Mass Readings for Friday, September 24, 2010

FIRST READING: Ecclesiastes 3: 1 - 11

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1 All things have their season, and in their times all things pass under heaven.

2 A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to destroy, and a time to build.

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance.

5 A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather. A time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.

6 A time to get, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to cast away.

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew. A time to keep silence, and a time to speak.

8 A time of love, and a time of hatred. A time of war, and a time of peace.

9 What hath man more of his labour?

10 I have seen the trouble, which God hath given the sons of men to be exercised in it.

11 He hath made all things good in their time, and hath delivered the world to their consideration, so that man cannot find out the work which God hath made from the beginning to the end.

PSALM: Psalms 144: 1b - 4

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1 Blessed be the Lord my God,

2 My mercy, and my refuge: my support, and my deliverer: My protector, and I have hoped in him: who subdueth my people under me.

3 Lord, what is man, that thou art made known to him? or the son of man, that thou makest account of him?

4 Man is like to vanity: his days pass away like a shadow.

GOSPEL: Luke 9: 18 - 22

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18 And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples also were with him: and he asked them, saying: Whom do the people say that I am?

19 But they answered, and said: John the Baptist; but some say Elias; and others say that one of the former prophets is risen again.

20 And he said to them: But whom do you say that I am? Simon Peter answering, said: The Christ of God.

21 But he strictly charging them, commanded they should tell this to no man.

22 Saying: The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the ancients and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day rise again. 

Mass Readings for Thursday, September 23, 2010

FIRST READING: Ecclesiastes 1: 2 - 11

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2 Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes vanity of vanities, and all is vanity.

3 What hath a man more of all his labour, that he taketh under the sun?

4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth standeth for ever.

5 The sun riseth, and goeth down, and returneth to his place: and there rising again,

6 Maketh his round by the south, and turneth again to the north: the spirit goeth forward surveying all places round about, and returneth to his circuits.

7 All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea doth not overflow: unto the place from whence the rivers come, they return, to flow again.

8 All things are hard: man cannot explain them by word. The eye is not filled with seeing, neither is the ear filled with hearing.

9 What is it that hath been? the same thing that shall be. What is it that hath been done? the same that shall be done.

10 Nothing under the sun is new, neither is any man able to say: Behold this is new: for it hath already gone before in the ages that were before us.

11 There is no remembrance of former things: nor indeed of those things which hereafter are to come, shall there be any remembrance with them that shall be in the latter end.

PSALM: Psalms 90: 3 - 6, 12 - 14, 17

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3 Turn not man away to be brought low: and thou hast said: Be converted, O ye sons of men.

4 For a thousand years in thy sight are as yesterday, which is past. And as a watch in the night,

5 Things that are counted nothing, shall their years be.

6 In the morning man shall grow up like grass; in the morning he shall flourish and pass away: in the evening he shall fall, grow dry, and wither.

12 Can number thy wrath? So make thy right hand known: and men learned in heart, in wisdom.

13 Return, O Lord, how long? and be entreated in favour of thy servants.

14 We are filled in the morning with thy mercy: and we have rejoiced, and are delighted all our days.

17 And direct thou the works of our hands over us; yea, the work of our hands do thou direct.

GOSPEL: Luke 9: 7 - 9

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7 Now Herod, the tetrarch, heard of all things that were done by him; and he was in a doubt, because it was said

8 By some, that John was risen from the dead: but by other some, that Elias had appeared; and by others, that one of the old prophets was risen again.

9 And Herod said: John I have beheaded; but who is this of whom I hear such things? And he sought to see him.

Mass Readings for Wednesday, September 22, 2010

FIRST READING: Proverbs 30: 5 - 9

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5 Every word of God is fire tried: he is a buckler to them that hope in him.

6 Add not any thing to his words, lest thou be reproved, and found a liar:

7 Two things I have asked of thee, deny them not to me before I die.

8 Remove far from me vanity, and lying words. Give me neither beggary, nor riches: give me only the necessaries of life:

9 Lest perhaps being filled, I should be tempted to deny, and say: Who is the Lord? or being compelled by poverty, I should steal, and forswear the name of my God.

PSALM: Psalms 119: 29, 72, 89, 101, 104, 163

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29 Remove from me the way of iniquity: and out of thy law have mercy on me.

72 The law of thy mouth is good to me, above thousands of gold and silver.

89 For ever, O Lord, thy word standeth firm in heaven.

101 I have restrained my feet from every evil way: that I may keep thy words.

104 By thy commandments I have had understanding: therefore have I hated every way of iniquity.

163 I have hated and abhorred iniquity; but I have loved thy law.

GOSPEL: Luke 9: 1 - 6

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1 Then calling together the twelve apostles, he gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.

2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.

3 And he said to them: Take nothing for your journey; neither staff, nor scrip, nor bread, nor money; neither have two coats.

4 And whatsoever house you shall enter into, abide there, and depart not from thence.

5 And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off even the dust of your feet, for a testimony against them.

6 And going out, they went about through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing everywhere.

Mass Readings for Tuesday, September 21, 2010

 Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

FIRST READING: Ephesians 4: 1 - 7, 11 - 13

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1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

2 with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love,

3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call,

5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all.

7 But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.

11 And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,

12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ;

PSALM: Psalms 19: 2 - 5

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2 The heavens shew forth the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the work of his hands.

3 Day to day uttereth speech, and night to night sheweth knowledge.

4 There are no speeches nor languages, where their voices are not heard.

5 Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth: and their words unto the ends of the world.

GOSPEL: Matthew 9: 9 - 13

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9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him.

10 And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.

11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

12 But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

13 Go and learn what this means, `I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."