Mass Readings for Sunday February 4, 2007

Reading 1

Is 6:1-2a, 3-8

In the year King Uzziah died,I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne,with the train of his garment filling the temple.Seraphim were stationed above.

They cried one to the other,"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!All the earth is filled with his glory!"At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shookand the house was filled with smoke.

Then I said, "Woe is me, I am doomed!For I am a man of unclean lips,living among a people of unclean lips;yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"Then one of the seraphim flew to me,holding an ember that he had taken with tongs from the altar.

He touched my mouth with it, and said,"See, now that this has touched your lips,your wickedness is removed, your sin purged."

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,"Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?""Here I am," I said; "send me!"

********************

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 7-8

R. (1c) In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.

I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,

for you have heard the words of my mouth;

in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;

I will worship at your holy temple

and give thanks to your name.

R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.

Because of your kindness and your truth;

for you have made great above all things

your name and your promise.

When I called, you answered me;

you built up strength within me.

R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.

All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O LORD,

when they hear the words of your mouth;

and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD:

“Great is the glory of the LORD.”

R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.

Your right hand saves me.

The LORD will complete what he has done for me;

your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;

forsake not the work of your hands.

R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.

********************

Reading II

1 Cor 15:1-11

I am reminding you, brothers and sisters,of the gospel I preached to you,which you indeed received and in which you also stand.Through it you are also being saved,if you hold fast to the word I preached to you,unless you believed in vain.For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received:that Christ died for our sinsin accordance with the Scriptures;that he was buried;that he was raised on the third dayin accordance with the Scriptures;that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.After that, Christ appeared to morethan five hundred brothers at once,most of whom are still living,though some have fallen asleep.After that he appeared to James,then to all the apostles.Last of all, as to one born abnormally,he appeared to me.For I am the least of the apostles,not fit to be called an apostle,because I persecuted the church of God.But by the grace of God I am what I am,and his grace to me has not been ineffective.Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them;not I, however, but the grace of God that is with me.Therefore, whether it be I or they,so we preach and so you believed.

********************

Gospel

Lk 5:1-11

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listeningto the word of God,he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.He saw two boats there alongside the lake;the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,"Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch."Simon said in reply,"Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,but at your command I will lower the nets."When they had done this, they caught a great number of fishand their nets were tearing.They signaled to their partners in the other boatto come to help them. They came and filled both boatsso that the boats were in danger of sinking.When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,"Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man."For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized himand all those with him,and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,who were partners of Simon.Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid;from now on you will be catching men."When they brought their boats to the shore,they left everything and followed him.

********************

Catholic

Religion
Roman Catholic
Christianity
Catholic Blogs

Mass Readings for Friday February 2, 2007

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Reading 1

Mal 3:1-4

Thus says the Lord God:Lo, I am sending my messengerto prepare the way before me;And suddenly there will come to the templethe LORD whom you seek,And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.But who will endure the day of his coming?And who can stand when he appears?For he is like the refiner’s fire,or like the fuller’s lye.He will sit refining and purifying silver,and he will purify the sons of Levi,Refining them like gold or like silverthat they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD.Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalemwill please the LORD,as in the days of old, as in years gone by.

********************

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 24:7, 8, 9, 10

R. (8) Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!

Lift up, O gates, your lintels;

reach up, you ancient portals,

that the king of glory may come in!

R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!

Who is this king of glory?

The LORD, strong and mighty,

the LORD, mighty in battle.

R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!

Lift up, O gates, your lintels;

reach up, you ancient portals,

that the king of glory may come in!

R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!

Who is this king of glory?

The LORD of hosts; he is the king of glory.

R. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!

********************

Reading II

Heb 2:14-18

Since the children share in blood and flesh,Jesus likewise shared in them,that through death he might destroy the onewho has the power of death, that is, the Devil,and free those who through fear of deathhad been subject to slavery all their life.Surely he did not help angelsbut rather the descendants of Abraham;therefore, he had to become like his brothers and sistersin every way,that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before Godto expiate the sins of the people.Because he himself was tested through what he suffered,he is able to help those who are being tested.

********************

Gospel

Lk 2:22-40

When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord,Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,and to offer the sacrifice ofa pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.This man was righteous and devout,awaiting the consolation of Israel,and the Holy Spirit was upon him.It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spiritthat he should not see deathbefore he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple;and when the parents brought in the child Jesusto perform the custom of the law in regard to him,he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: "Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word,for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples:a light for revelation to the Gentiles,and glory for your people Israel."

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,"Behold, this child is destinedfor the fall and rise of many in Israel,and to be a sign that will be contradicted(and you yourself a sword will pierce(so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."There was also a prophetess, Anna,the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.She was advanced in years,having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.She never left the temple,but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.And coming forward at that very time,she gave thanks to God and spoke about the childto all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptionsof the law of the Lord,they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;and the favor of God was upon him.

********************

Catholic

Religion
Roman Catholic
Christianity
Catholic Blogs

Mass Readings for Thursday February 1, 2007

Thursday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1

Heb 12:18-19, 21-24

Brothers and sisters:You have not approached that which could be touchedand a blazing fire and gloomy darknessand storm and a trumpet blastand a voice speaking words such that those who heardbegged that no message be further addressed to them.Indeed, so fearful was the spectacle that Moses said,"I am terrified and trembling."No, you have approached Mount Zionand the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,and countless angels in festal gathering,and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven,and God the judge of all,and the spirits of the just made perfect,and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant,and the sprinkled Blood that speaks more eloquentlythan that of Abel.

********************

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 48:2-3ab, 3cd-4, 9, 10-11

R. (see 10) O God, we ponder your mercy within your temple.

Great is the LORD and wholly to be praised

in the city of our God.

His holy mountain, fairest of heights,

is the joy of all the earth.

R. O God, we ponder your mercy within your temple.

Mount Zion, “the recesses of the North,”

the city of the great King.

God is with her castles;

renowned is he as a stronghold.

R. O God, we ponder your mercy within your temple.

As we had heard, so have we seen

in the city of the LORD of hosts,

In the city of our God;

God makes it firm forever.

R. O God, we ponder your mercy within your temple.

O God, we ponder your mercy

within your temple.

As your name, O God, so also your praise

reaches to the ends of the earth.

Of justice your right hand is full.

R. O God, we ponder your mercy within your temple.

********************

Gospel

Mk 6:7-13

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by twoand gave them authority over unclean spirits.He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick--no food, no sack, no money in their belts.They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic.He said to them,"Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there.Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you,leave there and shake the dust off your feetin testimony against them."So they went off and preached repentance.The Twelve drove out many demons,and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

********************

Catholic

Religion
Roman Catholic
Christianity
Catholic Blogs

Mass Readings for Wednesday January 31, 2007

Memorial of Saint John Bosco, priest

Reading 1

Heb 12:4-7, 11-15

Brothers and sisters:In your struggle against sinyou have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.You have also forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as children:My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lordor lose heart when reproved by him;for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines;he scourges every son he acknowledges.Endure your trials as "discipline";God treats you as his sons.For what "son" is there whom his father does not discipline?At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain,yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousnessto those who are trained by it.

So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees.Make straight paths for your feet,that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed.

Strive for peace with everyone,and for that holiness without which no one will see the Lord.See to it that no one be deprived of the grace of God,that no bitter root spring up and cause trouble,through which many may become defiled.

********************

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 103:1-2, 13-14, 17-18a

R. (see 17) The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

Bless the LORD, O my soul;

and all my being, bless his holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits.

R. The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

As a father has compassion on his children,

so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him,

For he knows how we are formed;

he remembers that we are dust.

R. The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

But the kindness of the LORD is from eternity

to eternity toward those who fear him,

And his justice toward children’s children

among those who keep his covenant.

R. The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

********************

Gospel

Mk 6:1-6

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples. When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,and many who heard him were astonished. They said, "Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?"And they took offense at him. Jesus said to them,"A prophet is not without honor except in his native placeand among his own kin and in his own house."So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.He was amazed at their lack of faith.

********************

Catholic

Religion
Roman Catholic
Christianity
Catholic Blogs