First Reading: Hosea 14: 2-10
2 Return, O Israel, to the Lord thy God: for thou hast fallen down by thy iniquity.

3 Take with you words, and return to the Lord, and say to him: Take away all iniquity, and receive the good: and we will render the calves of our lips.

4 Assyria shall not save us, we will not ride upon horses, neither will we say any more: The works of our hands are our gods, for thou wilt have mercy on the fatherless that is in thee.

5 I will heal their breaches, I will love them freely: for my wrath is turned away from them.

6 I will be as the dew, Israel shall spring as the lily, and his root shall shoot forth as that of Libanus.

7 His branches shall spread, and his glory shall be as the olive tree: and his smell as that of Libanus.

8 They shall be converted that sit under his shadow: they shall live upon wheat, and they shall blossom as a vine: his memorial shall be as the wine of Libanus.

9 Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I will hear him, and I will make him flourish like a green fir tree: from me is thy fruit found.

10 Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know these things? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall in them.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 51: 3-4, 8-9, 12-13, 14 and 17
R. (17b) My mouth will declare your praise.

3 Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy. And according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my iniquity.

4 Wash me yet more from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

R. My mouth will declare your praise.

8 For behold thou hast loved truth: the uncertain and hidden things of thy wisdom thou hast made manifest to me.

9 Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.

R. My mouth will declare your praise.

12 Create a clean heart in me, O God: and renew a right spirit within my bowels.

13 Cast me not away from thy face; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

R. My mouth will declare your praise.

14 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and strengthen me with a perfect spirit.

17 O Lord, thou wilt open my lips: and my mouth shall declare thy praise.

R. My mouth will declare your praise.
Alleluia: John 16: 13a; 14: 26d
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jn 16:13a; 14:26d When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you to all truth and remind you of all I told you.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Matthew 10: 16-23
16 Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and simple as doves.

17 But beware of men. For they will deliver you up in councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues.

18 And you shall be brought before governors, and before kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles:

19 But when they shall deliver you up, take no thought how or what to speak: for it shall be given you in that hour what to speak.

20 For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you.

21 The brother also shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the son: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and shall put them to death.

22 And you shall be hated by all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved.

23 And when they shall persecute you in this city, flee into another. Amen I say to you, you shall not finish all the cities of Israel, till the Son of man come.