Mass Readings for Thursday, June 17, 2010

 

 Memorial Saint Emily de Vialar

FIRST READING: Sirach 48: 1 - 14

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1 Then the prophet Elijah arose like a fire, and his word burned like a torch.

2 He brought a famine upon them, and by his zeal he made them few in number.

3 By the word of the Lord he shut up the heavens, and also three times brought down fire.

4 How glorious you were, O Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! And who has the right to boast which you have?

5 You who raised a corpse from death and from Hades, by the word of the Most High;

6 who brought kings down to destruction, and famous men from their beds;

7 who heard rebuke at Sinai and judgments of vengeance at Horeb;

8 who anointed kings to inflict retribution, and prophets to succeed you.

9 You who were taken up by a whirlwind of fire, in a chariot with horses of fire;

10 you who are ready at the appointed time, it is written, to calm the wrath of God before it breaks out in fury, to turn the heart of the father to the son, and to restore the tribes of Jacob.

11 Blessed are those who saw you, and those who have been adorned in love; for we also shall surely live.

12 It was Elijah who was covered by the whirlwind, and Elisha was filled with his spirit; in all his days he did not tremble before any ruler, and no one brought him into subjection.

13 Nothing was too hard for him, and when he was dead his body prophesied.

14 As in his life he did wonders, so in death his deeds were marvelous.

PSALM: Psalms 97: 1 - 7

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1 The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!

2 Clouds and thick darkness are round about him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

3 Fire goes before him, and burns up his adversaries round about.

4 His lightnings lighten the world; the earth sees and trembles.

5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.

6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness; and all the peoples behold his glory.

7 All worshipers of images are put to shame, who make their boast in worthless idols; all gods bow down before him.

GOSPEL: Matthew 6: 7 - 15

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7 "And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9 Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread;

12 And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us ;

13 And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.

14 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you;

15 but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Mass Readings for Wednesday, June 16, 2010

FIRST READING: 2 Kings 2: 1, 6 - 14

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1 Now when the LORD was about to take Eli'jah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Eli'jah and Eli'sha were on their way from Gilgal.

6 Then Eli'jah said to him, "Tarry here, I pray you; for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So the two of them went on.

7 Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan.

8 Then Eli'jah took his mantle, and rolled it up, and struck the water, and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground.

9 When they had crossed, Eli'jah said to Eli'sha, "Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you." And Eli'sha said, "I pray you, let me inherit a double share of your spirit."

10 And he said, "You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if you do not see me, it shall not be so."

11 And as they still went on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Eli'jah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

12 And Eli'sha saw it and he cried, "My father, my father! the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" And he saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and rent them in two pieces.

13 And he took up the mantle of Eli'jah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.

14 Then he took the mantle of Eli'jah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, "Where is the LORD, the God of Eli'jah?" And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other; and Eli'sha went over.

PSALM: Psalms 31: 20 - 21, 24

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20 In the covert of thy presence thou hidest them from the plots of men; thou holdest them safe under thy shelter from the strife of tongues.

21 Blessed be the LORD, for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was beset as in a besieged city.

24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!

GOSPEL: Matthew 6: 1 - 6, 16 - 18

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1 "Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

2 "Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

4 so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

5 "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

16 "And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

18 that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Mass Readings for Tuesday, June 15, 2010

  Saint Germaine Cousin, Memorial

FIRST READING: 1 Kings 21: 17 - 29

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17 Then the word of the LORD came to Eli'jah the Tishbite, saying,

18 "Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Sama'ria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession.

19 And you shall say to him, `Thus says the LORD, "Have you killed, and also taken possession?"' And you shall say to him, `Thus says the LORD: "In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood."'"

20 Ahab said to Eli'jah, "Have you found me, O my enemy?" He answered, "I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the LORD.

21 Behold, I will bring evil upon you; I will utterly sweep you away, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel;

22 and I will make your house like the house of Jerobo'am the son of Nebat, and like the house of Ba'asha the son of Ahi'jah, for the anger to which you have provoked me, and because you have made Israel to sin.

23 And of Jez'ebel the LORD also said, `The dogs shall eat Jez'ebel within the bounds of Jezreel.'

24 Any one belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs shall eat; and any one of his who dies in the open country the birds of the air shall eat."

25 (There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the LORD like Ahab, whom Jez'ebel his wife incited.

26 He did very abominably in going after idols, as the Amorites had done, whom the LORD cast out before the people of Israel.)

27 And when Ahab heard those words, he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about dejectedly.

28 And the word of the LORD came to Eli'jah the Tishbite, saying,

29 "Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days; but in his son's days I will bring the evil upon his house."

PSALM: Psalms 51: 3 - 6, 11, 16

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3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in thy sight, so that thou art justified in thy sentence and blameless in thy judgment.

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.

11 Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy Spirit from me.

16 For thou hast no delight in sacrifice; were I to give a burnt offering, thou wouldst not be pleased.

GOSPEL: Matthew 5: 43 - 48

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43 "You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'

44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

47 And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

48 You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Mass Readings for Monday, June 14, 2010

FIRST READING: 1 Kings 21: 1 - 16

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1 Now Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, beside the palace of Ahab king of Sama'ria.

2 And after this Ahab said to Naboth, "Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near my house; and I will give you a better vineyard for it; or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its value in money."

3 But Naboth said to Ahab, "The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers."

4 And Ahab went into his house vexed and sullen because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him; for he had said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no food.

5 But Jez'ebel his wife came to him, and said to him, "Why is your spirit so vexed that you eat no food?"

6 And he said to her, "Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite, and said to him, `Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it please you, I will give you another vineyard for it'; and he answered, `I will not give you my vineyard.'"

7 And Jez'ebel his wife said to him, "Do you now govern Israel? Arise, and eat bread, and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite."

8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, and she sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who dwelt with Naboth in his city.

9 And she wrote in the letters, "Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people;

10 and set two base fellows opposite him, and let them bring a charge against him, saying, `You have cursed God and the king.' Then take him out, and stone him to death."

11 And the men of his city, the elders and the nobles who dwelt in his city, did as Jez'ebel had sent word to them. As it was written in the letters which she had sent to them,

12 they proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.

13 And the two base fellows came in and sat opposite him; and the base fellows brought a charge against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, "Naboth cursed God and the king." So they took him outside the city, and stoned him to death with stones.

14 Then they sent to Jez'ebel, saying, "Naboth has been stoned; he is dead."

15 As soon as Jez'ebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jez'ebel said to Ahab, "Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead."

16 And as soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab arose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.

PSALM: Psalms 5: 2 – 3, 5 - 7

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2 Hearken to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to thee do I pray.

3 O LORD, in the morning thou dost hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for thee, and watch.

4 For thou art not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not sojourn with thee.

5 The boastful may not stand before thy eyes; thou hatest all evildoers.

6 Thou destroyest those who speak lies; the LORD abhors bloodthirsty and deceitful men.

7 But I through the abundance of thy steadfast love will enter thy house, I will worship toward thy holy temple in the fear of thee.

GOSPEL: Matthew 5: 38 - 42

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38 "You have heard that it was said, `An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'

39 But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also;

40 and if any one would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well;

41 and if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

42 Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you.