St Maximilian Kolbe

The word of the Lord was addressed to me:
"Son of man, make Jerusalem aware of her abominations.
You shall say: Thus speaks the Lord God to Jerusalem:
By your origin and your birth,
you are from the land of Canaan.
Your father was an Amorite,
and your mother, a Hittite.
At your birth, the day you were born,
your cord was not cut,
you were not washed with water to make you clean,
you were not rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in swaddling clothes.
No one looked on you with pity,
no one did any of these things for you out of compassion.
You were thrown out into the open field, with disgust,
on the day you were born.

    I passed by you,
and I saw you struggling in your blood.
When you were in your blood, I said to you:
"I want you to live!"
     I made you grow like the grass of the fields.
You grew up, you became tall,
you became a woman,
your breasts were formed,
your hair had grown.
But you were still completely naked.
I passed by you again,
and I saw you: you had reached the age of love.
I spread the corner of my cloak over you
and covered your nakedness.
I made a vow to you,
I entered into a covenant with you
– oracle of the Lord God –
and you became mine.
I washed you with water,
I cleansed you of your blood,
I anointed you with oil.
I clothed you with embroidered garments,
I gave you sandals made of fine leather,
I put a fine linen sash around you,
and I covered you with silk.
I adorned you with jewelry:
bracelets on your wrists,
a necklace around your neck,
a ring in your nose,
earrings in your ears,
and a beautiful crown on your head.
You were adorned with gold and silver,
dressed in fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth.
Fine flour, honey, and oil
were your food.
You became exceedingly beautiful
and worthy of royalty.
Your fame spread among the nations,
because of your beauty,
for it was perfect,
thanks to my splendor with which I clothed you
– oracle of the Lord God.

    But you trusted in your beauty,
you became a prostitute because of your fame,
you lavished your favors on every passerby:
you became anyone's.
Nevertheless, I will remember my covenant with you,
the one I made with you at the time of your youth,
and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.
Then you will remember, and be covered with shame.
In your dishonor, you will not dare to open your mouth
when I forgive you for all you have done
– oracle of the Lord God."

         – The word of the Lord.

 

OR SHORTER READING

     Thus speaks the Lord God:
I am going to deal with you as you have dealt with me,
you who despised the oath and broke the covenant.
    Nevertheless, I will remember my covenant,
the one I made with you at the time of your youth,
and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.
    You will remember your conduct,
and you will be dishonored,
when you accept your sisters, your elders and your younger sisters
– that is, Sodom and Samaria –
and when I give them to you as daughters,
not because of your covenant.
    I will reestablish my covenant with you.
Then you will know that I am the Lord.
    Thus you will remember, and be covered with shame.
In your dishonor, you will not dare to open your mouth
when I forgive you for all you have done
– oracle of the Lord God."

         – The word of the Lord.

This is the God who saves me:
I have confidence, I am no longer afraid.
My strength and my song is the Lord;
he is my salvation.

Give thanks to the Lord, proclaim his name,
announce his mighty deeds among the peoples!
Say it again: "Exalted is his name!"
Play for the Lord!

He shows his magnificence, and the whole earth knows it.
Shout aloud, rejoice, inhabitants of Zion,
for he is great among you,
the Holy One of Israel!

    At that time,
    some Pharisees came up to Jesus, to test him;
they asked him:
"Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife
for any reason whatsoever?"
    He replied:
"Have you not read this?
From the beginning, the Creator made them male and female;
    and said:
‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother,
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.’
    So they are no longer two, but one flesh.
Therefore, what God has joined together,
let no man separate!"
    The Pharisees replied to him:
"Then why did Moses command
an act of divorce before the separation?"
    Jesus answered them:
"Because of the hardness of your hearts
Moses permitted you to divorce your wives.
But from the beginning, it was not that way.
    Now I say to you:
whoever divorces his wife
– except in the case of an unlawful union –
and marries another,
commits adultery."
    His disciples said to him:
"If that is the situation of a man
with regard to his wife,
it is better not to marry."
    He answered them:
"Not everyone can accept this word,
but only those to whom it is given.
    There are those who cannot marry
because, from birth, they are unable to;
there are those who cannot marry
because they were made that way by men;
there are those who have chosen not to marry
for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Let the one who can accept this, accept it!"

         – Let us acclaim the word of God.