Mass Readings Monday February 19, 2007

Monday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1

Sir 1:1-10

All wisdom comes from the LORDand with him it remains forever, and is before all timeThe sand of the seashore, the drops of rain,the days of eternity: who can number these?Heaven’s height, earth’s breadth,the depths of the abyss: who can explore these?Before all things else wisdom was created;and prudent understanding, from eternity.The word of God on high is the fountain of wisdomand her ways are everlasting.To whom has wisdom’s root been revealed?Who knows her subtleties?To whom has the discipline of wisdom been revealed?And who has understood the multiplicity of her ways?There is but one, wise and truly awe-inspiring,seated upon his throne:There is but one, Most High all-powerful creator-king and truly awe-inspiring one,seated upon his throne and he is the God of dominion.It is the LORD; he created her through the Holy Spirit,has seen her and taken note of her.He has poured her forth upon all his works,upon every living thing according to his bounty;he has lavished her upon his friends.

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

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5

R. (1a) The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

The LORD is king, in splendor robed;

robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.

R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

And he has made the world firm,

not to be moved.

Your throne stands firm from of old;

from everlasting you are, O LORD.

R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed:

holiness befits your house,

O LORD, for length of days.

R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

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

Gospel

Mk 9:14-29

As Jesus came down from the mountain with Peter, James, Johnand approached the other disciples,they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them.Immediately on seeing him,the whole crowd was utterly amazed.They ran up to him and greeted him. He asked them, "What are you arguing about with them?"Someone from the crowd answered him,"Teacher, I have brought to you my son possessed by a mute spirit.Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down;he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid.I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so."He said to them in reply,"O faithless generation, how long will I be with you?How long will I endure you? Bring him to me."They brought the boy to him.And when he saw him,the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions.As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around and foam at the mouth. Then he questioned his father,"How long has this been happening to him?"He replied, "Since childhood.It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him.But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."Jesus said to him,"‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith."Then the boy’s father cried out, "I do believe, help my unbelief!"Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering,rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it,"Mute and deaf spirit, I command you:come out of him and never enter him again!"

Shouting and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out.He became like a corpse, which caused many to say, "He is dead!"But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private,"Why could we not drive the spirit out?"He said to them, "This kind can only come out through prayer."

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

Catholic

Religion
Roman Catholic
Christianity
Catholic Blogs

Mass Readings Sunday February 18, 2007

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1

1 Sm 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23

In those days, Saul went down to the desert of Ziphwith three thousand picked men of Israel,to search for David in the desert of Ziph.So David and Abishai went among Saul’s soldiers by nightand found Saul lying asleep within the barricade,with his spear thrust into the ground at his headand Abner and his men sleeping around him.

Abishai whispered to David:"God has delivered your enemy into your grasp this day.Let me nail him to the ground with one thrust of the spear;I will not need a second thrust!"But David said to Abishai, "Do not harm him,for who can lay hands on the LORD’s anointed and remain unpunished?"So David took the spear and the water jug from their place at Saul’s head,and they got away without anyone’s seeing or knowing or awakening.All remained asleep,because the LORD had put them into a deep slumber.

Going across to an opposite slope,David stood on a remote hilltopat a great distance from Abner, son of Ner, and the troops.He said: "Here is the king’s spear.Let an attendant come over to get it.The LORD will reward each man for his justice and faithfulness.Today, though the LORD delivered you into my grasp,I would not harm the LORD’S anointed."

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

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-1

R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.

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 is kind and merciful.

He pardons all your iniquities,

heals all your ills.

He redeems your life from destruction,

crowns you with kindness and compassion.

R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

Merciful and gracious is the LORD,

slow to anger and abounding in kindness.

Not according to our sins does he deal with us,

nor does he requite us according to our crimes.

R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

As far as the east is from the west,

so far has he put our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,

so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.

R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

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

Reading II

1 Cor 15:45-49

Brothers and sisters:

It is written, The first man, Adam, became a living being, the last Adam a life-giving spirit.But the spiritual was not first;rather the natural and then the spiritual.The first man was from the earth, earthly;the second man, from heaven.As was the earthly one, so also are the earthly,and as is the heavenly one, so also are the heavenly.Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one,we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one.

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

Gospel

Lk 6:27-38

Jesus said to his disciples:

"To you who hear I say,love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.To the person who strikes you on one cheek,offer the other one as well,and from the person who takes your cloak,do not withhold even your tunic.Give to everyone who asks of you,and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.Do to others as you would have them do to you.For if you love those who love you,what credit is that to you?Even sinners love those who love them.And if you do good to those who do good to you,what credit is that to you?Even sinners do the same.If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,what credit is that to you?Even sinners lend to sinners,and get back the same amount.But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,and lend expecting nothing back;then your reward will be greatand you will be children of the Most High,for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

"Stop judging and you will not be judged.Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.Forgive and you will be forgiven.Give, and gifts will be given to you;a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,will be poured into your lap.For the measure with which you measurewill in return be measured out to you."

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

Catholic

Religion
Roman Catholic
Christianity
Catholic Blogs

Mass Readings Friday February 16, 2007

Friday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1

Gn 11:1-9

The whole world spoke the same language, using the same words.While the people were migrating in the east,they came upon a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there.They said to one another,"Come, let us mold bricks and harden them with fire."They used bricks for stone, and bitumen for mortar.Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a cityand a tower with its top in the sky,and so make a name for ourselves;otherwise we shall be scattered all over the earth."

The LORD came down to see the city and the towerthat they had built.Then the LORD said: "If now, while they are one people,all speaking the same language,they have started to do this,nothing will later stop them from doing whatever they presume to do.Let us then go down and there confuse their language,so that one will not understand what another says."Thus the LORD scattered them from there all over the earth,and they stopped building the city.That is why it was called Babel,because there the LORD confused the speech of all the world.It was from that place that he scattered them all over the earth.

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

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 33:10-11, 12-13, 14-15

R. (12) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

The LORD brings to nought the plans of nations;

he foils the designs of peoples.

But the plan of the LORD stands forever;

the design of his heart, through all generations.

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,

the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.

From heaven the LORD looks down;

he sees all mankind.

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

From his fixed throne he beholds

all who dwell on the earth,

He who fashioned the heart of each,

he who knows all their works.

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

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

Gospel

Mk 8:34--9:1

Jesus summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,take up his cross, and follow me.For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,but whoever loses his life for my sakeand that of the Gospel will save it.What profit is there for one to gain the whole worldand forfeit his life?What could one give in exchange for his life?Whoever is ashamed of me and of my wordsin this faithless and sinful generation,the Son of Man will be ashamed ofwhen he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels."

He also said to them,"Amen, I say to you,there are some standing here who will not taste deathuntil they see that the Kingdom of God has come in power."

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

Catholic

Religion
Roman Catholic
Christianity
Catholic Blogs

Mass Readings Thursday February 15, 2007

Thursday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1

Gn 9:1-13

God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them:"Be fertile and multiply and fill the earth.Dread fear of you shall come upon all the animals of the earthand all the birds of the air,upon all the creatures that move about on the groundand all the fishes of the sea;into your power they are delivered. Every creature that is alive shall be yours to eat;I give them all to you as I did the green plants. Only flesh with its lifeblood still in it you shall not eat.For your own lifeblood, too, I will demand an accounting:from every animal I will demand it,and from one man in regard to his fellow man I will demand an accounting for human life.

If anyone sheds the blood of man,by man shall his blood be shed;For in the image of Godhas man been made.

Be fertile, then, and multiply;abound on earth and subdue it."

God said to Noah and to his sons with him:"See, I am now establishing my covenant with youand your descendants after youand with every living creature that was with you:all the birds, and the various tame and wild animalsthat were with you and came out of the ark.I will establish my covenant with you,that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyedby the waters of a flood;there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth."God added:"This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come, of the covenant between me and youand every living creature with you:I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a signof the covenant between me and the earth."

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

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 102:16-18, 19-21 and 22-23

R. (20b) From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.

The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,

and all the kings of the earth your glory,

When the LORD has rebuilt Zion

and appeared in his glory;

When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,

and not despised their prayer.

R. From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.

Let this be written for the generation to come,

and let his future creatures praise the LORD:

“The LORD looked down from his holy height,

from heaven he beheld the earth,

To hear the groaning of the prisoners,

to release those doomed to die.”

R. From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.

The children of your servants shall abide,

and their posterity shall continue in your presence,

That the name of the LORD may be declared in Zion,

and his praise, in Jerusalem,

When the peoples gather together,

and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.

R. From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.

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

Gospel

Mk 8:27-33

Jesus and his disciples set outfor the villages of Caesarea Philippi.Along the way he asked his disciples,"Who do people say that I am?"They said in reply,"John the Baptist, others Elijah,still others one of the prophets."And he asked them,"But who do you say that I am?"Peter said to him in reply,"You are the Christ."

Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.

He began to teach themthat the Son of Man must suffer greatlyand be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,and be killed, and rise after three days.He spoke this openly.Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan.You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."

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

Catholic

Religion
Roman Catholic
Christianity
Catholic Blogs