Mass Readings Saturday February 24. 2007

Reading 1

Is 58: 9b- 14

Thus says the LORD: If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; If you bestow your bread on the hungryand satisfy the afflicted; Then light shall rise for you in the darkness,and the gloom shall become for you like midday; Then the LORD will guide you always and give you plenty even on the parched land. He will renew your strength, and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring whose water never fails. The ancient ruins shall be rebuilt for your sake, and the foundations from ages past you shall raise up; “Repairer of the breach,” they shall call you, “Restorer of ruined homesteads.”If you hold back your foot on the sabbath from following your own pursuits on my holy day; If you call the sabbath a delight,and the LORD’s holy day honorable; If you honor it by not following your ways,seeking your own interests, or speaking with malice—Then you shall delight in the LORD,and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;I will nourish you with the heritage of Jacob, your father,for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (11ab) Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.

Incline your ear, O LORD; answer me,
for I am afflicted and poor.
Keep my life, for I am devoted to you;
save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God.

R. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.

Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for to you I call all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

R. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.

For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.

R. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.

Gospel
Lk 5:27-32

Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.”And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him.Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house,and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were at table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying,“Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”Jesus said to them in reply,“Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do.I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.”

Mass Readings Ash Wednesday February 21, 2007

Reading 1

J1 2:12-18

Even now, says the LORD,return to me with your whole heart,with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;Rend your hearts, not your garments,and return to the LORD, your God.For gracious and merciful is he,slow to anger, rich in kindness,and relenting in punishment.Perhaps he will again relentand leave behind him a blessing,Offerings and libationsfor the LORD, your God.

Blow the trumpet in Zion!proclaim a fast,call an assembly;Gather the people,notify the congregation;Assemble the elders,gather the childrenand the infants at the breast;Let the bridegroom quit his roomand the bride her chamber.Between the porch and the altarlet the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep,And say, "Spare, O LORD, your people,and make not your heritage a reproach,with the nations ruling over them!Why should they say among the peoples,‘Where is their God?’"

Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his landand took pity on his people.

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Responsorial Psalm

Ps 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17

R. (see 3a) Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;

in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.

Thoroughly wash me from my guilt

and of my sin cleanse me.

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

For I acknowledge my offense,

and my sin is before me always:

“Against you only have I sinned,

and done what is evil in your sight.”

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

A clean heart create for me, O God,

and a steadfast spirit renew within me.

Cast me not out from your presence,

and your Holy Spirit take not from me.

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Give me back the joy of your salvation,

and a willing spirit sustain in me.

O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

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Reading II

2 Cor 5:20--6:2

Brothers and sisters:

We are ambassadors for Christ,as if God were appealing through us.We implore you on behalf of Christ,be reconciled to God.For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Working together, then,we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.For he says: In an acceptable time I heard you,and on the day of salvation I helped you.

Behold, now is a very acceptable time;behold, now is the day of salvation.

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Gospel

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Jesus said to his disciples:

"Take care not to perform righteous deedsin order that people may see them;otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.When you give alms,do not blow a trumpet before you,as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streetsto win the praise of others.Amen, I say to you,they have received their reward.But when you give alms,do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,so that your almsgiving may be secret.And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

"When you pray,do not be like the hypocrites,who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street cornersso that others may see them.Amen, I say to you,they have received their reward.But when you pray, go to your inner room,close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

"When you fast,do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.They neglect their appearance,so that they may appear to others to be fasting.Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.But when you fast,anoint your head and wash your face,so that you may not appear to be fasting,except to your Father who is hidden.And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."

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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.

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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.

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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."

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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."

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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.

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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.

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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."

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