Reading I 1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13 The elders of Israel and all the leaders of the tribes,the princes in the ancestral houses of the children of Israel,came to King Solomon in Jerusalem,to bring up the ark of the LORD’s covenantfrom the City of David, which is Zion.All the people of Israel assembled before King Solomonduring the festival in the month of Ethanim (the seventh month).When all the elders of Israel had arrived,the priests took up the ark;they carried the ark of the LORDand the meeting tent with all the sacred vesselsthat were in the tent.(The priests and Levites carried them.)King Solomon and the entire community of Israelpresent for the occasionsacrificed before the ark sheep and oxentoo many to number or count.The priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORDto its place beneath the wings of the cherubim in the sanctuary,the holy of holies of the temple.The cherubim had their wings spread out over the place of the ark,sheltering the ark and its p

Reading 1 1 Kings 3:4-13 Solomon went to Gibeon to sacrifice there,because that was the most renowned high place.Upon its altar Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings.In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night.God said, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.”Solomon answered:“You have shown great favor to your servant, my father David,because he behaved faithfully toward you,with justice and an upright heart;and you have continued this great favor toward him, even today,seating a son of his on his throne.O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant,king to succeed my father David;but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act.I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen,a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted.Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heartto judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?”The LORD

Readings for the Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr Reading 1 1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12 When the time of David's death drew near,he gave these instructions to his son Solomon:"I am going the way of all flesh.Take courage and be a man.Keep the mandate of the LORD, your God, following his waysand observing his statutes, commands, ordinances, and decreesas they are written in the law of Moses,that you may succeed in whatever you do,wherever you turn, and the LORD may fulfillthe promise he made on my behalf when he said,'If your sons so conduct themselvesthat they remain faithful to me with their whole heartand with their whole soul,you shall always have someone of your lineon the throne of Israel.'"David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David.The length of David's reign over Israel was forty years:he reigned seven years in Hebronand thirty-three years in Jerusalem.Solomon was seated on the throne of his father David,with his sovereig

Reading 1 2 Samuel 18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30–19:3 Absalom unexpectedly came up against David's servants.He was mounted on a mule,and, as the mule passed under the branches of a large terebinth,his hair caught fast in the tree.He hung between heaven and earthwhile the mule he had been riding ran off.Someone saw this and reported to Joabthat he had seen Absalom hanging from a terebinth.And taking three pikes in hand,he thrust for the heart of Absalom,still hanging from the tree alive.Now David was sitting between the two gates,and a lookout went up to the roof of the gate above the city wall,where he looked about and saw a man running all alone.The lookout shouted to inform the king, who said,"If he is alone, he has good news to report."The king said, "Step aside and remain in attendance here."So he stepped aside and remained there.When the Cushite messenger came in, he said,"Let my lord the king receive the good newsthat this day the LOR