Ezekiel 17:22-24
A Reading from the Book of Ezekiel:
Thus says the Lord God:
I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar, from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot, and plant it on a high and lofty mountain; on the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it.
It shall put forth branches and bear fruit, and become a majestic cedar.
Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it, every winged thing in the shade of its boughs.
And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the Lord, bring the high tree, lift high the lowly tree, wither up the green tree, and make the withered tree bloom.
As I, the Lord, have spoken, so will I do.
The Word of the Lord.
"Lord, it is good to give thanks to you."
1. It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praise to your name, Most High,
To proclaim your kindness at dawn
and your faithfulness throughout the night.
R: Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
2. The just one shall flourish like the palm tree,
like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow.
They that are planted in the house of the Lord
shall flourish in the courts of our God.
R: Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
3. They shall bear fruit even in old age;
vigorous and sturdy shall they be,
Declaring how just is the Lord,
my rock, in whom there is no wrong.
R: Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
2 Corinthians 5:6-10
A Reading from the second Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians:
Brothers and sisters:
We are always courageous, although we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.
Yet, we are courageous, and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord.
Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at home or away.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.
The Word of the Lord.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower.
All who come to him will live forever.