Saturday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time – Year A

First Reading – 2 Timothy 4:1-8

I  charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths. As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry. For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 71:8-9, 14-15, 16-17, 22

℟ I will sing of your salvation.

My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day.

Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent.

℟ I will sing of your salvation.

But I will hope continually, and will praise you yet more and more.

My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge.

℟ I will sing of your salvation.

With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come, I will praise your righteousness, yours alone.

O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.

℟ I will sing of your salvation.

I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.

℟ I will sing of your salvation.

Alleluia – Matthew 5:3

℟ Alleluia!

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

℟ Alleluia!

Gospel – Mark 12:38-44

And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to go about in long robes, and to have salutations in the market places and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

And he sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the multitude putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came, and put in two copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him, and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For they all contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, her whole living.”

Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition, Ignatius Press, Copyright ⓒ 2006.