Mass Readings For Wednesday, October 25, 2006

FIRST READING: Ephesians 3: 2 - 12

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2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you,

3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly.

4 When you read this you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ,

5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

6 that is, how the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace which was given me by the working of his power.

8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

9 and to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things;

10 that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.

11 This was according to the eternal purpose which he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,

12 in whom we have boldness and confidence of access through our faith in him.

PSALM: Isaiah 12: 2 - 6

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2 "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation."

3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

4 And you will say in that day: "Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name; make known his deeds among the nations, proclaim that his name is exalted.

5 "Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth.

6 Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel."

GOSPEL: Luke 12: 39 - 48

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39 But know this, that if the householder had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into.

40 You also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an unexpected hour."

41 Peter said, "Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?"

42 And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time?

43 Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing.

44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.

45 But if that servant says to himself, `My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk,

46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will punish him, and put him with the unfaithful.

47 And that servant who knew his master's will, but did not make ready or act according to his will, shall receive a severe beating.

48 But he who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, shall receive a light beating. Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required; and of him to whom men commit much they will demand the more.

Mass Readings For Tuesday, October 24, 2006

FIRST READING: Ephesians 2: 12 - 22

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12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ.

14 For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility,

15 by abolishing in his flesh the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,

16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby bringing the hostility to an end.

17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near;

18 for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

19 So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

21 in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord;

22 in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

PSALM: Psalms 85: 9 - 14

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9 Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.

10 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.

11 Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.

12 Yea, the LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.

13 Righteousness will go before him, and make his footsteps a way.

GOSPEL: Luke 12: 35 - 38

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35 "Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning,

36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the marriage feast, so that they may open to him at once when he comes and knocks.

37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes; truly, I say to you, he will gird himself and have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them.

38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those servants!

Mass Readings For Monday, October 23, 2006

St. John of Capistrano, OFM, Priest (Memorial)

FIRST READING: Ephesians 2: 1 - 10

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1 And you he made alive, when you were dead through the trespasses and sins

2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.

3 Among these we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of body and mind, and so we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us,

5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

6 and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

7 that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God --

9 not because of works, lest any man should boast.

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

PSALM: Psalms 100: 2 - 5

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2 Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!

3 Know that the LORD is God! It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him, bless his name!

5 For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures for ever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

GOSPEL: Luke 12: 13 - 21

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13 One of the multitude said to him, "Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me."

14 But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or divider over you?"

15 And he said to them, "Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

16 And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully;

17 and he thought to himself, `What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?'

18 And he said, `I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.'

20 But God said to him, `Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'

21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

Mass Readings For Friday, October 20, 2006

FIRST READING: Ephesians 1: 11 - 14

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11 In him, according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will,

12 we who first hoped in Christ have been destined and appointed to live for the praise of his glory.

13 In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

14 which is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

PSALM: Psalms 33: 1 - 2, 4 - 5, 12 - 13

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1 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.

2 Praise the LORD with the lyre, make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!

4 For the word of the LORD is upright; and all his work is done in faithfulness.

5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!

13 The LORD looks down from heaven, he sees all the sons of men;

GOSPEL: Luke 12: 1 - 7

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1 In the meantime, when so many thousands of the multitude had gathered together that they trod upon one another, he began to say to his disciples first, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

2 Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.

3 Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

4 "I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear him!

6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God.

7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.