St. Praxedes, Virgin

Ps 118:46-47.

v. I will speak of Your decrees before kings without being ashamed. And I will delight in Your commands, which I love exceedingly. (Alleluja, alleluja.)

Ps 118:1

Happy are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord. V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. v. I will speak of Your decrees before kings without being ashamed. And I will delight in Your commands, which I love exceedingly. (Alleluja, alleluja.)

A reading from the Epistle of blessed Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians.

1 Cor 7:25-34

Brethren: Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord; but I give counsel, as having obtained mercy of the Lord, to be faithful. I think therefore that this is good for the present necessity, that it is good for a man so to be. Art thou bound to a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. But if thou take a wife, thou hast not sinned. And if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned: nevertheless, such shall have tribulation of the flesh. But I spare you. This therefore I say, brethren; the time is short; it remaineth, that they also who have wives, be as if they had none; And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as if they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; And they that use this world, as if they used it not: for the fashion of this world passeth away. But I would have you to be without solicitude. He that is without a wife, is solicitous for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please God. But he that is with a wife, is solicitous for the things of the world, how he may please his wife: and he is divided. And the unmarried woman and the virgin thinketh on the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ps 44:8

You love justice and hate wickedness. V. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness. Alleluia, alleluia.

Ps 44:5

V. In your splendor and your beauty ride on triumphant, and reign. Alleluia.

Continuation ++ of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew

Matt 13:44-52.

At that time, Jesus spoke this parable to His disciples: The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field; he who finds it hides it, and in his joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he finds a single pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the sea that gathered in fish of every kind. When it was filled, they hauled it out, and sitting down on the beach, they gathered the good fish into vessels, but threw away the bad. So will it be at the end of the world. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from among the just, and will cast them into the furnace of fire, where there will be the weeping, and the gnashing of teeth. Have you understood all these things? They said to Him, Yes. And He said to them, So then, every Scribe instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings forth from his storeroom things new and old.

Ps 44:3

Grace is poured out upon your lips; thus God has blessed you forever, and for ages of ages. (Alleluja.)

Matt 13:45-46

The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he finds a single pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it. (Alleluja.)