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Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Mass Readings For Thursday 07/09/2009


FIRST READING: Genesis 44: 18 - 21, 23 -29, 45: 1 - 5


18 Then Judah went up to him and said, "O my lord, let your servant, I pray you, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant; for you are like Pharaoh himself.

19 My lord asked his servants, saying, `Have you a father, or a brother?'

20 And we said to my lord, `We have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother's children; and his father loves him.'

21 Then you said to your servants, `Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes upon him.'

23 Then you said to your servants, `Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.'

24 When we went back to your servant my father we told him the words of my lord.

25 And when our father said, `Go again, buy us a little food,'

26 we said, `We cannot go down. If our youngest brother goes with us, then we will go down; for we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.'

27 Then your servant my father said to us, `You know that my wife bore me two sons;

28 one left me, and I said, Surely he has been torn to pieces; and I have never seen him since.

29 If you take this one also from me, and harm befalls him, you will bring down my gray hairs in sorrow to Sheol.'

1 Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him; and he cried, "Make every one go out from me." So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.

2 And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it.

3 And Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph; is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.

4 So Joseph said to his brothers, "Come near to me, I pray you." And they came near. And he said, "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.

5 And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.

PSALM: Psalms 105: 16 - 21


16 When he summoned a famine on the land, and broke every staff of bread,

17 he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave.

18 His feet were hurt with fetters, his neck was put in a collar of iron;

19 until what he had said came to pass the word of the LORD tested him.

20 The king sent and released him, the ruler of the peoples set him free;

21 he made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his possessions,

GOSPEL: Matthew 10: 7 - 15


7 And preach as you go, saying, `The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'

8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying, give without pay.

9 Take no gold, nor silver, nor copper in your belts,

10 no bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff; for the laborer deserves his food.

11 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it, and stay with him until you depart.

12 As you enter the house, salute it.

13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.

14 And if any one will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town.

15 Truly, I say to you, it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomor'rah than for that town.














Monday, July 06, 2009

Mass Readings For Wednesday 07/08/2009


FIRST READING: Genesis 41: 55 - 57, 42 : 5 - 7, 17 - 24


55 When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph; what he says to you, do."

56 So when the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt.

57 Moreover, all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.

5 Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

6 Now Joseph was governor over the land; he it was who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came, and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground.

7 Joseph saw his brothers, and knew them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them. "Where do you come from?" he said. They said, "From the land of Canaan, to buy food."

17 And he put them all together in prison for three days.

18 On the third day Joseph said to them, "Do this and you will live, for I fear God:

19 if you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain confined in your prison, and let the rest go and carry grain for the famine of your households,

20 and bring your youngest brother to me; so your words will be verified, and you shall not die." And they did so.

21 Then they said to one another, "In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us and we would not listen; therefore is this distress come upon us."

22 And Reuben answered them, "Did I not tell you not to sin against the lad? But you would not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood."

23 They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them.

24 Then he turned away from them and wept; and he returned to them and spoke to them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.

PSALM: Psalms 33: 2 - 3, 10 - 11, 18 - 19


2 Praise the LORD with the lyre, make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!

3 Sing to him a new song, play skilfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nought; he frustrates the plans of the peoples.

11 The counsel of the LORD stands for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,

19 that he may deliver their soul from death, and keep them alive in famine.

GOSPEL: Matthew 10: 1 - 7


1 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity.

2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zeb'edee, and John his brother;

3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;

4 Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

5 These twelve Jesus sent out, charging them, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans,

6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

7 And preach as you go, saying, `The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'














Sunday, July 05, 2009

Mass Readings For Tuesday 07/07/2009


FIRST READING: Genesis 32: 23 - 33


123 He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had.

24 And Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day.

25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and Jacob's thigh was put out of joint as he wrestled with him.

26 Then he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me."

27 And he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob."

28 Then he said, "Your name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed."

29 Then Jacob asked him, "Tell me, I pray, your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And there he blessed him.

30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peni'el, saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved."

31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penu'el, limping because of his thigh.

32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the sinew of the hip which is upon the hollow of the thigh, because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh on the sinew of the hip.

PSALM: Psalms 17: 1 – 3, 6 – 7, 8, 15


1 Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry! Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!

2 From thee let my vindication come! Let thy eyes see the right!

3 If thou triest my heart, if thou visitest me by night, if thou testest me, thou wilt find no wickedness in me; my mouth does not transgress.

6 I call upon thee, for thou wilt answer me, O God; incline thy ear to me, hear my words.

7 Wondrously show thy steadfast love, O savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at thy right hand.

8 Keep me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of thy wings,

15 As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with beholding thy form.

GOSPEL: Matthew 9: 32 - 38


32 As they were going away, behold, a dumb demoniac was brought to him.

33 And when the demon had been cast out, the dumb man spoke; and the crowds marveled, saying, "Never was anything like this seen in Israel."

34 But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the prince of demons."

35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every infirmity.

36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;

38 pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."














Mass Readings For Monday 07/06/2009




FIRST READING: Genesis 28: 10 - 22


10 Jacob left Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran.

11 And he came to a certain place, and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep.

12 And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!

13 And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, "I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your descendants;

14 and your descendants shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and by you and your descendants shall all the families of the earth bless themselves.

15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done that of which I have spoken to you."

16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place; and I did not know it."

17 And he was afraid, and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."

18 So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone which he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it.

19 He called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of the city was Luz at the first.

20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear,

21 so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God,

22 and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house; and of all that thou givest me I will give the tenth to thee."

PSALM: Psalms 91: 1 – 4, 14 - 15


1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, who abides in the shadow of the Almighty,

2 will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust."

3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence;

4 he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

14 Because he cleaves to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.

15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will rescue him and honor him.

GOSPEL: Matthew 9: 18 - 26


18 While he was thus speaking to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, "My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live."

19 And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples.

20 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment;

21 for she said to herself, "If I only touch his garment, I shall be made well."

22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well.

23 And when Jesus came to the ruler's house, and saw the flute players, and the crowd making a tumult,

24 he said, "Depart; for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him.

25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.

26 And the report of this went through all that district.














Saturday, July 04, 2009

Mass Readings For Sunday 07/05/2009


FIRST READING: Ezekiel 2: 2 - 5


2 And when he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me upon my feet; and I heard him speaking to me.

3 And he said to me, "Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels, who have rebelled against me; they and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day.

4 The people also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them; and you shall say to them, `Thus says the Lord GOD.'

5 And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that there has been a prophet among them.

PSALM: Psalms 123: 1 - 4


1 To thee I lift up my eyes, O thou who art enthroned in the heavens!

2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he have mercy upon us.

3 Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt.

4 Too long our soul has been sated with the scorn of those who are at ease, the contempt of the proud.

SECOND READING: 2 Corinthians 12: 7 - 10


7 And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too elated.

8 Three times I besought the Lord about this, that it should leave me;

9 but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

GOSPEL: Mark 6: 1 - 6


1 He went away from there and came to his own country; and his disciples followed him.

2 And on the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue; and many who heard him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get all this? What is the wisdom given to him? What mighty works are wrought by his hands!

3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.

4 And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house."

5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands upon a few sick people and healed them.

6 And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.














Friday, July 03, 2009

Mass Readings For Saturday 07/04/2009


FIRST READING: Isaiah 58: 6 - 11


6 "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.

9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, Here I am. "If you take away from the midst of you the yoke, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,

10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.

11 And the LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your desire with good things, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

PSALM: Psalms 107: 2 - 9


2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble

3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

4 Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in;

5 hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them.

6 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress;

7 he led them by a straight way, till they reached a city to dwell in.

8 Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to the sons of men!

9 For he satisfies him who is thirsty, and the hungry he fills with good things.

GOSPEL: Matthew 25: 31 - 46


31 "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.

32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,

33 and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left.

34 Then the King will say to those at his right hand, `Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,

36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.'

37 Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink?

38 And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee?

39 And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?'

40 And the King will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.'

41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, `Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels;

42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,

43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.'

44 Then they also will answer, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?'

45 Then he will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.'

46 And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."













Thursday, July 02, 2009

Mass Readings For Friday 07/03/2009




FIRST READING: Ephesians 2: 19 - 22


19 So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

21 in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord;

22 in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

PSALM: Psalms 117: 1 - 2


1 Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples!

2 For great is his steadfast love toward us; and the faithfulness of the LORD endures for ever. Praise the LORD!

GOSPEL: John 20: 24 - 29


24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.

25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe."

26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, "Peace be with you."

27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing."

28 Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"

29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."














Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Mass Readings For Thursday 07/02/2009


FIRST READING: Genesis 22: 1 - 19


1 After these things God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I."

2 He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Mori'ah, and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."

3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; and he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off.

5 Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the ass; I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you."

6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together.

7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said, "Here am I, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"

8 Abraham said, "God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together.

9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.

10 Then Abraham put forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

11 But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I."

12 He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me."

13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.

14 So Abraham called the name of that place The LORD will provide; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided."

15 And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven,

16 and said, "By myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son,

17 I will indeed bless you, and I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore. And your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies,

18 and by your descendants shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves, because you have obeyed my voice."

19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba.

PSALM: Psalms 115: 1 - 6, 8 - 9


1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to thy name give glory, for the sake of thy steadfast love and thy faithfulness!

2 Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?"

3 Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases.

4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.

5 They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.

6 They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell.

8 Those who make them are like them; so are all who trust in them.

9 O Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.

GOSPEL: Matthew 9: 1 - 8


1 And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city.

2 And behold, they brought to him a paralytic, lying on his bed; and when Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven."

3 And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming."

4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?

5 For which is easier, to say, `Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, `Rise and walk'?

6 But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" -- he then said to the paralytic -- "Rise, take up your bed and go home."

7 And he rose and went home.

8 When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.