Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin, Doctor

First reading

1 John 1:5-2:2

The blood of Jesus Christ purifies us all from sin

This is what we have heard from Jesus Christ,
and the message that we are announcing to you:
God is light; there is no darkness in him at all.
If we say that we are in union with God
while we are living in darkness,
we are lying because we are not living the truth.
But if we live our lives in the light,
as he is in the light,
we are in union with one another,
and the blood of Jesus, his Son,
purifies us from all sin.

If we say we have no sin in us,
we are deceiving ourselves
and refusing to admit the truth;
but if we acknowledge our sins,
then God who is faithful and just
will forgive our sins and purify us
from everything that is wrong.
To say that we have never sinned
is to call God a liar
and to show that his word is not in us.

I am writing this, my children,
to stop you sinning;
but if anyone should sin,
we have our advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ, who is just;
he is the sacrifice that takes our sins away,
and not only ours,
but the whole world’s.

Psalm or canticle

Psalm 102(103):1-4,8-9,13-14,17-18

My soul, give thanks to the Lord
 all my being, bless his holy name.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord
 and never forget all his blessings.

It is he who forgives all your guilt,
 who heals every one of your ills,
who redeems your life from the grave,
 who crowns you with love and compassion.

The Lord is compassion and love,
 slow to anger and rich in mercy.
His wrath will come to an end;
 he will not be angry for ever.

As a father has compassion on his sons,
 the Lord has pity on those who fear him;
for he knows of what we are made,
 he remembers that we are dust.

But the love of the Lord is everlasting
 upon those who hold him in fear;
his justice reaches out to children’s children
 when they keep his covenant in truth,
 when they keep his will in their mind.

Gospel

Matthew 11:25-30

You have hidden these things from the wise and revealed them to little children

Jesus exclaimed, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’

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