Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Readings)

Reading 1Exodus 19:2-6aIn those days, the Israelites came to the desert of Sinai and pitched camp.While Israel was encamped here in front of the mountain,Moses went up the mountain to God.Then the LORD called to him and said,“Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob;tell the Israelites:You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptiansand how I bore you up on eagle wingsand brought you here to myself. Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant,you shall be my special possession,dearer to me than all other people,though all the earth is mine.You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.”Reading 2Romans 5:6-11Brothers and sisters:Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly.Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,though perhaps for a good personone might even find courage to die.But God proves his love for usin that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood,will we be saved through him from the wrath.Indeed, if, while we were enemies,we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,how much more, once reconciled,will we be saved by his life.Not only that,but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,through whom we have now received reconciliation.GospelMatthew 9:36—10:8At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned,like sheep without a shepherd.Then he said to his disciples,“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;so ask the master of the harvestto send out laborers for his harvest.”Then he summoned his twelve disciplesand gave them authority over unclean spiritsto drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.The names of the twelve apostles are these:first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus,“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”