Mass Readings for Wednesday, January 27, 2010

FIRST READING: 2 Samuel 7: 4 - 17

---

4 But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan,

5 "Go and tell my servant David, `Thus says the LORD: Would you build me a house to dwell in?

6 I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling.

7 In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?"'

8 Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David, `Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel;

9 and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth.

10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly,

11 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house.

12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.

13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. When he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men;

15 but I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.

16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever.'"

17 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David. 
 

PSALM: Psalms 89: 4 – 5, 27 - 30

---

4 `I will establish your descendants for ever, and build your throne for all generations.'" [Selah]

5 Let the heavens praise thy wonders, O LORD, thy faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!

27 And I will make him the first-born, the highest of the kings of the earth.

28 My steadfast love I will keep for him for ever, and my covenant will stand firm for him.

29 I will establish his line for ever and his throne as the days of the heavens.

30 If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my ordinances, 
 

GOSPEL: Mark 4: 1 - 20

---

1 On another occasion he began to teach by the sea. A very large crowd gathered around him so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down. And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.

2 And he taught them at length in parables, and in the course of his instruction he said to them,

3 "Hear this! A sower went out to sow.

4 And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up.

5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.

6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots.

7 Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain.

8 And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."

9 He added, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear."

10 And when he was alone, those present along with the Twelve questioned him about the parables.

11 He answered them, "The mystery of the kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to those outside everything comes in parables,

12 so that 'they may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.'"

13 Jesus said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?

14 The sower sows the word.

15 These are the ones on the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word sown in them.

16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy.

17 But they have no root; they last only for a time. Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.

18 Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word,

19 but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit.

20 But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold."

Mass Readings for Tuesday, January 26, 2010

 Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops (Memorial)

FIRST READING: 2 Timothy 1: 1 - 8 or Titus 1: 1 - 5

---

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God for the promise of life in Christ Jesus,

2 to Timothy, my dear child: grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3 I am grateful to God, whom I worship with a clear conscience as my ancestors did, as I remember you constantly in my prayers, night and day.

4 I yearn to see you again, recalling your tears, so that I may be filled with joy,

5 as I recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and that I am confident lives also in you.

6 For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.

7 For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.

8 So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.

Or

1 Paul, a slave of God and apostle of Jesus Christ for the sake of the faith of God's chosen ones and the recognition of religious truth,

2 in the hope of eternal life that God, who does not lie, promised before time began,

3 who indeed at the proper time revealed his word in the proclamation with which I was entrusted by the command of God our savior,

4 to Titus, my true child in our common faith: grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior.

5 For this reason I left you in Crete so that you might set right what remains to be done and appoint presbyters in every town, as I directed you, 

 

PSALM: Psalms 96: 1 – 3, 7 – 8, 10

---

1 Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.

2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name; announce his salvation day after day.

3 Tell God's glory among the nations; among all peoples, God's marvelous deeds.

7 Give to the LORD, you families of nations, give to the LORD glory and might;

8 give to the LORD the glory due his name!

10 say among the nations: The LORD is king. The world will surely stand fast, never to be moved. God rules the peoples with fairness.

GOSPEL: Mark 3: 31 - 35

---

31 And his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside they sent to him and called him.

32 And a crowd was sitting about him; and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, asking for you."

33 And he replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers?"

34 And looking around on those who sat about him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!

35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother."

Mass Readings for Monday, January 25, 2010

 

 (Week of Prayer for Christian Unity)

The Conversion of St. Paul, Apostle (Feast)

FIRST READING: Acts 22: 3 – 16 or Acts 9 : 1 - 22

---

3 "I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cili'cia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gama'li-el, educated according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as you all are this day.

4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women,

5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brethren, and I journeyed to Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.

6 "As I made my journey and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone about me.

7 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, `Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?'

8 And I answered, `Who are you, Lord?' And he said to me, `I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.'

9 Now those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me.

10 And I said, `What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, `Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.'

11 And when I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.

12 "And one Anani'as, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,

13 came to me, and standing by me said to me, `Brother Saul, receive your sight.' And in that very hour I received my sight and saw him.

14 And he said, `The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Just One and to hear a voice from his mouth;

15 for you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard.

16 And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.' 

Or

1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest

2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

3 Now as he journeyed he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed about him.

4 And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"

5 And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting;

6 but rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do."

7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.

8 Saul arose from the ground; and when his eyes were opened, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.

9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Anani'as. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Anani'as." And he said, "Here I am, Lord."

11 And the Lord said to him, "Rise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for a man of Tarsus named Saul; for behold, he is praying,

12 and he has seen a man named Anani'as come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight."

13 But Anani'as answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to thy saints at Jerusalem;

14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call upon thy name."

15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;

16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name."

17 So Anani'as departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized,

19 and took food and was strengthened. For several days he was with the disciples at Damascus.

20 And in the synagogues immediately he proclaimed Jesus, saying, "He is the Son of God."

21 And all who heard him were amazed, and said, "Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called on this name? And he has come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests."

22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. 

 

PSALM: Psalms 117: 1 – 2

---

1 Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples!

2 For great is his steadfast love toward us; and the faithfulness of the LORD endures for ever. Praise the LORD! 

 

GOSPEL: Mark 16: 15 – 18

---

15 He said to them, "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.

16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.

17 These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages.

18 They will pick up serpents (with their hands), and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

Mass Readings for Sunday, January 24, 2010

  (Week of Prayer for Christian Unity)

FIRST READING: Nehemiah 8: 2 - 4, 5 - 6, 8 - 10

---

2 And Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month.

3 And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law.

4 And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden pulpit which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithi'ah, Shema, Anai'ah, Uri'ah, Hilki'ah, and Ma-asei'ah on his right hand; and Pedai'ah, Mish'a-el, Malchi'jah, Hashum, Hash-bad'danah, Zechari'ah, and Meshul'lam on his left hand.

5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people; and when he opened it all the people stood.

6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God; and all the people answered, "Amen, Amen," lifting up their hands; and they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

8 And they read from the book, from the law of God, clearly; and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

9 And Nehemi'ah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep." For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.

10 Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." 

 

PSALM: Psalms 19: 8 – 10, 15

---

8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;

9 the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever; the ordinances of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.

10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.

15 Let the words of my mouth meet with your favor, keep the thoughts of my heart before you, LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 12: 12 – 30 or 12: 12 – 14, 27

---

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.

13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body -- Jews or Greeks, slaves or free -- and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many.

15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body.

16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body.

17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?

18 But as it is, God arranged the organs in the body, each one of them, as he chose.

19 If all were a single organ, where would the body be?

20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you."

22 On the contrary, the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are indispensable,

23 and those parts of the body which we think less honorable we invest with the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty,

24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior part,

25 that there may be no discord in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.

26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, then healers, helpers, administrators, speakers in various kinds of tongues.

29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?

30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?

Or

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.

13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body -- Jews or Greeks, slaves or free -- and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many.

27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

GOSPEL: Luke 1: 1 – 4 4: 14 - 21

---

1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things which have been accomplished among us,

2 just as they were delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word,

3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent The-oph'ilus,

4 that you may know the truth concerning the things of which you have been informed.

14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and a report concerning him went out through all the surrounding country.

15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the sabbath day. And he stood up to read;

17 and there was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened the book and found the place where it was written,

18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

19 to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."

20 And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.

21 And he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."