Good News

This is the high point of the Liturgy of the Word: the reading of the teachings and actions of Jesus, containing his own words, from one of the four Gospels.
We got on our feet for the Alleluia, and we will remain standing throughout the Gospel reading to show our reverence for the words of Jesus. Incense may also be used to honor the Word of God.
"Gospel" means "good news" and refers to Jesus' proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven. Sts. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, known as the Evangelists, wrote their accounts of the good news of Jesus in the early years of the Church.
The Sunday readings, including the Gospel, are on a three-year cycle. Each year mostly draws from one of the three synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), which tell a similar story of Jesus' ministry. The Gospel of John is read at particular parts of the liturgical year, especially Lent and Easter.
The weekday Gospel readings do not follow the two-year weekday cycle, but are always the same. As we said before, if this seems complicated to you, don't worry about it. Just pay attention to the what the Lord is saying to you in today's Gospel reading.

Read the Gospel before coming to Mass. Help your children engage with it, too.
Listening quietly might not seem like "active participation," but it is! We must be open to receiving the spoken Word of God, and that doesn't happen by accident.
Pay close attention to the Gospel and ask Jesus to speak to you directly. Ask him to speak to everyone at Mass.
What stuck out to you in the Gospel? How can you apply that to your life?
Reflect on the graces God has given you through the Gospel and praise him for these gifts.

Then the Deacon, or the Priest, incenses the book, if incense is used, and proclaims the Gospel. At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:

The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Then he kisses the book, saying quietly:

Through the words of the Gospel may our sins be wiped away.

The Gospel for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A (Matthew 13:44-52)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

Jesus said to his disciples: "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

"Do you understand all these things?" They answered, "Yes." And he replied, "Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old."

Grant, O Lord, that we may begin with holy fasting this campaign of Christian service, so that, as we take up battle against spiritual evils, we may be armed with weapons of self-restraint.

This collect prayer begins the Mass for Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Jesus is calling us to "take up battle against spiritual evils." We'll explore fasting itself in a few weeks; during the week of Ash Wednesday, we're going to dig into an important set of weapons the Lord gives us to fight evil: sacramentals.

What's a sacramental? Well, if you attend Mass on Ash Wednesday, you're probably going to receive one on your forehead.

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