed, “without Jesus there is no Church: he is the foundation of the Church”. Jesus went out into the hills to pray; and all night he continued in prayer to God. And “then comes all the rest: the people, the selection of the disciples, the healings, the casting out of demons”. Therefore, “the cornerstone is Jesus, yes: but, it is a Jesus who prays”. And “Jesus prays: he prayed and continues to pray for the Church”. Thus, “the cornerstone of the Church is the Lord standing before the Father who intercedes for us, who prays for us: we pray to him, but the foundation is him who prays for us”. (Santa Marta, 28 October 2016)