First ReadingIsaiah 7:1-9

In the days of A′haz the son of Jo′tham, son of Uzzi′ah, king of Judah, Re′zin the king of Syria and Pe′kah the son of Remali′ah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but they could not conquer it. When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with E′phraim,” his heart and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. And the Lord said to Isai′ah, “Go forth to meet A′haz, you and She′arjash″ub h your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Fuller’s Field, and say to him, ‘Take heed, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Re′zin and Syria and the son of Remali′ah. Because Syria, with E′phraim and the son of Remali′ah, has devised evil against you, saying, “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it for ourselves, and set up the son of Ta′be-­ el as king in the midst of it,” thus says the Lord God: It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass. For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Re′zin. (Within sixty-­five years E′phraim will be broken to pieces so that it will no longer be a people.) And the head of E′phraim is Samar′ia, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remali′ah. If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established.’”

Responsorial PsalmPsalm 48:2-3, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

℟God upholds his city for ever.

Beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King.

Within her citadels God has shown himself a sure defense.

℟God upholds his city for ever.

Within her citadels God has shown himself a sure defense.

For behold, the kings assembled, they came on together.

℟God upholds his city for ever.

As soon as they saw it, they were astounded, they were in panic, they took to flight;

trembling took hold of them there, anguish as of a woman with labor pains.

℟God upholds his city for ever.

By the east wind you shattered the ships of Tarshish.

As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God, which God establishes for ever. 

℟God upholds his city for ever.

AlleluiaPsalm 95:8

℟Alleluia!

Harden not your hearts, as at Mer′ibah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness.

℟Alleluia!

GospelMatthew 11:20-24

Then he began to upbraid the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chora′zin! Woe to you, Beth­ sa′ida! for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Si′don, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Si′don than for you. And you, Ca­per′na­ um, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sod­om, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”