Sunday between 17 and 23 July    

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

First Reading - Isaiah 44.6-8

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah. The Lord of all heaven, your King and Saviour, says: ‘I am the first, and I am the last, and there is no other god. No other has established a people, long ago, or revealed what is to come. So do not be troubled or afraid, for I declared it long ago, and you are my witnesses: there is no other god, no other rock.’ This is the word of the Lord.

Second Reading - Romans 8.14-17

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans. Now that you are led by the spirit of God, you are adopted as children of God. God receives you not as slaves, to fall back into fear, but as adopted children, able to address God as ‘Abba’ and ‘Father’. And being adopted as children of God, we inherit all things, alongside Christ Jesus himself, including both his suffering and his glory. This is the word of the Lord.

Gospel - Matthew 13.24-30

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew. Jesus told them another parable. ‘A farmer planted good seed in a field. Then, during the night, an enemy came, and planted weeds amongst the wheat. When the wheat came up, the weeds also appeared. The workers said, “You planted good seed. So why does the field have weeds?” And the farmer said, “An enemy has done this!” The workers asked whether they should gather up the weeds. But the farmer said, “No, for in pulling up the weeds, you would also uproot the wheat. So let them grow together until the harvest, when I will tell the workers first to gather the weeds into bundles, to be burned, and then to gather the wheat into my barn.”’ This is the Gospel of the Lord.