Responsorial Psalm

℟. (Lk 15:18) I will rise and go to my father.

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
   in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
   and of my sin cleanse me.

℟. I will rise and go to my father.

A clean heart create for me, O God,
   and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
   and your Holy Spirit take not from me.

℟. I will rise and go to my father.

O Lord, open my lips,
   and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
   a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

℟. I will rise and go to my father.

2nd Reading

1 Tm 1:12-17

A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to Timpthy

Beloved:
I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord,
   because he considered me trustworthy
   in appointing me to the ministry.
I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and arrogant,
   but I have been mercifully treated
   because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief.
Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant,
   along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance:
   Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
Of these I am the foremost.
But for that reason I was mercifully treated,
   so that in me, as the foremost,
   Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example
   for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life.
To the king of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God,
   honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Alleluia, Alleluia.

God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

Alleluia, Alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 15:1-32 or 15:1-10

✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
   but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
   “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So to them he addressed this parable.
   “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them
   would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert
   and go after the lost one until he finds it?
And when he does find it,
   he sets it on his shoulders with great joy
   and, upon his arrival home,
   he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,
   ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’
I tell you, in just the same way
   there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
   than over ninety-nine righteous people
   who have no need of repentance.

“Or what woman having ten coins and losing one
   would not light a lamp and sweep the house,
   searching carefully until she finds it?
And when she does find it,
   she calls together her friends and neighbors
   and says to them,
   ‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’
In just the same way, I tell you,
   there will be rejoicing among the angels of God
   over one sinner who repents.”

Then he said,
   “A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father,
   ‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’
So the father divided the property between them.
After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings
   and set off to a distant country
   where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.
When he had freely spent everything,
   a severe famine struck that country,
   and he found himself in dire need.
So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens
   who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.
And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed,
   but nobody gave him any.
Coming to his senses he thought,
   ‘How many of my father’s hired workers
   have more than enough food to eat,
   but here am I, dying from hunger.
I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him,
   “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
I no longer deserve to be called your son;
   treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’
So he got up and went back to his father.
While he was still a long way off,
   his father caught sight of him,
   and was filled with compassion.
He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
His son said to him,
   ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you;
   I no longer deserve to be called your son.’
But his father ordered his servants,
   ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him;
   put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
   Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.
Then let us celebrate with a feast,
   because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again;
   he was lost, and has been found.’
Then the celebration began.
Now the older son had been out in the field
   and, on his way back, as he neared the house,
   he heard the sound of music and dancing.
He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.
The servant said to him,
   ‘Your brother has returned
   and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf
   because he has him back safe and sound.’
He became angry,
   and when he refused to enter the house,
   his father came out and pleaded with him.
He said to his father in reply,
   ‘Look, all these years I served you
   and not once did I disobey your orders;
   yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.
But when your son returns,
   who swallowed up your property with prostitutes,
   for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’
He said to him,
   ‘My son, you are here with me always;
   everything I have is yours.
But now we must celebrate and rejoice,
   because your brother was dead and has come to life again;
   he was lost and has been found.’”

Or: [Short Form]:

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
   but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
   “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So to them he addressed this parable.
   “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them
   would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert
   and go after the lost one until he finds it?
And when he does find it,
   he sets it on his shoulders with great joy
   and, upon his arrival home,
   he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,
   ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’
I tell you, in just the same way
   there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
   than over ninety-nine righteous people
   who have no need of repentance.

“Or what woman having ten coins and losing one
   would not light a lamp and sweep the house,
   searching carefully until she finds it?
And when she does find it,
   she calls together her friends and neighbors
   and says to them,
   ‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’
In just the same way, I tell you,
   there will be rejoicing among the angels of God
   over one sinner who repents.”

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:

The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Then he kisses the book, saying quietly:

Through the words of the Gospel
may our sins be wiped away.

The Creed is said.

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.

Nicene Creed

I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.

God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.

For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of
the Virgin Mary, and became man.

For our sake he was crucified
under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right
hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the
Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son
is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in One, Holy,
Catholic and Apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism
for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to
the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come.

Amen.

Gospel Canticle

Ant. He who loses his life because of me and for the sake of the Gospel shall save it, says the Lord.

Canticle of Zechariah
Luke 1:68-79
The Messiah and his forerunner

Blessed + be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old †
  that he would save us from our enemies, *
  from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight
   all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.


Ant. He who loses his life because of me and for the sake of the Gospel shall save it, says the Lord.