FIRST READING: Genesis 18:1-10a
A reading from Genesis.
1The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre,
as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day.
2Abraham looked up and saw three men standing near him.
When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them
and bowed down to the ground.
3He said, “My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant.
4Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet,
and rest yourselves under the tree.
5Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves,
and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.”
So they said, “Do as you have said.”
6And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah and said,
“Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour,
knead it, and make cakes.”
7Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good,
and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it.
8Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared
and set it before them,
and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.
9They said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?”
And he said, “There, in the tent.”
10aThen one said, “I will surely return to you in due season,
and your wife Sarah shall have a son.”
Word of God, word of life. or The word of the Lord.
PSALMODY: Psalm 15
SECOND READING: Colossians 1:15-28
A reading from Colossians.
15 ┌ Christ┐ is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation,
16for in Christ all things in heaven and on earth were created,
things visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—
all things have been created through him and for him.
17Christ himself is before all things, and in Christ all things hold together.
18Christ is the head of the body, the church;
Christ is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
so that he might come to have first place in everything.
19For in Christ all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
20and through Christ God was pleased to reconcile to God’s own self all things,
whether on earth or in heaven,
by making peace through the blood of his cross.
21And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,
22Christ has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death,
so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before God,
23provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith,
without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard,
which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven.
I, Paul, became a minister of this gospel.
24I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake,
and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions
for the sake of his body, that is, the church.
25I became its minister according to God’s commission
that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,
26the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations
but has now been revealed to the saints.
27To them God chose to make known how great among the gentiles
are the riches of the glory of this mystery,
which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28It is Christ whom we proclaim,
warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom,
so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
Word of God, word of life. or The word of the Lord.
GOSPEL: Luke 10:38-42
The holy gospel according to Luke.
38Now as ┌ Jesus and his disciples┐ went on their way,
he entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him.
39She had a sister named Mary,
who sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to what he was saying.
40But Martha was distracted by her many tasks,
so she came to Jesus and asked,
“Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself ?
Tell her, then, to help me.”
41But the Lord answered her,
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things,
42but few things are needed—indeed only one.
Mary has chosen the better part,
which will not be taken away from her.”
The gospel of the Lord.