First Reading

Genesis 23:1-4, 19; 24:1-8, 62-67

1Now Sarah lived for one hundred and twenty-seven years. 2And she died in the city of Arba, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan. And Abraham came to mourn and weep for her. 3And when he had risen up from the funeral duties, he spoke to the sons of Heth, saying: 4“I am a newcomer and a sojourner among you. Give me the right of a sepulcher among you, so that I may bury my dead.” 5The sons of Heth responded by saying: 6“Hear us, O lord, you are a leader of God among us. Bury your dead in our chosen sepulchers. And no man shall be able to prohibit you from burying your dead within his memorial.” 7Abraham arose, and he reverenced the people of the land, namely, the sons of Heth. 8And he said to them: “If it pleases your soul that I should bury my dead, hear me, and intercede on my behalf with Ephron, the son of Zohar, 9so that he may give me the double cave, which he has at the far end of his field. He may transfer it to me for as much money as it is worth in your sight, for the possession of a sepulcher.” 10Now Ephron dwelt in the midst of the sons of Heth. And Ephron responded to Abraham in the hearing of everyone who was entering at the gate of his city, saying: 11“Let it never be so, my lord, but you should pay greater heed to what I say. The field I will transfer to you, and the cave that is in it. In the presence of the sons of my people, bury your dead.” 12Abraham reverenced in the sight of the people of the land. 13And he spoke to Ephron, standing in the midst of the people: “I ask you to hear me. I will give you money for the field. Take it, and so I will bury my dead in it.” 14And Ephron responded: “My lord, hear me. 15The land that you request is worth four hundred shekels of silver. This is the price between me and you. But how much is this? Bury your dead.” 16And when Abraham had heard this, he weighed out the money that Ephron had requested, in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, of the approved public currency. 17And having confirmed that the field, in which there was a double cave overlooking Mamre, formerly belonged to Ephron, both it and the sepulcher, and all its trees, with all its surrounding limits, 18Abraham took it as a possession, in the sight of the sons of Heth and of everyone who was entering at the gate of his city. 19So then, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the double cave of the field that overlooked Mamre. This is Hebron in the land of Canaan.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 105

2Who will declare the powers of the Lord? Who make a hearing for all his praises? 3Blessed are those who keep judgment and who do justice at all times. 4Remember us, O Lord, with good will for your people. Visit us with your salvation, 5so that we may see the goodness of your elect, so that we may rejoice in the joy of your nation, so that you may be praised along with your inheritance.

Gospel

Matthew 9:9-13

9And when Jesus passed on from there, he saw, sitting at the tax office, a man named Matthew. And he said to him, “Follow me.” And rising up, he followed him. 10And it happened that, as he was sitting down to eat in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners arrived, and they sat down to eat with Jesus and his disciples. 11And the Pharisees, seeing this, said to his disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12But Jesus, hearing this, said: “It is not those who are healthy who are in need of a physician, but those who have maladies. 13So then, go out and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the just, but sinners.”