Sunday Catholic Mass Readings For February 1, 2015

"The Possessed Man in the Synagogue"
--  by James Tissot

FIRST READING: Deuteronomy 18: 15-20

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15 The Lord thy God will raise up to thee a PROPHET of thy nation and of thy brethren like unto me: him thou shalt hear:

16 As thou desiredst of the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the assembly was gathered together, and saidst: Let me not hear any more the voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see any more this exceeding great fire, lest I die.

17 And the Lord said to me: They have spoken all things well.

18 I will raise them up a prophet out of the midst of their brethren like to thee: and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him.

19 And he that will not hear his words, which he shall speak in my name, I will be the revenger.

20 But the prophet, who being corrupted with pride, shall speak in my name things that I did not command him to say, or in the name of strange gods, shall be slain.

PSALM: Psalms 95: 1-2, 6-9

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1 Come let us praise the Lord with joy: let us joyfully sing to God our saviour.

2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving; and make a joyful noise to him with psalms.

6 Come let us adore and fall down: and weep before the Lord that made us.

7 For he is the Lord our God: and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.

8 Today if you shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts:

9 As in the provocation, according to the day of temptation in the wilderness: where your fathers tempted me, they proved me, and saw my works.

SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 7: 32-35

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32 But I would have you to be without solicitude. He that is without a wife, is solicitous for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please God.

33 But he that is with a wife, is solicitous for the things of the world, how he may please his wife: and he is divided.

34 And the unmarried woman and the virgin thinketh on the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she that is married thinketh on the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

35 And this I speak for your profit: not to cast a snare upon you; but for that which is decent, and which may give you power to attend upon the Lord, without impediment.

Alleluia: Matthew 4: 16

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R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The people that sat in darkness, hath seen great light:

and to them that sat in the region of the shadow of death,

light is sprung up.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL: Mark 1: 21-28

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21 And they entered into Capharnaum, and forthwith upon the sabbath days going into the synagogue, he taught them.

22 And they were astonished at his doctrine. For he was teaching them as one having power, and not as the scribes.

23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,

24 Saying: What have we to do with thee, Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know who thou art, the Holy One of God.

25 And Jesus threatened him, saying: Speak no more, and go out of the man.

26 And the unclean spirit tearing him, and crying out with a loud voice, went out of him.

27 And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying: What thing is this? what is this new doctrine? for with power he commandeth even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.

28 And the fame of him was spread forthwith into all the country of Galilee.

Daily Catholic Mass Readings For Saturday, January 31, 2015

"Jesus Sleeping During the Tempest" (left) and "Jesus Stilling the Tempest" (right)
-- by James Tissot

Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest

FIRST READING: Hebrews 11: 1-2, 8-19

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1 Now faith is the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence of things that appear not.

2 For by this the ancients obtained a testimony.

8 By faith he that is called Abraham, obeyed to go out into a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

9 By faith he abode in the land, dwelling in cottages, with Isaac and Jacob, the co-heirs of the same promise.

10 For he looked for a city that hath foundations; whose builder and maker is God.

11 By faith also Sara herself, being barren, received strength to conceive seed, even past the time of age; because she believed that he was faithful who had promised,

12 For which cause there sprung even from one (and him as good as dead) as the stars of heaven in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

13 All these died according to faith, not having received the promises, but beholding them afar off, and saluting them, and confessing that they are pilgrims and strangers on the earth.

14 For they that say these things, do signify that they seek a country.

15 And truly if they had been mindful of that from whence they came out, they had doubtless time to return.

16 But now they desire a better, that is to say, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for he hath prepared for them a city.

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered Isaac: and he that had received the promises, offered up his only begotten son;

18 (To whom it was said: In Isaac shall thy seed be called.)

19 Accounting that God is able to raise up even from the dead. Whereupon also he received him for a parable.

PSALM: Luke 1: 69-75

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69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation to us, in the house of David his servant:

70 As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, who are from the beginning:

71 Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us:

72 To perform mercy to our fathers, and to remember his holy testament,

73 The oath, which he swore to Abraham our father, that he would grant to us,

74 That being delivered from the hand of our enemies, we may serve him without fear,

75 In holiness and justice before him, all our days.

ALLELUIA: John 3: 16

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R. Alleluia, alleluia.

For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son;

that whosoever believeth in him may have life everlasting.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL: Mark 4: 35-41

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35 And he saith to them that day, when evening was come: Let us pass over to the other side.

36 And sending away the multitude, they take him even as he was in the ship: and there were other ships with him.

37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that the ship was filled.

38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, sleeping upon a pillow; and they awake him, and say to him: Master, doth it not concern thee that we perish?

39 And rising up, he rebuked the wind, and said to the sea: Peace, be still. And the wind ceased: and there was made a great calm.

40 And he said to them: Why are you fearful? have you not faith yet? And they feared exceedingly: and they said one to another: Who is this (thinkest thou) that both wind and sea obey him?

Daily Catholic Mass Readings For Friday, January 30, 2015

FIRST READING: Hebrews 10: 32-39

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32 But call to mind the former days, wherein, being illuminated, you endured a great fight of afflictions.

33 And on the one hand indeed, by reproaches and tribulations, were made a gazingstock; and on the other, became companions of them that were used in such sort.

34 For you both had compassion on them that were in bands, and took with joy the being stripped of your own goods, knowing that you have a better and a lasting substance.

35 Do not therefore lose your confidence, which hath a great reward.

36 For patience is necessary for you; that, doing the will of God, you may receive the promise.

37 For yet a little and a very little while, and he that is to come, will come, and will not delay.

38 But my just man liveth by faith; but if he withdraw himself, he shall not please my soul.

39 But we are not the children of withdrawing unto perdition, but of faith to the saving of the soul.

PSALM: Psalms 37: 3-6, 23-24, 39-40

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3 Trust in the Lord, and do good, and dwell in the land, and thou shalt be fed with its riches.

4 Delight in the Lord, and he will give thee the requests of thy heart.

5 Commit thy way to the Lord, and trust in him, and he will do it.

6 And he will bring forth thy justice as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

23 With the Lord shall the steps of a man be directed, and he shall like well his way.

24 When he shall fall he shall not be bruised, for the Lord putteth his hand under him.

39 But the salvation of the just is from the Lord, and he is their protector in the time of trouble.

40 And the Lord will help them and deliver them: and he will rescue them from the wicked, and save them, because they have hoped in him.

ALLELUIA: See Matthew 11: 25

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R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed art thou, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;

thou hast revealed to little ones the mysteries of thy Kingdom.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL: Mark 4: 26-34

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26 And he said: So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the earth,

27 And should sleep, and rise, night and day, and the seed should spring, and grow up whilst he knoweth not.

28 For the earth of itself bringeth forth fruit, first the blade, then the ear, afterwards the full corn in the ear.

29 And when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

30 And he said: To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? or to what parable shall we compare it?

31 It is as a grain of mustard seed: which when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that are in the earth:

32 And when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches, so that the birds of the air may dwell under the shadow thereof.

33 And with many such parables, he spoke to them the word, according as they were able to hear.

34 And without parable he did not speak unto them; but apart, he explained all things to his disciples.

Daily Catholic Mass Readings For Thursday, January 29, 2015

FIRST READING: Hebrews 10: 19-25

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19 Having therefore, brethren, a confidence in the entering into the holies by the blood of Christ;

20 A new and living way which he hath dedicated for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh,

21 And a high priest over the house of God:

22 Let us draw near with a true heart in fulness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with clean water.

23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering (for he is faithful that hath promised),

24 And let us consider one another, to provoke unto charity and to good works:

25 Not forsaking our assembly, as some are accustomed; but comforting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching.

PSALM: Psalms 24: 1-6

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1 The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof: the world, and all they that dwell therein.

2 For he hath founded it upon the seas; and hath prepared it upon the rivers.

3 Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord: or who shall stand in his holy place?

4 The innocent in hands, and clean of heart, who hath not taken his soul in vain, nor sworn deceitfully to his neighbour.

5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy from God his Saviour.

6 This is the generation of them that seek him, of them that seek the face of the God of Jacob.

ALLELUIA: Psalms 119: 105

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R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Thy word is a lamp to my feet,

a light to my paths.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL: Mark 4: 21-25

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21 And he said to them: Doth a candle come in to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?

22 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be made manifest: neither was it made secret, but that it may come abroad.

23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

24 And he said to them: Take heed what you hear. In what measure you shall mete, it shall be measured to you again, and more shall be given to you.

25 For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, that also which he hath shall be taken away from him.

Daily Catholic Mass Readings For Wednesday, January 28, 2015

"The Sower"
 -- by James Tissot

Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church

FIRST READING: Hebrews 10: 11-18

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11 And every priest indeed standeth daily ministering, and often offering the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

12 But this man offering one sacrifice for sins, for ever sitteth on the right hand of God,

13 From henceforth expecting, until his enemies be made his footstool.

14 For by one oblation he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

15 And the Holy Ghost also doth testify this to us. For after that he said:

16 And this is the testament which I will make unto them after those days, saith the Lord. I will give my laws in their hearts, and on their minds will I write them:

17 And their sins and iniquities I will remember no more.

18 Now where there is a remission of these, there is no more an oblation for sin.

PSALM: Psalms 110: 1-4

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1 The Lord said to my Lord: Sit thou at my right hand: Until I make thy enemies thy footstool.

2 The Lord will send forth the sceptre of thy power out of Sion: rule thou in the midst of thy enemies.

3 With thee is the principality in the day of thy strength: in the brightness of the saints: from the womb before the day star I begot thee.

4 The Lord hath sworn, and he will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech.

ALLELUIA:

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R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;

all who come to him will live for ever.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL: Mark 4: 1-20

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1 And again he began to teach by the sea side; and a great multitude was gathered together unto him, so that he went up into a ship, and sat in the sea; and all the multitude was upon the land by the sea side.

2 And he taught them many things in parables, and said unto them in his doctrine:

3 Hear ye: Behold, the sower went out to sow.

4 And whilst he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the birds of the air came and ate it up.

5 And other some fell upon stony ground, where it had not much earth; and it shot up immediately, because it had no depth of earth.

6 And when the sun was risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

8 And some fell upon good ground; and brought forth fruit that grew up, and increased and yielded, one thirty, another sixty, and another a hundred.

9 And he said: He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

10 And when he was alone, the twelve that were with him asked him the parable.

11 And he said to them: To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but to them that are without, all things are done in parables:

12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand: lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

13 And he saith to them: Are you ignorant of this parable? and how shall you know all parables?

14 He that soweth, soweth the word.

15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown, and as soon as they have heard, immediately Satan cometh and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

16 And these likewise are they that are sown on the stony ground: who when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy.

17 And they have no root in themselves, but are only for a time: and then when tribulation and persecution ariseth for the word they are presently scandalized.

18 And others there are who are sown among thorns: these are they that hear the word,

19 And the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts after other things entering in choke the word, and it is made fruitless.

20 And these are they who are sown upon the good ground, who hear the word, and receive it, and yield fruit, the one thirty, another sixty, and another a hundred.

Daily Catholic Mass Readings For Tuesday, January 27, 2015

FIRST READING: Hebrews 10 1-10

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1 For the law having a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things; by the selfsame sacrifices which they offer continually every year, can never make the comers thereunto perfect:

2 For then they would have ceased to be offered: because the worshippers once cleansed should have no conscience of sin any longer:

3 But in them there is made a commemoration of sins every year.

4 For it is impossible that with the blood of oxen and goats sin should be taken away.

5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith: Sacrifice and oblation thou wouldest not: but a body thou hast fitted to me:

6 Holocausts for sin did not please thee.

7 Then said I: Behold I come: in the head of the book it is written of me: that I should do thy will, O God.

8 In saying before, Sacrifices, and oblations, and holocausts for sin thou wouldest not, neither are they pleasing to thee, which are offered according to the law.

9 Then said I: Behold, I come to do thy will, O God: he taketh away the first, that he may establish that which followeth.

10 In the which will, we are sanctified by the oblation of the body of Jesus Christ once.

PSALM: Psalms 40: 2, 4, 7-8, 10-11

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2 With expectation I have waited for the Lord, and he was attentive to me.

4 And he put a new canticle into my mouth, a song to our God. Many shall see, and shall fear: and they shall hope in the Lord.

7 Sacrifice and oblation thou didst not desire; but thou hast pierced ears for me. Burnt offering and sin offering thou didst not require:

8 Then said I, Behold I come. In the head of the book it is written of me

10 I have declared thy justice in a great church, lo, I will not restrain my lips: O Lord, thou knowest it.

11 I have not hid thy justice within my heart: I have declared thy truth and thy salvation. I have not concealed thy mercy and thy truth from a great council.

ALLELUIA: See Matthew 11: 25

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R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed art thou, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth;

thou hast revealed to the little ones the mysteries of thy Kingdom.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL: Mark 3: 31-35

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31 And his mother and his brethren came; and standing without, sent unto him, calling him.

32 And the multitude sat about him; and they say to him: Behold thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.

33 And answering them, he said: Who is my mother and my brethren?

34 And looking round about on them who sat about him, he saith: Behold my mother and my brethren.

35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, he is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

Daily Catholic Mass Readings For Monday, January 26, 2015

Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops

FIRST READING: 2 Timothy 1:1-8 OR Titus 1: 1-5

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1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, according to the promise of life, which is in Christ Jesus.

2 To Timothy my dearly beloved son, grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from Christ Jesus our Lord.

3 I give thanks to God, whom I serve from my forefathers with a pure conscience, that without ceasing, I have a remembrance of thee in my prayers, night and day.

4 Desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy,

5 Calling to mind that faith which is in thee unfeigned, which also dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and in thy mother Eunice, and I am certain that in thee also.

6 For which cause I admonish thee, that thou stir up the grace of God which is in thee, by the imposition of my hands.

7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear: but of power, and of love, and of sobriety.

8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but labour with the gospel, according to the power of God,

OR

1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of the elect of God and the acknowledging of the truth, which is according to godliness:

2 Unto the hope of life everlasting, which God, who lieth not, hath promised before the times of the world:

3 But hath in due times manifested his word in preaching, which is committed to me according to the commandment of God our Saviour:

4 To Titus my beloved son, according to the common faith, grace and peace from God the Father, and from Christ Jesus our Saviour.

5 For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and shouldest ordain priests in every city, as I also appointed thee.

PSALM: Psalms 96: 1-3, 7-8, 10

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1 Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle: sing to the Lord, all the earth.

2 Sing ye to the Lord and bless his name: shew forth his salvation from day to day.

3 Declare his glory among the Gentiles: his wonders among all people.

7 Bring ye to the Lord, O ye kindreds of the Gentiles, bring ye to the Lord glory and honour:

8 Bring to the Lord glory unto his name. Bring up sacrifices, and come into his courts:

10 Say ye among the Gentiles, the Lord hath reigned. For he hath corrected the world, which shall not be moved: he will judge the people with justice.

ALLELUIA: See 2 Timothy 1: 10

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R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath destroyed death

and hath brought to light life by the gospel.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL: Mark 3: 22-30

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22 And the scribes who were come down from Jerusalem, said: He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of devils he casteth out devils.

23 And after he had called them together, he said to them in parables: How can Satan cast out Satan?

24 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

26 And if Satan be risen up against himself, he is divided, and cannot stand, but hath an end.

27 No man can enter into the house of a strong man and rob him of his goods, unless he first bind the strong man, and then shall he plunder his house.

28 Amen I say to you, that all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and the blasphemies wherewith they shall blaspheme:

29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, shall never have forgiveness, but shall be guilty of an everlasting sin.

30 Because they said: He hath an unclean spirit.

Sunday Catholic Mass Readings For January 25, 2015

"The Calling of Saint Peter and Saint Andrew" (left) and "The Calling of Saint James and Saint John" (right)
-- by James Tissot

FIRST READING: Jonah 3: 1-5, 10

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1 And the word of the Lord came to Jonas the second time, saying:

2 Arise, and go to Ninive the great city: and preach in it the preaching that I bid thee.

3 And Jonas arose, and went to Ninive, according to the word of the Lord: now Ninive was a great city of three days' journey.

4 And Jonas began to enter into the city one day's journey: and he cried, and said: Yet forty days, and Ninive shall be destroyed.

5 And the men of Ninive believed in God: and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least.

10 And God saw their works, that they were turned from their evil way: and God had mercy with regard to the evil which he had said that he would do to them, and he did it not.

PSALM: Psalms 25: 4-9

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4 Shew, O Lord, thy ways to me, and teach me thy paths.

5 Direct me in thy truth, and teach me; for thou art God my Saviour; and on thee have I waited all the day long.

6 Remember, O Lord, thy bowels of compassion; and thy mercies that are from the beginning of the world.

7 The sins of my youth and my ignorances do not remember. According to thy mercy remember thou me: for thy goodness' sake, O Lord.

8 The Lord is sweet and righteous: therefore he will give a law to sinners in the way.

9 He will guide the mild in judgment: he will teach the meek his ways.

SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 7: 29-31

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29 This therefore I say, brethren; the time is short; it remaineth, that they also who have wives, be as if they had none;

30 And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as if they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;

31 And they that use this world, as if they used it not: for the fashion of this world passeth away.

ALLELUIA: Mark 1: 15

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R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The kingdom of God is at hand.

Repent and believe in the Gospel.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL: Mark 1:14-20

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14 And after that John was delivered up, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

15 And saying: The time is accomplished, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe the gospel.

16 And passing by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother, casting nets into the sea (for they were fishermen).

17 And Jesus said to them: Come after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

18 And immediately leaving their nets, they followed him.

19 And going on from thence a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were mending their nets in the ship:

20 And forthwith he called them. And leaving their father Zebedee in the ship with his hired men, they followed him.