Lectures du jour

Lectures de la messe

1. Première lecture 2 Maccabées 6:18-31

   ¹⁸Eleazar, one of the principal scribes, a man already well advanced in years, and of a noble countenance, was compelled to open his mouth to eat swine’s flesh. ¹⁹But he, welcoming death with honor rather than life with defilement, advanced of his own accord to the instrument of torture, but first spat out the flesh, ²⁰as men ought to come who are resolute to repel such things as not even for the natural love of life is it lawful to taste. ²¹But those who had the charge of that forbidden sacrificial feast took the man aside, for the acquaintance which of old times they had with him, and privately implored him to bring flesh of his own providing, such as was proper for him to use, and to make as if he did eat of the flesh from the sacrifice, as had been commanded by the king; ²²that by so doing he might be delivered from death, and so his ancient friendship with them might be treated kindly. ²³But he, having formed a high resolve, and one that became his years, the dignity of old age, and the gray hairs which he had reached with honor, and his excellent education from a child, or rather the holy laws of God’s ordaining, declared his mind accordingly, bidding them to quickly send him to Hades. ²⁴“For it doesn’t become our years to dissemble,” he said, “that many of the young should suppose that Eleazar, the man of ninety years, had gone over to an alien religion; ²⁵and so they, by reason of my deception, and for the sake of this brief and momentary life, would be led astray because of me, and I defile and disgrace myself in my old age. ²⁶For even if for the present time I would remove from me the punishment of men, yet whether I live or die, I wouldn’t escape the hands of the Almighty. ²⁷Therefore, by bravely parting with my life now, I will show myself worthy of my old age, ²⁸and leave behind a noble example to the young to die willingly and nobly a glorious death for the revered and holy laws.” When he had said these words, he went immediately to the instrument of torture. ²⁹When they changed the good will they bore toward him a little before into ill will because these words of his were, as they thought, sheer madness, ³⁰and when he was at the point to die with the blows, he groaned aloud and said, “To the Lord, who has the holy knowledge, it is manifest that, while I might have been delivered from death, I endure severe pains in my body by being scourged; but in soul I gladly suffer these things because of my fear of him.” ³¹So this man also died like this, leaving his death for an example of nobleness and a memorial of virtue, not only to the young but also to the great body of his nation.

   Texte de WEB-C (absent de votre édition). WEB-C · World English Bible (Catholic). Public Domain. Source: eBible.org. Lire dans le contexte: 2 Maccabées 6:18-31

2. Psaume Psaumes 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

   ²O Éternel, que mes ennemis sont nombreux! Quelle multitude se lève contre moi! ³Combien qui disent à mon sujet: Plus de salut pour lui auprès de Dieu! — Pause. ⁴Mais toi, ô Éternel! Tu es mon bouclier, Tu es ma gloire, et tu relèves ma tête. ⁵De ma voix je crie à l’Éternel, Et il me répond de sa montagne sainte. — Pause. ⁶Je me couche, et je m’endors; Je me réveille, car l’Éternel est mon soutien. ⁷Je ne crains pas les myriades de peuples Qui m’assiègent de toutes parts.

   LSG · Louis Segond 1910. Public Domain. Source: eBible.org. Lire dans le contexte: Psaumes 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

3. Acclamation de l'Évangile 1 Jean 4:10b

4. Évangile Luc 19:1-10

   ¹Jésus, étant entré dans Jéricho, traversait la ville. ²Et voici, un homme riche, appelé Zachée, chef des publicains, cherchait à voir qui était Jésus; ³mais il ne pouvait y parvenir, à cause de la foule, car il était de petite taille. ⁴Il courut en avant, et monta sur un sycomore pour le voir, parce qu’il devait passer par là. ⁵Lorsque Jésus fut arrivé à cet endroit, il leva les yeux et lui dit: Zachée, hâte-toi de descendre; car il faut que je demeure aujourd’hui dans ta maison. ⁶Zachée se hâta de descendre, et le reçut avec joie. ⁷Voyant cela, tous murmuraient, et disaient: Il est allé loger chez un homme pécheur. ⁸Mais Zachée, se tenant devant le Seigneur, lui dit: Voici, Seigneur, je donne aux pauvres la moitié de mes biens, et, si j’ai fait tort de quelque chose à quelqu’un, je lui rends le quadruple. ⁹Jésus lui dit: Le salut est entré aujourd’hui dans cette maison, parce que celui-ci est aussi un fils d’Abraham. ¹⁰Car le Fils de l’homme est venu chercher et sauver ce qui était perdu.

   LSG · Louis Segond 1910. Public Domain. Source: eBible.org. Lire dans le contexte: Luc 19:1-10