A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 11:1-45

[Now a man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who had anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and dried his feet with her hair; it was her brother Lazarus who was ill. So] the sisters (of Lazarus) sent word to Jesus saying, “Master, the one you love is ill.” When Jesus heard this he said, “This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

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A reading from the Book of Wisdom 2:1a, 12-22

The wicked said among themselves,/ thinking not aright:/ “Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;/ he sets himself against our doings,/ Reproaches us for transgressions of the law/ and ­charges us with violations of our training./ He professes to have knowledge of God/ and styles himself a child of the Lord./ To us he is the censure of our thoughts;/ merely to see him is a hardship for us,/ Because his life is not like that of ­others,/ and different are his ways./ He ­judges us debased;/ he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure./ He calls blest the destiny of the just/ and boasts that God is his Father./ Let us see ­whether his words be true;/ let us find out what will happen to him./ For if the just one be the son of God, he will ­defend him/ and deliver him from the hand of his foes./ With ­revilement and torture let us put him to the test/ that we may have proof of his gentleness/ and try his patience./ Let us condemn him to a shameful death;/ for according to his own words, God will take care of him.”/ These were their thoughts, but they erred;/ for their wickedness blinded them,/ and they knew not the hidden counsels of God;/ neither did they count on a recompense of ­holiness/ nor discern the innocent souls’ reward.

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A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 49:8-15

Thus says the Lord:/ In a time of favor I answer you,/ on the day of salvation I help you;/ and I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people,/ To restore the land/ and allot the desolate heritages,/ Saying to the prisoners: Come out!/ To those in darkness: Show yourselves!/ Along the ways they shall find pasture,/ on every bare height shall their pastures be./ They shall not hunger or thirst,/ nor shall the scorching wind or the sun strike them;/ For he who pities them leads them/ and guides them beside springs of water./ I will cut a road through all my mountains,/ and make my highways level./ See, some shall come from afar,/ others from the north and the west,/ and some from the land of Syene./ Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth,/ break forth into song, you mountains./ For the Lord comforts his people/ and shows mercy to his afflicted.

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