First Reading (Gen 2, 18 – 24)
A reading from the Book of Genesis
The Lord God said : “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him.” So the Lord God formed out of the ground various wild animals and various birds of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; whatever the man called each of them would be its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds of the air, and all wild animals; but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man. So the Lord God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. The Lord God then built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man. Then he brought her to the man, the man said : “This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of ‘her man’ this one has been taken.” That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one flesh.
Responsorial Psalm
R/ May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.
Blessed are you who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways! For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; blessed shall you be, and favored. R/
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your home, your children like olive plants around your table. R
Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord. The Lord bless you from Zion : may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. R/
May you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel! R/
Second Reading (Heb 2, 9 – 11)
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Hebrews
Brothers and sisters : He “for a little while” was made “lower than the angels,” that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the leader to their salvation perfect through suffering. He who consecrates and those who are being consecrated all have one origin. Therefore, he is not ashamed to call them “brothers.”
R/ Alleluia, alleluia.
If we love one another, God remains in us and his love is brought to perfection in us.
The Gospel (Mk 10, 2 – 12)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark
The Pharisees approached Jesus and asked, “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?” They were testing him. He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?” They replied, “Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce and dismiss her.” But Jesus told them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. 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, no human being must separate.” In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this. He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
Communion Antiphon
The Lord is good to those who hope in him, to the soul that seeks him.