NOTE: Before beginning today’s post, I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to this blogs readers and subscribers for the erratic postings over the last week or so. Our local telephone company has sold it's operations to another company which has not fully taken over yet. As a result, technicians hands were tied as they could not order the needed supplies to keep the service maintained and running properly, resulting in several days with no internet service at all. Again, my sincerest apologies to all.
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| "The Pharisees and the Saduccees Come to Tempt Jesus" -- by James Tissot |
FIRST READING: Genesis 4: 1-15, 25
1 And Adam knew Eve his wife: who conceived and brought forth Cain, saying: I have gotten a man through God.
2 And again she brought forth his brother Abel. And Abel was a shepherd, and Cain a husbandman.
3 And it came to pass after many days, that Cain offered, of the fruits of the earth, gifts to the Lord.
4 Abel also offered of the firstlings of his flock, and of their fat: and the Lord had respect to Abel, and to his offerings.
5 But to Cain and his offerings he had no respect: and Cain was exceedingly angry, and his countenance fell.
6 And the Lord said to him: Why art thou angry? and why is thy countenance fallen?
7 If thou do well, shalt thou not receive? but if ill, shall not sin forthwith be present at the door? but the lust thereof shall be under thee, and thou shalt have dominion over it.
8 And Cain said to Abel his brother: Let us go forth abroad. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and slew him.
9 And the Lord said to Cain: Where is thy brother Abel? And he answered, I know not: am I my brother's keeper?
10 And he said to him: What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth to me from the earth.
11 Now, therefore, cursed shalt thou be upon the earth, which hath opened her mouth and received the blood of thy brother at thy hand.
12 When thou shalt till it, it shall not yield to thee its fruit: a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be upon the earth.
13 And Cain said to the Lord: My iniquity is greater than that I may deserve pardon.
14 Behold thou dost cast me out this day from the face of the earth, and I shall be hidden from thy face, and I shall be a vagabond and a fugitive on the earth: every one, therefore, that findeth me, shall kill me.
15 And the Lord said to him: No, it shall not be so: but whosoever shall kill Cain, shall be punished sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, that whosoever found him should not kill him.
25 Adam also knew his wife again: and she brought forth a son, and called his name Seth, saying: God hath given me another seed, for Abel whom Cain slew.
PSALM: Psalms 50: 1, 8, 16-17, 20-21
1 The God of gods, the Lord hath spoken: and he hath called the earth. From the rising of the sun, to the going down thereof:
8 I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices: and thy burnt offerings are always in my sight.
16 But to the sinner God hath said: Why dost thou declare my justices, and take my covenant in thy mouth?
17 Seeing thou hast hated discipline: and hast cast my words behind thee.
20 Sitting thou didst speak against thy brother, and didst lay a scandal against thy mother's son:
21 These things hast thou done, and I was silent. Thou thoughtest unjustly that I should be like to thee: but I will reprove thee, and set before thy face.
GOSPEL: Mark 8: 11-13
11 And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, asking him a sign from heaven, tempting him.
12 And sighing deeply in spirit, he saith: Why doth this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, a sign shall not be given to this generation.
13 And leaving them, he went up again into the ship, and passed to the other side of the water.
