A Reading from the Book of Judith (8:1-17)
Now Judith heard in those days that Nebuchadnezzar’s army approached. She was the daughter of Merari, son of Ox, son of Joseph, son of Oziel, son of Elkiah, son of Ananias, son of Gideon, son of Raphain, son of Ahitub, son of Elijah, son of Hilkiah, son of Eliab, son of Nathanael, son of Salamiel, son of Sarasadai and son of Israel. And her husband Manasseh was of her tribe and ancestry; now he died during the days of the barley harvest. For while he was overseeing the binding of the sheaves in the field, burning heat came upon him and he fell upon his bed and died in Bethulia, his city. And they buried him with his ancestors in the field between Dothan and Balamon. And Judith lived in her house, being wid- owed three years and four months. And she had made herself a tent upon the roof of her house and placed sackcloth around her waist and upon her were the garments of her widowhood. Now she fasted all the days of her widowhood except for the day before the Sabbath and the Sabbath itself, the day before the new moon, the day of the new moon, and the feasts and rejoicings of the house of Israel. And she was beautiful in appearance and very lovely of face. Her husband Manasseh left her gold and silver, female and male servants, cattle and fields, and she remained over them. And there was no one who brought an evil word against her, for she revered God very much. Now Judith heard the evil words of the people against the ruler because they were fainthearted from the lack of water. Judith also heard all the words that Uzziah said to them, swearing to hand over the city to the Assyrians in five days. And sending her favorite slave-woman, the one who was set over all she possessed, summoned Uzziah, Chabris, and Charmis, the elders of her city. And they came to her and she said to them: “Listen now to me, rulers of the inhabitants of Bethulia, for it is not right, your word you have spoken to the people this day. And you all have placed this oath, which you all have spoken between God and you. And you all said you will surrender the city to our enemies in the next few days if the Holy One does not turn and help you all. So then who are you, you all who have tested God on this very day, and placed yourselves greater than God in the midst of those born of women? And now God Almighty you question; none of you will learn anything, ever. The depths of the human heart you cannot plumb, and the volume of their thoughts you cannot comprehend. And how much more God, the One who made all this, will you search out and know God’s mind and comprehend God’s thoughts? By no means kindred; do not anger the Holy One our God. “For if God is not willing in the next five days to help us, God has the power to shelter us or to destroy us at any time God wishes before the faces of our enemies. As for you, do not attempt to bind the counsel of the Holy One our God. Not like those born of women is God to be threatened nor like any child of human parents who waver. Therefore, while we wait for God’s salvation, let us
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

Psalm 6
COMPASSIONATE ONE, do not, in your wrath,
rebuke me, and do not, in your rage, reprove me.
Have mercy on me, FAITHFUL ONE, for I am fragile;
GRACIOUS GOD, heal me, for my very bones are terrified.
My soul also is beyond terrified,
while you, HOLY ONE, how long?
Turn, HEALING ONE, save my soul;
deliver me for the sake of your faithful love.
For in death there is no remembrance of you.
In Sheol who can praise you?
I am weary with my sighing; every night I flood my bed;
with my tears, my couch, I deluge.
My vision narrows from anger;
worn down because of all my foes.
Turn from me, all you workers of iniquity,
for the GOD WHO IS MAJESTY hears the sound of my weeping.
The GLORIOUS ONE has heard my petition;
the GOD WHO DWELLS ABOVE THE CHERUBIM accepts my prayer.
All my enemies shall be put to shame
and thrown into a very great panic;
they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

A Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans (8:31-39)
What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? God is the one who did not spare the very Child of God, but rather for all of us, handed the Messiah over. Will not God—with Christ—also give us everything else? Who then will bring any charge against the elect of God? God is the one who justifies. Who will condemn? It is Christ Jesus, the one who died, moreover the one who was raised and who is at the right hand of God, who intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will affliction, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are completely victorious through the one who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor powers-that-be, nor things that are, nor things that will be, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Redeemer.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God

The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ According to Luke (18:18-30)
Glory to you, Lord Christ
Now a certain ruler asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to the ruler, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. The commandments you know: You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your mother and father.” Now the ruler replied, “All these have I kept from youth.” Yet when Jesus heard this, he said to the ruler, “Still one thing is lacking. Sell all that you own and distribute it to the poor and you will have treasure in the heavens; then come, follow me.” But hearing this the ruler became sad being extremely wealthy. Then looking at the ruler, being full of sorrow, Jesus said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the majesty of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is wealthy to enter the majesty of God.” Now the women and men who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But Jesus said, “What is impossible for the woman-born is possible for God.” Then Peter said, “Look here! We have left our homes and followed you.” And Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or wife or kinfolk or parents or children, for the sake of the majesty of God, who will not get back very much more in this age and in the age to come, eternal life.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you Lord Christ