Mass Readings for Saturday, February 26, 2011

"Suffer the Little Children to Come unto Me" - James Tissot

FIRST READING: Sirach 17: 1 - 15

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1 The Lord created man out of earth, and turned him back to it again.

2 He gave to men few days, a limited time, but granted them authority over the things upon the earth.

3 He endowed them with strength like his own, and made them in his own image.

4 He placed the fear of them in all living beings, and granted them dominion over beasts and birds.

6 He made for them tongue and eyes; he gave them ears and a mind for thinking.

7 He filled them with knowledge and understanding, and showed them good and evil.

8 He set his eye upon their hearts to show them the majesty of his works.

10 And they will praise his holy name, to proclaim the grandeur of his works.

11 He bestowed knowledge upon them, and allotted to them the law of life.

12 He established with them an eternal covenant, and showed them his judgments.

13 Their eyes saw his glorious majesty, and their ears heard the glory of his voice.

14 And he said to them, "Beware of all unrighteousness." And he gave commandment to each of them concerning his neighbor.

15 Their ways are always before him, they will not be hid from his eyes.

PSALM: Psalms 103: 13 - 18

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13 As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear him.

14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field;

16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.

17 But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children,

18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.

GOSPEL: Mark 10: 13 - 16

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13 And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them.

14 But when Jesus saw it he was indignant, and said to them, "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God.

15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it."

16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.

Mass Readings for Friday, February 25, 2011

FIRST READING: Sirach 6: 5 - 17

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5 A pleasant voice multiplies friends, and a gracious tongue multiplies courtesies.

6 Let those that are at peace with you be many, but let your advisers be one in a thousand.

7 When you gain a friend, gain him through testing, and do not trust him hastily.

8 For there is a friend who is such at his own convenience, but will not stand by you in your day of trouble.

9 And there is a friend who changes into an enemy, and will disclose a quarrel to your disgrace.

10 And there is a friend who is a table companion, but will not stand by you in your day of trouble.

11 In prosperity he will make himself your equal, and be bold with your servants;

12 but if you are brought low he will turn against you, and will hide himself from your presence.

13 Keep yourself far from your enemies, and be on guard toward your friends.

14 A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter: he that has found one has found a treasure.

15 There is nothing so precious as a faithful friend, and no scales can measure his excellence.

16 A faithful friend is an elixir of life; and those who fear the Lord will find him.

17 Whoever fears the Lord directs his friendship aright, for as he is, so is his neighbor also.

PSALM: Psalms 119: 12, 16, 18, 27, 34 - 35

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12 Blessed be thou, O LORD; teach me thy statutes!

16 I will delight in thy statutes; I will not forget thy word.

18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

27 Make me understand the way of thy precepts, and I will meditate on thy wondrous works.

34 Give me understanding, that I may keep thy law and observe it with my whole heart.

35 Lead me in the path of thy commandments, for I delight in it.

GOSPEL: Mark 10: 1 - 12

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1 And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again; and again, as his custom was, he taught them.

2 And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?"

3 He answered them, "What did Moses command you?"

4 They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away."

5 But Jesus said to them, "For your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.

6 But from the beginning of creation, `God made them male and female.'

7 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,

8 and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh.

9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder."

10 And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter.

11 And he said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her;

12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."