Mass Readings for Saturday, August 28, 2010

Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

FIRST READING: 1 Corinthians 1: 26 - 31

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26 For consider your call, brethren; not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth;

27 but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong,

28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,

29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption;

31 therefore, as it is written, "Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord."

PSALM: Psalms 33: 12 - 13, 18 - 21

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12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!

13 The LORD looks down from heaven, he sees all the sons of men;

18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,

19 that he may deliver their soul from death, and keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and shield.

21 Yea, our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.

GOSPEL: Matthew 25: 14 - 30

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14 "For it will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property;

15 to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.

16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more.

17 So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more.

18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.

19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, `Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.'

21 His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.'

22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, `Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.'

23 His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.'

24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, `Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow;

25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.'

26 But his master answered him, `You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed?

27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.

28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents.

29 For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.'

Mass Readings for Friday, August 27, 2010

Memorial of Saint Monica

FIRST READING: 1 Corinthians 1: 17 - 25

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17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

19 For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will thwart."

20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,

23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,

24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

PSALM: Psalms 33: 1 - 2, 4 - 5, 10 - 11

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1 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.

2 Praise the LORD with the lyre, make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!

4 For the word of the LORD is upright; and all his work is done in faithfulness.

5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.

10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nought; he frustrates the plans of the peoples.

11 The counsel of the LORD stands for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

GOSPEL: Matthew 25: 1 - 13

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1 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.

2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.

3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them;

4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.

5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

6 But at midnight there was a cry, `Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.'

7 Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps.

8 And the foolish said to the wise, `Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'

9 But the wise replied, `Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.'

10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut.

11 Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, `Lord, lord, open to us.'

12 But he replied, `Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.'

13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Mass Readings for Thursday, August 26, 2010

FIRST READING: 1 Corinthians 1: 1 - 9

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1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sos'thenes,

2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I give thanks to God always for you because of the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus,

5 that in every way you were enriched in him with all speech and all knowledge --

6 even as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you --

7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ;

8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

PSALM: Psalms 145: 2 - 7

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2 Every day I will bless thee, and praise thy name for ever and ever.

3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.

4 One generation shall laud thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.

5 On the glorious splendor of thy majesty, and on thy wondrous works, I will meditate.

6 Men shall proclaim the might of thy terrible acts, and I will declare thy greatness.

7 They shall pour forth the fame of thy abundant goodness, and shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

GOSPEL: Matthew 24: 42 - 51

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42 Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.

43 But know this, that if the householder had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched and would not have let his house be broken into.

44 Therefore you also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

45 "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?

46 Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing.

47 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.

48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, `My master is delayed,'

49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eats and drinks with the drunken,

50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know,

51 and will punish him, and put him with the hypocrites; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.

Mass Readings for Wednesday, August 25, 2010

FIRST READING: 2 Thessalonian 3: 6 - 10, 16 - 18

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6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is living in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.

7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you,

8 we did not eat any one's bread without paying, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you.

9 It was not because we have not that right, but to give you in our conduct an example to imitate.

10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: If any one will not work, let him not eat.

16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with you all.

17 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the mark in every letter of mine; it is the way I write.

18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

PSALM: Psalms 128: 1 - 2, 4 - 5

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1 Blessed is every one who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways!

2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.

4 Lo, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD.

5 The LORD bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life!

GOSPEL: Matthew 23: 27 - 32

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27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.

28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

29 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,

30 saying, `If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'

31 Thus you witness against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.

32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.