Catholic Mass Readings For Monday, February 24, 2014

"The Possessed Boy at the Foot of Mount Tabor" -- by James Tissot

FIRST READING: James 3: 13 - 18

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13 Who is a wise man, and endued with knowledge among you? Let him shew, by a good conversation, his work in the meekness of wisdom.

14 But if you have bitter zeal, and there be contentions in your hearts; glory not, and be not liars against the truth.

15 For this is not wisdom, descending from above: but earthly, sensual, devilish.

16 For where envying and contention is, there is inconstancy, and every evil work.

17 But the wisdom, that is from above, first indeed is chaste, then peaceable, modest, easy to be persuaded, consenting to the good, full of mercy and good fruits, without judging, without dissimulation.

18 And the fruit of justice is sown in peace, to them that make peace.

PSALM: Psalms 19: 8 - 10, 15

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8 The law of the Lord is unspotted, converting souls: the testimony of the Lord is faithful, giving wisdom to little ones.

9 The justices of the Lord are right, rejoicing hearts: the commandment of the Lord is lightsome, enlightening the eyes.

10 The fear of the Lord is holy, enduring for ever and ever: the judgments of the Lord are true, justified in themselves.

15 And the words of my mouth shall be such as may please: and the meditation of my heart always in thy sight. O Lord, my helper, and my redeemer.

GOSPEL: Mark 9: 14 - 29

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14 And presently all the people seeing Jesus, were astonished and struck with fear; and running to him, they saluted him.

15 And he asked them: What do you question about among you?

16 And one of the multitude, answering, said: Master, I have brought my son to thee, having a dumb spirit.

17 Who, wheresoever he taketh him, dasheth him, and he foameth, and gnasheth with the teeth, and pineth away; and I spoke to thy disciples to cast him out, and they could not.

18 Who answering them, said: O incredulous generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

19 And they brought him. And when he had seen him, immediately the spirit troubled him; and being thrown down upon the ground, he rolled about foaming.

20 And he asked his father: How long time is it since this hath happened unto him? But he said: From his infancy:

21 And oftentimes hath he cast him into the fire and into waters to destroy him. But if thou canst do any thing, help us, having compassion on us.

22 And Jesus saith to him: If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

23 And immediately the father of the boy crying out, with tears said: I do believe, Lord: help my unbelief.

24 And when Jesus saw the multitude running together, he threatened the unclean spirit, saying to him: Deaf and dumb spirit, I command thee, go out of him; and enter not any more into him.

25 And crying out, and greatly tearing him, he went out of him, and he became as dead, so that many said: He is dead.

26 But Jesus taking him by the hand, lifted him up; and he arose.

27 And when he was come into the house, his disciples secretly asked him: Why could not we cast him out?

28 And he said to them: This kind can go out by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

29 And departing from thence, they passed through Galilee, and he would not that any man should know it.

Catholic Mass Readings For Friday, February 21, 2014

Note: This post is late due to an area wide internet and telephone outage. I apologize for the delay.

FIRST READING: James 2: 14 - 24, 26

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14 What shall it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but hath not works? Shall faith be able to save him?

15 And if a brother or sister be naked, and want daily food:

16 And one of you say to them: Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; yet give them not those things that are necessary for the body, what shall it profit?

17 So faith also, if it have not works, is dead in itself.

18 But some man will say: Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without works; and I will shew thee, by works, my faith.

19 Thou believest that there is one God. Thou dost well: the devils also believe and tremble.

20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, offering up Isaac his son upon the altar?

22 Seest thou, that faith did co-operate with his works; and by works faith was made perfect?

23 And the scripture was fulfilled, saying: Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him to justice, and he was called the friend of God.

24 Do you see that by works a man is justified; and not by faith only?

26 For even as the body without the spirit is dead; so also faith without works is dead.

PSALM: Psalms 112: 1 - 6

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1 Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord: he shall delight exceedingly in his commandments.

2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the righteous shall be blessed.

3 Glory and wealth shall be in his house: and his justice remaineth for ever and ever.

4 To the righteous a light is risen up in darkness: he is merciful, and compassionate and just.

5 Acceptable is the man that sheweth mercy and lendeth: he shall order his words with judgment:

6 Because he shall not be moved for ever.

GOSPEL: Mark 8: 34 -- 9: 1

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34 And calling the multitude together with his disciples, he said to them: If any man will follow me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

35 For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel, shall save it.

36 For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul?

37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

38 For he that shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation: the Son of man also will be ashamed of him, when he shall come in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

1 And he said to them: Amen I say to you, that there are some of them that stand here, who shall not taste death, till they see the kingdom of God coming in power.

Catholic Mass Readings For Thursday, February 20, 2014

"The Primacy of Saint Peter" (top) and "Get Thee Behind Me, Satan" -- by James Tissot

FIRST READING: James 2: 1 - 9

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1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with respect of persons.

2 For if there shall come into your assembly a man having a golden ring, in fine apparel, and there shall come in also a poor man in mean attire,

3 And you have respect to him that is clothed with the fine apparel, and shall say to him: Sit thou here well; but say to the poor man: Stand thou there, or sit under my footstool:

4 Do you not judge within yourselves, and are become judges of unjust thoughts?

5 Hearken, my dearest brethren: hath not God chosen the poor in this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which God hath promised to them that love him?

6 But you have dishonoured the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you by might? and do not they draw you before the judgment seats?

7 Do not they blaspheme the good name that is invoked upon you?

8 If then you fulfill the royal law, according to the scriptures, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; you do well.

9 But if you have respect to persons, you commit sin, being reproved by the law as transgressors.

PSALM: Psalms 34: 2 - 7

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2 I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall be always in my mouth.

3 In the Lord shall my soul be praised: let the meek hear and rejoice.

4 O magnify the Lord with me; and let us extol his name together.

5 I sought the Lord, and he heard me; and he delivered me from all my troubles.

6 Come ye to him and be enlightened: and your faces shall not be confounded.

7 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him: and saved him out of all his troubles.

GOSPEL: Mark 8: 27 - 33

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27 And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi. And in the way, he asked his disciples, saying to them: Whom do men say that I am?

28 Who answered him, saying: John the Baptist; but some Elias, and others as one of the prophets.

29 Then he saith to them: But whom do you say that I am? Peter answering said to him: Thou art the Christ.

30 And he strictly charged them that they should not tell any man of him.

31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the ancients and by the high priests, and the scribes, and be killed: and after three days rise again.

32 And he spoke the word openly. And Peter taking him, began to rebuke him.

33 Who turning about and seeing his disciples, threatened Peter, saying: Go behind me, Satan, because thou savorest not the things that are of God, but that are of men.

Catholic Mass Readings For Wednesday, February 19, 2014

FIRST READING: James 1: 19 - 27

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19 You know, my dearest brethren. And let every man be swift to hear, but slow to speak, and slow to anger.

20 For the anger of man worketh not the justice of God.

21 Wherefore casting away all uncleanness, and abundance of naughtiness, with meekness receive the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if a man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he shall be compared to a man beholding his own countenance in a glass.

24 For he beheld himself, and went his way, and presently forgot what manner of man he was.

25 But he that hath looked into the perfect law of liberty, and hath continued therein, not becoming a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work; this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26 And if any man think himself to be religious, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

27 Religion clean and undefiled before God and the Father, is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation: and to keep one's self unspotted from this world.

PSALM: Psalms 15: 2 - 5

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2 He that walketh without blemish, and worketh justice:

3 He that speaketh truth in his heart, who hath not used deceit in his tongue: Nor hath done evil to his neighbour: nor taken up a reproach against his neighbours.

4 In his sight the malignant is brought to nothing: but he glorifieth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his neighbour, and deceiveth not;

5 He that hath not put out his money to usury, nor taken bribes against the innocent: He that doth these things shall not be moved for ever.

GOSPEL: Mark 8: 22 - 26

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22 And they came to Bethsaida; and they bring to him a blind man, and they besought him that he would touch him.

23 And taking the blind man by the hand, he led him out of the town; and spitting upon his eyes, laying his hands on him, he asked him if he saw any thing.

24 And looking up, he said: I see men as it were trees, walking.

25 After that again he laid his hands upon his eyes, and he began to see, and was restored, so that he saw all things clearly.

26 And he sent him into his house, saying: Go into thy house, and if thou enter into the town, tell nobody.

Catholic Mass Readings For Tuesday, February 18, 2014

FIRST READING: James 1: 12 - 18

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12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been proved, he shall receive a crown of life, which God hath promised to them that love him.

13 Let no man, when he is tempted, say that he is tempted by God. For God is not a tempter of evils, and he tempteth no man.

14 But every man is tempted by his own concupiscence, being drawn away and allured.

15 Then when concupiscence hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin. But sin, when it is completed, begetteth death.

16 Do not err, therefore, my dearest brethren.

17 Every best gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor shadow of alteration.

18 For of his own will hath he begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be some beginning of his creatures.

PSALM: Psalms 94: 12 - 15, 18 - 19

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12 Blessed is the man whom thou shalt instruct, O Lord: and shalt teach him out of thy law.

13 That thou mayst give him rest from the evil days: till a pit be dug for the wicked.

14 For the Lord will not cast off his people: neither will he forsake his own inheritance.

15 Until justice be turned into judgment: and they that are near it are all the upright in heart.

18 If I said: My foot is moved: thy mercy, O Lord, assisted me.

19 According to the multitude of my sorrows in my heart, thy comforts have given joy to my soul.

GOSPEL: Mark 8: 14 - 21

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14 And they forgot to take bread; and they had but one loaf with them in the ship.

15 And he charged them, saying: Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.

16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying: Because we have no bread.

17 Which Jesus knowing, saith to them: Why do you reason, because you have no bread? do you not yet know nor understand? have you still your heart blinded?

18 Having eyes, see you not? and having ears, hear you not? neither do you remember.

19 When I broke the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took you up? They say to him, Twelve.

20 When also the seven loaves among four thousand, how many baskets of fragments took you up? And they say to him, Seven.

21 And he said to them: How do you not yet understand?

Catholic Mass Readings For Monday, February 17, 2014

"The Pharisees and the Saduccees Come to Tempt Jesus" -- by James Tissot

FIRST READING: James 1: 1 - 11

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1 James the servant of God, and of our Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

2 My brethren, count it all joy, when you shall fall into divers temptations;

3 Knowing that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

4 And patience hath a perfect work; that you may be perfect and entire, failing in nothing.

5 But if any of you want wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men abundantly, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, which is moved and carried about by the wind.

7 Therefore let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

8 A double minded man is inconstant in all his ways.

9 But let the brother of low condition glory in his exaltation:

10 And the rich, in his being low; because as the flower of the grass shall he pass away.

11 For the sun rose with a burning heat, and parched the grass, and the flower thereof fell off, and the beauty of the shape thereof perished: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

PSALM: Psalms 119: 67 - 68, 71 - 72, 75 - 76

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67 Before I was humbled I offended; therefore have I kept thy word.

68 Thou art good; and in thy goodness teach me thy justifications.

71 It is good for me that thou hast humbled me, that I may learn thy justifications.

72 The law of thy mouth is good to me, above thousands of gold and silver.

75 I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are equity: and in thy truth thou hast humbled me.

76 O! let thy mercy be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.

GOSPEL: Mark 8: 11 - 13

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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.

Sunday Catholic Mass Readings For December 15, 2013

"John sends disciples to Jesus" -- Franz Karl Eduard von Gebhardt

Third Sunday of Advent

FIRST READING: Isaiah 35: 1 - 6, 10

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1 The land that was desolate and impassable shall be glad, and the wilderness shall rejoice, and shall flourish like the lily.

2 It shall bud forth and blossom, and shall rejoice with joy and praise: the glory of Libanus is given to it: the beauty of Carmel, and Saron, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the beauty of our God.

3 Strengthen ye the feeble hands, and confirm the weak knees.

4 Say to the fainthearted: Take courage, and fear not: behold your God will bring the revenge of recompense: God himself will come and will save you.

5 Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

6 Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall be free: for waters are broken out in the desert, and streams in the wilderness.

10 And the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and shall come into Sion with praise, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

PSALM: Psalms 146: 6 - 10

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6 Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all things that are in them.

7 Who keepeth truth for ever: who executeth judgment for them that suffer wrong: who giveth food to the hungry. The Lord looseth them that are fettered:

8 The Lord enlighteneth the blind. The Lord lifteth up them that are cast down: the Lord loveth the just.

9 The Lord keepeth the strangers, he will support the fatherless and the widow: and the ways of sinners he will destroy.

10 The Lord shall reign for ever: thy God, O Sion, unto generation and generation.

SECOND READING: James 5: 7 - 10

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7 Be patient therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth: patiently bearing till he receive the early and latter rain.

8 Be you therefore also patient, and strengthen your hearts: for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

9 Grudge not, brethren, one against another, that you may not be judged. Behold the judge standeth before the door.

10 Take, my brethren, for an example of suffering evil, of labour and patience, the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord.

GOSPEL: Matthew 11: 2 - 11

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2 Now when John had heard in prison the works of Christ: sending two of his disciples he said to him:

3 Art thou he that art to come, or look we for another?

4 And Jesus making answer said to them: Go and relate to John what you have heard and seen.

5 The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, the poor have the gospel preached to them.

6 And blessed is he that shall not be scandalized in me.

7 And when they went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: What went you out into the desert to see? a reed shaken with the wind?

8 But what went you out to see? a man clothed in soft garments? Behold they that are clothed in soft garments, are in the houses of kings.

9 But what went you out to see? a prophet? yea I tell you, and more than a prophet.

10 For this is he of whom it is written: Behold I send my angel before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.

11 Amen I say to you, there hath not risen among them that are born of women a greater than John the Baptist: yet he that is the lesser in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Mass Readings For Saturday, December 01, 2012

FIRST READING: Revelation 22: 1 - 7

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1 And he shewed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

2 In the midst of the street thereof, and on both sides of the river, was the tree of life, bearing twelve fruits, yielding its fruits every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

3 And there shall be no curse any more; but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him.

4 And they shall see his face: and his name shall be on their foreheads.

5 And night shall be no more: and they shall not need the light of the lamp, nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God shall enlighten them, and they shall reign for ever and ever.

6 And he said to me: These words are most faithful and true. And the Lord God of the spirits of the prophets sent his angel to shew his servants the things which must be done shortly.

7 And, Behold I come quickly. Blessed is he that keepeth the words of the prophecy of this book.

PSALM: Psalms 95: 1 - 7

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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.

3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

4 For in his hand are all the ends of the earth: and the heights of the mountains are his.

5 For the sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.

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.

GOSPEL: Luke 21: 34 - 36

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34 And take heed to yourselves, lest perhaps your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly.

35 For as a snare shall it come upon all that sit upon the face of the whole earth.

36 Watch ye, therefore, praying at all times, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that are to come, and to stand before the Son of man.

Sunday Mass Readings For September 30, 2012

FIRST READING: Numbers 11: 25 - 29

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25 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the spirit that was upon him and put it upon the seventy elders; and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did so no more.

26 Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the spirit rested upon them; they were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp.

27 And a young man ran and told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp."

28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses, one of his chosen men, said, "My lord Moses, forbid them."

29 But Moses said to him, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD's people were prophets, that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!"

PSALM: Psalms 19: 8, 10, 12 - 14

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8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;

10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.

12 But who can discern his errors? Clear thou me from hidden faults.

13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

SECOND READING: James 5: 1 - 6

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1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.

2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten.

3 Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure for the last days.

4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.

5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.

6 You have condemned, you have killed the righteous man; he does not resist you.

GOSPEL: Mark 9: 38 - 43, 45, 47 - 48

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38 John said to him, "Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us."

39 But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me.

40 For he that is not against us is for us.

41 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward.

42 "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung round his neck and he were thrown into the sea.

43 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire.

45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell.

47 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell,

48 where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.

Sunday Mass Readings For September 23, 2012

"The First Shall Be Last" -- by James Tissot

FIRST READING: Wisdom 2: 12, 17 - 20

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12 Let us therefore lie in wait for the just, because he is not for our turn, and

he is contrary to our doings, and upbraideth us with transgressions of the

law, and divulgeth against us the sins of our way of life.

17 Let us see then if his words be true, and let us prove what shall happen

to him, and we shall know what his end shall be.

18 For if he be the true son of God, he will defend him, and will deliver him

from the hands of his enemies.

19 Let us examine him by outrages and tortures, that we may know his

meekness and try his patience.

20 Let us condemn him to a most shameful death: for there shall be respect

had unto him by his words.

PSALM: Psalms 54: 3 - 8

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3 For strangers have risen up against me; and the mighty have sought after

my soul: and they have not set God before their eyes.

4 For behold God is my helper: and the Lord is the protector of my soul.

5 Turn back the evils upon my enemies; and cut them off in thy truth.

6 I will freely sacrifice to thee, and will give praise, O God, to thy name:

because it is good:

7 For thou hast delivered me out of all trouble: and my eye hath looked

down upon my enemies.

SECOND READING: James 3: 16 - 4: 3

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16 For where envying and contention is: there is inconstancy and every evil

work.

17 But the wisdom that is from above, first indeed is chaste, then peaceable,

modest, easy to be persuaded, consenting to the good, full of mercy and

good fruits, without judging, without dissimulation.

18 And the fruit of justice is sown in peace, to them that make peace.

1 From whence are wars and contentions among you? Are they not hence,

from your concupiscences, which war in your members?

2 You covet, and have not: you kill and envy and cannot obtain. You

contend and war, and you have not: because you ask not.

3 You ask and receive not: because you ask amiss, that you may consume it

on your concupiscences.

GOSPEL: Mark 9: 30 - 37

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30 And departing from thence, they passed through Galilee: and he would

not that any man should know it.

31 And he taught his disciples and said to them: The Son of man shall be

betrayed into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is

killed, he shall rise again the third day.

32 But they understood not the word: and they were afraid to ask him.

33 And they came to Capharnaum. And when they were in the house, he

asked them: What did you treat of in the way?

34 But they held their peace, for in the way they had disputed among

themselves, which of them should be the greatest.

35 And sitting down, he called the twelve and saith to them: If any man

desire to be first, he shall be the last of all and be minister of all.

36 And taking a child, he set him in the midst of them. Whom when he had

embraced, he saith to them:

37 Whosoever shall receive one such child as this in my name receiveth me.

And whosoever shall receive me receiveth not me but him that sent me. 

Sunday Mass Readings For September 16, 2012

"The Primacy of Saint Peter" -- by James Tissot

FIRST READING: Isaiah 50: 5 - 9

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5 The Lord God hath opened my ear, and I do not resist: I have not gone back.

6 I have given my body to the strikers, and my cheeks to them that plucked them: I have not turned away my face from them that rebuked me, and spit upon me.

7 The Lord God is my helper, therefore am I not confounded: therefore have I set my face as a most hard rock, and I know that I shall not be confounded.

8 He is near that justifieth me, who will contend with me? let us stand together, who is my adversary? let him come near to me.

9 Behold the Lord God is my helper: who is he that shall condemn me? Lo, they shall all be destroyed as a garment, the moth shall eat them up.

PSALM: Psalms 116: 1 - 6, 8 - 9

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1 I have loved, because the Lord will hear the voice of my prayer.

2 Because he hath inclined his ear unto me: and in my days I will call upon him.

3 The sorrows of death have encompassed me: and the perils of hell have found me. I met with trouble and sorrow:

4 And I called upon the name of the Lord. O Lord, deliver my soul.

5 The Lord is merciful and just, and our God sheweth mercy.

6 The Lord is the keeper of little ones: I was little and he delivered me.

8 For he hath delivered my soul from death: my eyes from tears, my feet from falling.

9 I will please the Lord in the land of the living.

SECOND READING: James 2: 14 - 18

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14 What shall it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but hath not works? Shall faith be able to save him?

15 And if a brother or sister be naked, and want daily food:

16 And one of you say to them: Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; yet give them not those things that are necessary for the body, what shall it profit?

17 So faith also, if it have not works, is dead in itself.

18 But some man will say: Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without works; and I will shew thee, by works, my faith.

GOSPEL: Mark 8: 27 - 35

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27 And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi. And in the way, he asked his disciples, saying to them: Whom do men say that I am?

28 Who answered him, saying: John the Baptist; but some Elias, and others as one of the prophets.

29 Then he saith to them: But whom do you say that I am? Peter answering said to him: Thou art the Christ.

30 And he strictly charged them that they should not tell any man of him.

31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the ancients and by the high priests, and the scribes, and be killed: and after three days rise again.

32 And he spoke the word openly. And Peter taking him, began to rebuke him.

33 Who turning about and seeing his disciples, threatened Peter, saying: Go behind me, Satan, because thou savorest not the things that are of God, but that are of men.

34 And calling the multitude together with his disciples, he said to them: If any man will follow me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

35 For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel, shall save it.