Deacon:  Wisdom. Stand up. Hear the Holy Gospel.

Priest:   Peace to you all. 

People:  And to your spirit.

Deacon: A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew [19:16-26]

People:  Glory to You Lord. Glory to You.

Priest:   Listen.

Deacon:

At that time, a man came to Jesus and asked, 'Master, what good works must I do to have eternal life?'

Jesus said to him, 'Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only One who is good. But if you want to have life, keep the commandments'.

The man said, 'Which commandments?'

Jesus answered, 'These. You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. Honour your father and your mother. You shall love your neighbour as yourself.'

The young man said to him, 'I have kept all these. What more should I do?'

Jesus said, 'If you want perfection, go sell all you own. Give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me'.

But when the young man heard these things, he went away sad, because he was enormously wealthy.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Most truly I tell you, it is hard for someone wealthy to enter the kingdom of heaven. Indeed I tell you again, it is easier for a rope to pass through the eye of a needle, than for someone rich to enter the kingdom of heaven'.

When the disciples heard this they were astonished. They said, 'Then who can be saved?'

Jesus looked over them and told them, 'By human means, it is impossible. But everything is possible for God'.

People: Glory to You Lord, Glory to You.