Sunday between 11 and 17 February    (if before Ash Wednesday)    

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

First Reading - Jeremiah 17.5-8

A reading from the book of the prophet Jeremiah. Tragedy awaits those who place their trust in mortals, for they take human flesh as their strength, and they turn their hearts away from the Lord. They are like dried out plants in the desert. They will not live to see the day of relief and prosperity. But blessed are those who place their trust in the Lord. They are like trees planted by water, with roots in the flowing stream. They need not fear the scorching heat, for even in the year of drought, their leaves will be green, and their fruit will be plentiful. This is the word of the Lord.

Second Reading - 1 Corinthians 15.12-20

A reading from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians. We proclaim that Christ is risen from the dead. And yet still some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead. But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching has been in vain, and your faith has been in vain; and we are even found to be misrepresenting God, for we proclaim that God raised Christ from the dead! So: if there is no resurrection, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still lost in sin; and those who have died in Christ have perished.

Truly, if we have trusted in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied. But Christ has been raised from the dead! And the Risen Christ is the first fruits of all those who have died - the first fruits of all those who will indeed be raised again to life! This is the word of the Lord.

Gospel - Luke 6.17-26

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. Jesus came down from the mountain, with the twelve apostles. They met there, at the foot of the mountain, with a great crowd of disciples. And an even greater multitude had gathered, from as far away as Judea and Jerusalem, in the south, and the coastal districts of Tyre and Sidon, in Lebanon, in the north, to hear Jesus, and to be healed of their diseases. Those who were troubled with unclean spirits were healed; and all those in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him, and healed them. Jesus looked at them, and said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be full. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, avoid you, insult you, and slander you, on account of the Son of Man. Their ancestors did the same to the prophets, so rejoice when they do this to you, for surely your reward is great in heaven. But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your comfort. Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. And woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is how their ancestors spoke of the false prophets.’ This is the Gospel of the Lord.