Saints Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs

1Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, in accord with the promise of the life which is in Christ Jesus, 2to Timothy, most beloved son. Grace, mercy, peace, from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Lord. 3I give thanks to God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a pure conscience. For without ceasing I hold the remembrance of you in my prayers, night and day,

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6Because of this, I admonish you to revive the grace of God, which is in you by the imposition of my hands. 7For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of virtue, and of love, and of self-restraint. 8And so, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner. Instead, collaborate with the Gospel in accord with the virtue of God, 9who has freed us and has called us to his holy vocation, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus, before the ages of time. 10And this has now been made manifest by the illumination of our Savior Jesus Christ, who certainly has destroyed death, and who has also illuminated life and incorruption through the Gospel. 11Of this Gospel, I have been appointed a preacher, and an Apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. 12For this reason, I also suffer these things. But I am not confounded. For I know in whom I have believed, and I am certain that he has the power to preserve what was entrusted to me, unto that day.

1A Canticle in steps. I have lifted up my eyes to you, who dwells in the heavens.

2Behold, as the eyes of the servants are on the hands of their masters, as the eyes of the handmaid are on the hands of her mistress, so our eyes are upon the Lord our God, until he may be merciful to us.

18And the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, approached him. And they questioned him, saying: 19“Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if any man’s brother will have died and left behind a wife, and not have left behind sons, his brother should take his wife to himself and should raise up offspring for his brother. 20So then, there were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and he died without leaving behind offspring. 21And the second took her, and he died. And neither did he leave behind offspring. And the third acted similarly. 22And in like manner, each of the seven received her and did not leave behind offspring. Last of all, the woman also died. 23Therefore, in the resurrection, when they will rise again, to which of them will she be a wife? For each of the seven had her as wife.” 24And Jesus responded by saying to them: “But have you not gone astray, by knowing neither the scriptures, nor the power of God? 25For when they will be resurrected from the dead, they shall neither marry, nor be given in marriage, but they are like the Angels in heaven. 26But concerning the dead who rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, how God spoke to him from the bush, saying: ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?’ 27He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Therefore, you have gone far astray.”