Mass Readings
Liturgical Readings for : Sunday, 23rd November, 2025Léachtaí Gaeilge
Next Sunday’s Readings
Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King, Solemnity
– The 34th (and Final Sunday) in Ordinary time, Year C
We celebrate Jesus Christ as a true shepherd king who leads his people to peace and Eternal Life.
FIRST READING
A reading from the second book of the Prophet Samuel 5:1-3
They anointed David King of Israel.
All the tribes of Israel then came to David at Hebron.
‘Look’ they said ‘we are your own flesh and blood.
In days past when Saul was our king, it was you who led Israel in all their exploits; and the Lord said to you,
“You are the man who shall be shepherd of my people Israel, you shall be the leader of Israel”.’
So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a pact with them at Hebron in the presence of the Lord, and they anointed David, king of Israel.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 121: 1-5, R/v 2
Response I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
And now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem. Response
2. Jerusalem is built as a city strongly compact.
It is there that the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord. Response
3. For Israel’s law it is, there to praise the Lord’s name.
There were set the thrones of judgement of the house of David. Response
SECOND READING
A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Colossians 1:12-20
He has created a place for us in the kingdom of the Son that he loves.
We give thanks to the Father who has made it possible for you to join the saints and with them to inherit the light. Because that is what he has done: he has taken us out of the power of darkness and created a place for us in the kingdom of the Son that he loves, and in him we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins.
He is the image of the unseen God and the first-born of all creation,
for in him were created all things in heaven and on earth: everything visible and everything invisible,
Thrones, Dominations, Sovereignties, Powers – all things were created through him and for him. Before anything was created, he existed, and he holds all things in unity. Now the Church is his body, he is its head.
As he is the Beginning, he was first to be born from the dead, so that he should be first in every way; because God wanted all perfection to be found in him and all things to be reconciled through him and for him, everything in heaven and everything on earth, when he made peace by his death on the cross.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation Mt 24:42
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessings on the coming kingdom of our father David!
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the Gospel according to Luke 23:35-43 Glory to you, O Lord
Lord remember me when you come into your kingdom.
‘He saved others,’ they said ‘let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.’
The soldiers mocked him too, and when they approached to offer vinegar they said,
‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself’.
Above him there was an inscription: ‘This is the King of the Jews’.
One of the criminals hanging there abused him.
‘Are you not the Christ?’ he said. ‘Save yourself and us as well.’
But the other spoke up and rebuked him. ‘Have you no fear of God at all?’ he said. ‘You got the same sentence as he did, but in our case we deserved it: we are paying for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong.
Jesus,’ he said ‘remember me when you come into your kingdom.’
‘Indeed, I promise you,’ he replied ‘today you will be with me in paradise.’
The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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For homily resources for this Sunday’s Gospel click here: https://www.catholicireland.net/sunday-homily/
Taken from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, published and copyright 1966 by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House Inc, and used by permission of the publishers.