Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

Mt 8:23-27As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,so that the boat was being swamped by waves;but he was asleep.They came and woke him, saying,"Lord, save us!  We are perishing!"He said to them, "Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?"Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,and there was great calm.The men were amazed and said, "What sort of man is this,whom even the winds and the sea obey?"

Mt 8:18-20When Jesus saw a crowd around him,he gave orders to cross to the other shore.A scribe approached and said to him,“Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”Another of his disciples said to him,“Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”But Jesus answered him, “Follow me,and let the dead bury their dead.”

Lk 15:3-7Jesus addressed this parable to the Pharisees and scribes:"What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of themwould not leave the ninety-nine in the desertand go after the lost one until he finds it?And when he does find it,he sets it on his shoulders with great joyand, upon his arrival home,he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,     'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.'I tell you, in just the same waythere will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repentsthan over ninety-nine righteous peoplewho have no need of repentance."

Mt 7:21-29Jesus said to his disciples:"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'will enter the Kingdom of heaven,but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.Many will say to me on that day,'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?Did we not drive out demons in your name?Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?'Then I will declare to them solemnly,'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.'"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on themwill be like a wise man who built his house on rock.The rain fell, the floods came,and the winds blew and buffeted the house.But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.And everyone who listens to these words of minebut does not act on themwill be like a fool who built his house on sand.The rain fell, the floods came,and the winds blew and buffeted the house.And it collapsed and was completely ruined."When Jesus finished these words,the crowds were astonished at his teaching,for he taught them as one having authority,and not as their scribes.

Mt 7:15-20Jesus said to his disciples:“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing,but underneath are ravenous wolves.By their fruits you will know them.Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?Just so, every good tree bears good fruit,and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut downand thrown into the fire.So by their fruits you will know them.”

Lk 1:57-66, 80When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her childshe gave birth to a son.Her neighbors and relatives heardthat the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,and they rejoiced with her.When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,but his mother said in reply,“No. He will be called John.”But they answered her,“There is no one among your relatives who has this name.”So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”and all were amazed.Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,and he spoke blessing God.Then fear came upon all their neighbors,and all these matters were discussedthroughout the hill country of Judea.All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,“What, then, will this child be?”For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.The child grew and became strong in spirit,and he was in the desert until the dayof his manifestation to Israel.

Mt 7:1-5Jesus said to his disciples:"Stop judging, that you may not be judged.For as you judge, so will you be judged,and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye,but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?How can you say to your brother,'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,'while the wooden beam is in your eye?You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first;then you will see clearlyto remove the splinter from your brother's eye."

Mt 6:19-23Jesus said to his disciples:“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.But store up treasures in heaven,where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.“The lamp of the body is the eye.If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light;but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness.And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.”

Mt 6:7-15Jesus said to his disciples:"In praying, do not babble like the pagans,who think that they will be heard because of their many words.Do not be like them.Your Father knows what you need before you ask him."This is how you are to pray:'Our Father who art in heaven,hallowed be thy name,thy Kingdom come,thy will be done,on earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread;and forgive us our trespasses,as we forgive those who trespass against us;and lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil.'"If you forgive others their transgressions,your heavenly Father will forgive you.But if you do not forgive others,neither will your Father forgive your transgressions."

Mt 6:1-6, 16-18Jesus said to his disciples:“Take care not to perform righteous deedsin order that people may see them;otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you,as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streetsto win the praise of others.Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.But when you give alms,do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,so that your almsgiving may be secret.And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites,who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street cornersso that others may see them.Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door,and pray to your Father in secret.And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.They neglect their appearance,so that they may appear to others to be fasting.Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,so that you may not appear to others to be fasting,except to your Father who is hidden.And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”