Mass Readings for Wednesday, September 29, 2010

 Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels

FIRST READING: Daniel 7: 9 - 10, 13 - 14 Or Revelation 12: 7 - 12

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9 I beheld till thrones were placed, and the Ancient of days sat: his garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like clean wool: his throne like flames of fire: the wheels of it like a burning fire.

10 A swift stream of fire issued forth from before him: thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before him: the judgment sat, and the books were opened.

13 I beheld therefore in the vision of the night, and lo, one like the son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and he came even to the Ancient of days: and they presented him before him.

14 And he gave him power, and glory, and a kingdom: and all peoples, tribes and tongues shall serve him: his power is an everlasting power that shall not be taken away: and his kingdom that shall not be destroyed.

Or 

 

7 And there was a great battle in heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels:

8 And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven.

9 And that great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who seduceth the whole world; and he was cast unto the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying: Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: because the accuser of our brethren is cast forth, who accused them before our God day and night.

11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of the testimony, and they loved not their lives unto death.

12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you that dwell therein.

PSALM: Psalms 138: 1 - 5

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1 I will praise thee, O lord, with my whole heart: for thou hast heard the words of my mouth. I will sing praise to thee in the sight of his angels:

2 I will worship towards thy holy temple, and I will give glory to thy name. For thy mercy, and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy holy name above all.

3 In what day soever I shall call upon thee, hear me: thou shall multiply strength in my soul.

4 May all the kings of the earth give glory to thee: for they have heard all the words of thy mouth.

5 And let them sing in the ways of the Lord: for great is the glory of the Lord.

GOSPEL: John 1: 47 - 51

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47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him: and he saith of him: Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile.

48 Nathanael saith to him: Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered, and said to him: Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.

49 Nathanael answered him, and said: Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel.

50 Jesus answered, and said to him: Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, thou believest: greater things than these shalt thou see.

51 And he saith to him: Amen, amen I say to you, you shall see the heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

Mass Readings for Tuesday, September 28, 2010

FIRST READING: Job 3: 1 - 3, 11 - 17, 20 - 23

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1 After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed his day,

2 And he said:

3 Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said: A man child is conceived.

11 Why did I not die in the womb, why did I not perish when I came out of the belly?

12 Why received upon the knees? why suckled at the breasts?

13 For now I should have been asleep and still, and should have rest in my sleep.

14 With kings and consuls of the earth, who build themselves solitudes:

15 Or with princes, that possess gold, and All their houses with silver:

16 Or as a hidden untimely birth I should not be, or as they that being conceived have not seen the light.

17 There the wicked cease from tumult, and there the wearied in strength are at rest.

20 Why is light given to him that is in misery, and life to them that are in bitterness of soul?

21 That look for death, and it cometh not, as they that dig for a treasure:

22 And they rejoice exceedingly when they have found the grave.

23 To a man whose way is hidden, and God hath surrounded him with darkness!

PSALM: Psalms 88: 2 - 8

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2 O Lord, the God of my salvation: I have cried in the day, and in the night before thee.

3 Let my prayer come in before thee: incline thy ear to my petition.

4 For my soul is filled with evils: and my life hath drawn nigh to hell.

5 I am counted among them that go down to the pit: I am become as a man without help,

6 Free among the dead. Like the slain sleeping in the sepulchres, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cast off from thy hand.

7 They have laid me in the lower pit: in the dark places, and in the shadow of death.

8 Thy wrath is strong over me: and all thy waves thou hast brought in upon me.

GOSPEL: Luke 9: 51 - 56

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51 And it came to pass, when the days of his assumption were accomplishing, that he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.

52 And he sent messengers before his face; and going, they entered into a city of the Samaritans, to prepare for him.

53 And they received him not, because his face was of one going to Jerusalem.

54 And when his disciples James and John had seen this, they said: Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them?

55 And turning, he rebuked them, saying: You know not of what spirit you are.

56 The Son of man came not to destroy souls, but to save. And they went into another town.

Mass Readings for Monday, September 27, 2010

 Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest

FIRST READING: Job 1: 6 - 22

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6 Now on a certain day when the sons of God came to stand before the Lord, Satan also was present among them.

7 And the Lord said to him: Whence comest thou? And he answered and said: I have gone round about the earth, and walked through it.

8 And the Lord said to him: Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a simple and upright man, and fearing God, and avoiding evil?

9 And Satan answering, said: Doth Job fear God in vain?

10 Hast not thou made a fence for him, and his house, and all his substance round about, blessed the works of his hands, and his possession hath increased on the earth?

11 But stretch forth thy hand a little, and touch all that he hath, and see if he blesseth thee not to thy face.

12 Then the Lord said to Satan: Behold, all that he hath is in thy hand: only put not forth thy hand upon his person. And Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

13 Now upon a certain day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their eldest brother,

14 There came a messenger to Job, and said: The oxen were ploughing, and the asses feeding beside them,

15 And the Sabeans rushed in, and took all away, and slew the servants with the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell thee.

16 And while he was yet speaking, another came, and said: The fire of God fell from heaven, and striking the sheep and the servants, hath consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell thee.

17 And while he also was yet speaking, there came another, and said: The Chaldeans made three troops, and have fallen upon the camels, and taken them, moreover they have slain the servants with the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell thee.

18 He was yet speaking, and behold another came in, and said: Thy sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their elder brother:

19 A violent wind came on a sudden from the side of the desert, and shook the four corners of the house, and it fell upon thy children and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to fell thee.

20 Then Job rose up, and rent his garments, and having shaven his head fell down upon the ground and worshipped,

21 And said: Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: as it hath pleased the Lord so is it done: blessed be the name of the Lord.

22 In all these things Job sinned not by his lips, nor spoke he any foolish thing against God.

PSALM: Psalms 17: 1 - 3, 6 - 7

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1 Hear, O Lord, my justice: attend to my supplication. Give ear unto my prayer, which proceedeth not from deceitful lips.

2 Let my judgment come forth from thy countenance: let thy eyes behold the things that are equitable.

3 Thou hast proved my heart, and visited it by night, thou hast tried me by fire: and iniquity hath not been found in me.

6 I have cried to thee, for thou, O God, hast heard me: O incline thy ear unto me, and hear my words.

7 shew forth thy wonderful mercies; thou who savest them that trust in thee.

GOSPEL: Luke 9: 46 - 50

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46 And there entered a thought into them, which of them should be greater.

47 But Jesus seeing the thoughts of their heart, took a child and set him by him,

48 And said to them: Whosoever shall receive this child in my name, receiveth me; and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth him that sent me. For he that is the lesser among you all, he is the greater.

49 And John, answering, said: Master, we saw a certain man casting out devils in thy name, and we forbade him, because he followeth not with us.

50 And Jesus said to him: Forbid him not; for he that is not against you, is for you.

Mass Readings for Sunday, September 26, 2010

FIRST READING: Amos 6: 1, 4 - 7

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1 "Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Sama'ria, the notable men of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel come!

4 "Woe to those who lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the midst of the stall;

5 who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp, and like David invent for themselves instruments of music;

6 who drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!

7 Therefore they shall now be the first of those to go into exile, and the revelry of those who stretch themselves shall pass away."

PSALM: Psalms 146: 7 - 10

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7 who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free;

8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.

9 The LORD watches over the sojourners, he upholds the widow and the fatherless; but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

10 The LORD will reign for ever, thy God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!

SECOND READING: 1 Timothy 6: 11 - 16

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11 But as for you, man of God, shun all this; aim at righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.

12 Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

13 In the presence of God who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession,

14 I charge you to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ;

15 and this will be made manifest at the proper time by the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,

16 who alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

GOSPEL: Luke 16: 19 - 31

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19 "There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.

20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Laz'arus, full of sores,

21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried;

23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Laz'arus in his bosom.

24 And he called out, `Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Laz'arus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.'

25 But Abraham said, `Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Laz'arus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.

26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.'

27 And he said, `Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house,

28 for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.'

29 But Abraham said, `They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'

30 And he said, `No, father Abraham; but if some one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'

31 He said to him, `If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.'"