Catholic Mass Readings For Wednesday, July 09, 2014

FIRST READING: Hosea 10: 1 - 3, 7 - 8, 12

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1 Israel was a spreading vine, rich in fruit. The more his fruit increased, the more altars he built; the more his land prospered, the more he adorned his sacred stones.

2 Their heart is divided! They shall pay for it. Their altars will be thrown down and their sacred stones broken to pieces.

3 Now they say, "We have no king (because we have no fear of God) and what good would a king do us?"

7 As for the king of Samaria, he has been carried off like foam on water.

8 The idolatrous high places - the sin of Israel - will be destroyed. Thorn and thistle will creep over the altars. Then they will say to the mountains: "Cover us," and to the hills: "Fall on us."

12 Plow new ground, sow for yourselves justice and reap the harvest of kindness. It is the time to go seeking Yahweh until he comes to rain salvation on you.

PSALM: Psalms 105: 2 - 7

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2 Sing to him, sing his praise, proclaim all his wondrous deeds.

3 Glory in his holy name; let those who seek the Lord rejoice.

4 Look to the Lord and be strong; seek his face always.

5 Remember his wonderful works, his miracles and his judgments,

6 you descendants of his servant Abraham, you sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!

7 He is the Lord our God; his judgments reach the whole world.

GOSPEL: Matthew 10: 1 - 7

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1 Then he called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority over the unclean spirits to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness.

2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew;

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

4 Simon, the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, the man who would betray him.

5 Jesus sent these twelve on mission with the instruction: "Do not visit pagan territory and do not enter a Samaritan town.

6 Go instead to the lost sheep of the people of Israel.

7 Go and proclaim this message: The kingdom of heaven is near.

Catholic Mass Readings For Tuesday, July 08, 2014

FIRST READING: Hosea 8: 4 - 7, 11 - 13

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4 Without my approval they set up kings and without my blessing appointed leaders. With their silver and gold they fashioned idols to their own ruin.

5 To me, Samaria, your calf is loathsome and my anger blazes against you. How long will you remain defiled?

6 The calf is yours, Israel, a craftsman has made it; it is not God and will be broken into pieces.

7 As they sow the wind, they will reap the whirlwind. Like the erect ear of corn they will bear no grain and produce no flour, or if they do, foreigners will devour it.

11 Ephraim built many altars but his altars made him more guilty.

12 I wrote out for him the numerous precepts of my Law, but they look on them as coming from foreigners.

13 They offer sacrifices to me because they are those who eat the meat, but Yahweh does not accept their sacrifices for he is mindful of their sin and remembers their wickedness. They will return to Egypt.

PSALM: Psalms 115: 3 - 10

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3 There in heaven is our God; whatever he wishes, he does.

4 Not so the hand-made idols, crafted in silver and gold.

5 They have mouths that cannot speak, eyes that cannot see,

6 ears that cannot hear, noses that cannot smell.

7 They have hands but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk; neither can they make a sound in their throat.

8 Their makers will be like them, so will all who trust in them.

9 O Israel, trust in the Lord; he is your help and your shield!

10 You, family of Aaron, trust in the Lord; he is your help and your shield!

GOSPEL: Matthew 9: 32 - 38

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32 When they had just left, some people brought to Jesus a man who was dumb because he was possessed by a demon.

33 When the demon was driven out, the dumb man began to speak. The crowds were astonished and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel." (

34 But the Pharisees said, "He drives away demons with the help of the prince of demons.")

35 Jesus went around all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom, and he cured every sickness and disease.

36 When he saw the crowds he was moved with pity, for they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.

37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the workers are only few.

38 Ask the master of the harvest to send workers to gather his harvest."

Catholic Mass Readings For Monday, July 07, 2014

"The Woman with an Issue of Blood" -- by James Tissot

FIRST READING: Hosea 2: 16 - 18, 21 - 22

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16 So I am going to allure her, lead her once more into the desert, where I can speak to her tenderly.

17 Then I will give back her vineyards, make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will answer me as in her youth,

as when she came out of the land of Egypt.

18 On that day, Yahweh says, you will call me my husband, and never again: my Baal.

21 You will be my spouse forever, betrothed in justice and integrity; we will be united in love and tenderness.

22 I will espouse you in faithfulness and you will come to know Yahweh.

PSALM: Psalms 145: 2 - 9

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2 I will praise you day after day and exalt your name forever.

3 Great is the Lord, most worthy of praise; and his deeds are beyond measure.

4 Parents commend your works to their children and tell them your feats.

5 They proclaim the splendor of your majesty and recall your wondrous works.

6 People will proclaim your mighty deeds, and I will declare your greatness.

7 They will celebrate your abundant kindness, and rejoice in singing of your justice.

8 Compassionate and gracious is the Lord, slow to anger and abounding in love.

9 The Lord is good to everyone; his mercy embraces all his creation.

GOSPEL: Matthew 9: 18 - 26

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18 While Jesus was speaking to them, an official of the synagogue came up to him, bowed before him and said, "My daughter has just died, but come and place your hands on her, and she will live."

19 Jesus stood up and followed him with his disciples.

20 Then a woman who had suffered from a severe bleeding for twelve years came up from behind and touched the edge of his cloak.

21 For she thought, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed."

22 Jesus turned, saw her and said, "Courage, my daughter, your faith has saved you." And from that moment the woman was cured.

23 When Jesus arrived at the official's house and saw the flute players and the excited crowd, he said,

24 "Get out of here! The girl is not dead. She is only sleeping!" And they laughed at him.

25 But once the crowd had been turned out, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up.

26 The news of this spread through the whole area.

Catholic Mass Readings For Saturday, March 29, 2014

"The Pharisee and the Publican" -- by James Tissot

FIRST READING: Hosea 6: 1 - 6

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1 In their affliction they will rise early to me: Come, and let us return to the Lord:

2 For he hath taken us, and he will heal us: he will strike, and he will cure us.

3 He will revive us after two days: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. We shall know, and we shall follow on, that we may know the Lord. His going forth is prepared as the morning light, and he will come to us as the early and the latter rain to the earth.

4 What shall I do to thee, O Ephraim? what shall I do to thee, O Juda? your mercy is as a morning cloud, and as the dew that goeth away in the morning.

5 For this reason have I hewed them by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments shall go forth as the light.

6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice: and the knowledge of God more than holocausts.

PSALM: Psalms 51: 3 - 4, 18 - 21

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3 Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy. And according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my iniquity.

4 Wash me yet more from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

18 For if thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would indeed have given it: with burnt offerings thou wilt not be delighted.

19 A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit: a contrite and humbled heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

20 Deal favourably, O Lord, in thy good will with Sion; that the walls of Jerusalem may be built up.

21 Then shalt thou accept the sacrifice of justice, oblations and whole burnt offerings: then shall they lay calves upon thy altar.

GOSPEL: Luke 18: 9 - 14

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9 And to some who trusted in themselves as just, and despised others, he spoke also this parable:

10 Two men went up into the temple to pray: the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

11 The Pharisee standing, prayed thus with himself: O God, I give thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, as also is this publican.

12 I fast twice in a week: I give tithes of all that I possess.

13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes towards heaven; but struck his breast, saying: O God, be merciful to me a sinner.

14 I say to you, this man went down into his house justified rather than the other: because every one that exalteth himself, shall be humbled: and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted.

Catholic Mass Readings For Friday, March 28, 2014

"The Scribe Stood to Tempt Jesus" -- by James Tissot

FIRST READING: Hosea 14: 2 - 10

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2 Return, O Israel, to the Lord thy God: for thou hast fallen down by thy iniquity.

3 Take with you words, and return to the Lord, and say to him: Take away all iniquity, and receive the good: and we will render the calves of our lips.

4 Assyria shall not save us, we will not ride upon horses, neither will we say any more: The works of our hands are our gods, for thou wilt have mercy on the fatherless that is in thee.

5 I will heal their breaches, I will love them freely: for my wrath is turned away from them.

6 I will be as the dew, Israel shall spring as the lily, and his root shall shoot forth as that of Libanus.

7 His branches shall spread, and his glory shall be as the olive tree: and his smell as that of Libanus.

8 They shall be converted that sit under his shadow: they shall live upon wheat, and they shall blossom as a vine: his memorial shall be as the wine of Libanus.

9 Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I will hear him, and I will make him flourish like a green fir tree: from me is thy fruit found.

10 Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know these things? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall in them.

PSALM: Psalms 81: 6 - 11, 14, 17

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6 He ordained it for a testimony in Joseph, when he came out of the land of Egypt: he heard a tongue which he knew not.

7 He removed his back from the burdens: his hands had served in baskets.

8 Thou calledst upon me in affliction, and I delivered thee: I heard thee in the secret place of tempest: I proved thee at the waters of contradiction.

9 Hear, O my people, and I will testify to thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken to me,

10 There shall be no new god in thee: neither shalt thou adore a strange god.

11 For I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

14 If my people had heard me: if Israel had walked in my ways:

17 And he fed them with the fat of wheat, and filled them with honey out of the rock.

GOSPEL: Mark 12: 28 - 34

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28 And there came one of the scribes that had heard them reasoning together, and seeing that he had answered them well, asked him which was the first commandment of all.

29 And Jesus answered him: The first commandment of all is, Hear, O Israel: the Lord thy God is one God.

30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength. This is the first commandment.

31 And the second is like to it: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is no other commandment greater than these.

32 And the scribe said to him: Well, Master, thou hast said in truth, that there is one God, and there is no other besides him.

33 And that he should be loved with the whole heart, and with the whole understanding, and with the whole soul, and with the whole strength; and to love one's neighbour as one's self, is a greater thing than all holocausts and sacrifices.

34 And Jesus seeing that he had answered wisely, said to him: Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.