First Reading

Proverbs 9:1-6 (JB)

A reading from the book of Proverbs

Come and eat my bread; drink the wine I have prepared.

Wisdom has built herself a house,

she has erected her seven pillars,

she has slaughtered her beasts, prepared her wine,

she has laid her table.

She has despatched her maidservants

and proclaimed from the city’s heights:

‘Who is ignorant? Let him step this way.’

To the fool she says,

‘Come and eat my bread,

drink the wine I have prepared!

Leave your folly and you will live,

walk in the ways of perception.’

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Proverbs 9:1-6 (NRSV)

A reading from the book of Proverbs

Wisdom has built her house,

she has hewn her seven pillars.

She has slaughtered her animals,

she has mixed her wine,

she has also set her table.

She has sent out her servant girls,

she calls from the highest places in the town,

“You that are simple, turn in here!”

To those without sense she says,

“Come, eat of my bread

and drink of the wine I have mixed.

Lay aside immaturity, and live,

and walk in the way of insight.”

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 33:2-3, 10-15 (JB)

R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

I will bless the Lord at all times,

his praise always on my lips;

in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.

The humble shall hear and be glad. R.

Revere the Lord, you his saints.

They lack nothing, those who revere him.

Strong lions suffer want and go hungry

but those who seek the Lord lack no blessing. R.

Come, children, and hear me

that I may teach you the fear of the Lord.

Who is he who longs for life

and many days, to enjoy his prosperity? R.

Then keep your tongue from evil

and your lips from speaking deceit.

Turn aside from evil and do good;

seek and strive after peace. R.

Second Reading

Ephesians 5:15-20 (JB)

A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Ephesians

Be watchful that you may know the will of God.

Be very careful about the sort of lives you lead, like intelligent and not like senseless people. This may be a wicked age, but your lives should redeem it. And do not be thoughtless but recognise what is the will of the Lord. Do not drug yourselves with wine, this is simply dissipation; be filled with the Spirit. Sing the words and tunes of the psalms and hymns when you are together, and go on singing and chanting to the Lord in your hearts, so that always and everywhere you are giving thanks to God who is our Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Ephesians 5:15-20 (NRSV)

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Ephesians

Brothers and sisters,

be careful how you live,

not as unwise people but as wise,

making the most of the time,

because the days are evil.

So do not be foolish,

but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery;

but be filled with the Spirit,

as you sing psalms and hymns

and spiritual songs among yourselves,

singing and making music to the Lord in your hearts,

giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation

John 6:56 (JB)

Alleluia, alleluia!

All who eat my flesh and drink my blood

live in me and I in them, says the Lord.

Alleluia!

John 6:57 (NRSV)

Alleluia, alleluia!

All who eat my flesh and drink my blood

live in me, and I in them, says the Lord.

Alleluia!

Gospel

John 6:51-58 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.

Jesus said to the crowd:

‘I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.

Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;

and the bread that I shall give

is my flesh, for the life of the world.’

Then the Jews started arguing with one another: ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ they said. Jesus replied:

‘I tell you most solemnly,

if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man

and drink his blood,

you will not have life in you.

Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood

has eternal life,

and I shall raise him up on the last day.

For my flesh is real food

and my blood is real drink.

He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood

lives in me

and I live in him.

As I, who am sent by the living Father,

myself draw life from the Father,

so whoever eats me will draw life from me.

This is the bread come down from heaven;

not like the bread our ancestors ate:

they are dead,

but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

John 6:51-58 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to John

Jesus said to the people:

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven.

‘Whoever eats of this bread will live forever;

and the bread that I will give is my flesh

for the life of the world.

The people then disputed among themselves, saying,

“How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

So Jesus said to them,

“Very truly, I tell you,

unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,

you have no life in you.

Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life,

and I will raise them up on the last day;

for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.

Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me,

and I in them.

“Just as the living Father sent me,

and I live because of the Father,

so whoever eats me will live because of me.

This is the bread that came down from heaven,

not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died.

But the one who eats this bread will live forever.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.