Daily Readings for February 20, 2016

 1ST READING

We have a covenant relationship with God. We are confident that He will honor the covenant. He has sealed this covenant with His Son, Jesus. Let us live it out faithfully so that we will be worthy of eternal life, not only due to our obedience, but because we have allowed the grace of God to bring us to conversion.

Deuteronomy 26:16-19

16 Moses spoke to the people saying: “This day the Lord, your God, commands you to observe these statutes and decrees. Be careful, then, to observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. 17 Today you are making this agreement with the Lord: he is to be your God and you are to walk in his ways and observe his statutes, commandments and decrees, and to hearken to his voice. 18 And today the Lord is making this agreement with you: you are to be a people peculiarly his own, as he promised you; and provided you keep all his commandments, 19 he will then raise you high in praise and renown and glory above all other nations he has made, and you will be a people sacred to the Lord, your God, as he promised.”

P S A L M

Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8

R: Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

1 Blessed are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord. 2 Blessed are they who observe his decrees, who seek him with all their heart. (R) 4 You have commanded that your precepts be diligently kept. 5 Oh, that I might be firm in the ways of keeping your statutes! (R) 7 I will give you thanks with an upright heart, when I have learned your just ordinances. 8 I will keep your statutes; do not  utterly forsake me. (R)

GOSPEL

God calls us to perfection. He does not want a half-hearted response to His love. Let us never settle for second best when loving God and our neighbors. Let us give God our utmost best in serving Him and others.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Matthew 5:43-48

43 Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brothers and sisters only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? 48 So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

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