First Reading : (Genesis 15: 1-12, 17-18)
Responsorial Psalm: (Psalms 105: 1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9)
First Reading : (Genesis 15: 1-12, 17-18)
Now when these things were done, the word of the Lord came to Abram by a vision, saying: Fear not, Abram, I am thy protector, and thy reward exceeding great.
And Abram said: Lord God, what wilt thou give me? I shall go without children: and the son of the steward of my house is this Damascus Eliezer. And Abram added: But to me thou hast not given seed: and lo my servant, born in my house, shall be my heir.
And immediately the word of the Lord came to him, saying: He shall not be thy heir: but he that shall come out of thy bowels, him shalt thou have for thy heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said to him: Look up to heaven and number the stars, if thou canst. And he said to him: So shall thy seed be. Abram believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice.
And he said to him: I am the Lord who brought thee out from Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land, and that thou mightest possess it. But he said: Lord God, whereby may I know that I shall possess it? And the Lord answered, and said: Take me a cow of three years old, and a she goat of three years, and a ram of three years, a turtle also, and a pigeon.
And he took all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid the two pieces of each one against the other; but the birds he divided not. And the fowls came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. And when the sun was setting, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a great and darksome horror seized upon him. And when the sun was set, there arose a dark mist, and there appeared a smoking furnace and a lamp of fire passing between those divisions.
That day God made a covenant with Abram, saying: To thy seed will I give this land, from the river of Egypt even to the great river Euphrates.
Responsorial Psalm: (Psalms 105: 1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9)
Alleluia. Give glory to the Lord, and call upon his name: declare his deeds among the Gentiles.
Sing to him, yea sing praises to him: relate all his wondrous works.
Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.
Seek ye the Lord, and be strengthened: seek his face evermore.
O ye seed of Abraham his servant; ye sons of Jacob his chosen.
He is the Lord our God: his judgments are in all the earth.
He hath remembered his covenant for ever: the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.
Which he made to Abraham; and his oath to Isaac:
Gospel: (Matthew 7: 15-20)
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. By their fruits you shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, and the evil tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can an evil tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire.
Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them.
