†
FIRST OF MAY
MEMORIAL OF SAINT JOSEPH, THE WORKER
†
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
Blessed are all who fear the Lord
and walk in his ways!
By the labour of your hands
you shall eat;
blessed are you,
and blessed will you be,
alleluia.
†
COLLECT
O God, Creator of all things,
who laid down for the human race
the law of work,
graciously grant that by the example
of Saint Joseph
and under his patronage
we may complete the works
you set us to do
and attain the rewards you promise.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ,
your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God,
for ever and ever.
R.) Amen.
†
FIRST READING
GENESIS 1:26-2:3
†
A READING FROM THE BOOK OF GENESIS
(FILL THE EARTH AND CONQUER IT.)
God said,
“Let us make man in our own image,
in the likeness of ourselves,
and let them be masters of the fish of the sea,
the birds of heaven, the cattle,
all the wild beasts
and all the reptiles that crawl upon the earth.”
God created man in the image of himself,
in the image of God he created him,
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, saying to them,
“Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and conquer it.
Be masters of the fish of the sea,
the birds of heaven
and all living animals on the earth.”
God said,
“See, I give you all the seed-bearing plants
that are upon the whole earth,
and all the trees with seed-bearing fruit;
this shall be your food.
To all wild beasts,
all birds of heaven
and all living reptiles on the earth
I give all the foliage of plants for food.”
And so it was.
God saw all he had made,
and indeed it was very good.
Evening came and morning came:
the sixth day.
Thus heaven and earth were completed
with all their array.
On the seventh day God completed the work
he had been doing.
He rested on the seventh day
after all the work he had been doing.
God blessed the seventh day and made it holy,
because on that day he had rested
after all his work in creating.
The word of the Lord.
R.) Thanks be to God.
†
ALTERNATIVE FIRST READING
COLOSSIANS 3:14-15.17.23-24
†
A READING FROM THE LETTER OF SAINT PAUL TO THE COLOSSIANS
(WHATEVER YOUR WORK IS, PUT YOUR HEART INTO IT AS IF IT WERE FOR THE LORD AND NOT FOR MEN.)
Over all these clothes, to keep them together
and complete them, put on love.
And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts,
because it is for this
that you were called together
as parts of one body.
Always be thankful.
Never say or do anything
except in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Whatever your work is,
put your heart into it
as if it were for the Lord and not for men,
knowing that the Lord will repay you
by making you his heirs.
It is Christ the Lord that you are serving.
The word of the Lord.
R.) Thanks be to God.
†
responsorialpsalmcatholic 