Sunday between 4 and 7 March [plus Sunday 3 March in a leap year] (if before Ash Wednesday) or Sunday between 29 May and 4 June (if after Trinity Sunday)

Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

First Reading - Deuteronomy 11.18-20, 26-28

A reading from the book of Deuteronomy. Fix these words in your heart and in your soul, on your hands and before your eyes. Teach them to your children, every morning, and every evening, both when you are at home, and when you are away. Write them on your gates and on your houses. For I set before you today both a blessing and a curse: a blessing, if you live by the commandments of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; and a curse, if you reject the way of the Lord your God, and follow other gods you have not known. This is the word of the Lord.

Second Reading - Romans 1.1-7

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans. From Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called by God to be an apostle. The gospel we proclaim was promised long ago, through the prophets, in the holy scriptures. It is the gospel of the Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord. In the flesh, he was descended from David. In the Holy Spirit, he was declared, in great power, by his resurrection from the dead, to be the Son of God.

Through him, we have received God’s grace, and we have been commissioned as apostles, to call people of all nations to faith, including yourselves, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. We write now to all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints. Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the word of the Lord.

Gospel - Matthew 7.21-29

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew. Jesus said, ‘The day will come when many will claim to have spoken prophecies, cast out demons, and done powerful deeds, in my name. But I will call them wicked, and send them away, saying, “I do not know you”. For you do not enter the kingdom of heaven by calling me Lord, but by doing my Father’s will. If you hear my words, and then live by them, you have built your house on rock, and it will stand firm when the storms and the floods beat against it. But if you hear my words and then do not live by them, you have built your house on sand, and in the storm, and the flood, it will collapse, and be swept away.’ And the crowds paid full attention to every word that Jesus spoke, because his teaching was powerful - unlike the teaching of their scribes. This is the Gospel of the Lord.