Mass Readings for Thursday, January 20, 2011

FIRST READING: Hebrews 7: 25 - 8: 6

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25 Whereby he is able also to save for ever them that come to God by him; always living to make intercession for us.

26 For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

27 Who needeth not daily (as the other priests) to offer sacrifices first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, in offering himself.

28 For the law maketh men priests, who have infirmity: but the word of the oath, which was since the law, the Son who is perfected for evermore.

1 Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of majesty in the heavens,

2 A minister of the holies, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord hath pitched, and not man.

3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is necessary that he also should have some thing to offer.

4 If then he were on earth, he would not be a priest: seeing that there would be others to offer gifts according to the law,

5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things. As it was answered to Moses, when he was to finish the tabernacle: See (saith he) that thou make all things according to the pattern which was shewn thee on the mount.

6 But now he hath obtained a better ministry, by how much also he is a mediator of a better testament, which is established on better promises.

PSALM: Psalms 40: 7 - 10, 17

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7 Sacrifice and oblation thou didst not desire; but thou hast pierced ears for me. Burnt offering and sin offering thou didst not require:

8 Then said I, Behold I come. In the head of the book it is written of me

9 That I should do thy will: O my God, I have desired it, and thy law in the midst of my heart.

10 I have declared thy justice in a great church, lo, I will not restrain my lips: O Lord, thou knowest it.

17 Let all that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say always: The Lord be magnified.

GOSPEL: Mark 3: 7 - 12

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7 But Jesus retired with his disciples to the sea; and a great multitude followed him from Galilee and Judea,

8 And from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and from beyond the Jordan. And they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, hearing the things which he did, came to him.

9 And he spoke to his disciples that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.

10 For he healed many, so that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had evils.

11 And the unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him: and they cried, saying:

12 Thou art the Son of God. And he strictly charged them that they should not make him known.

Mass Readings for Wednesday, January 19, 2011

"The Man With The Withered Hand" - James Tissot

FIRST READING: Hebrews 7: 1 - 3, 15 - 17

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1 For this Melchisedech was king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him:

2 To whom also Abraham divided the tithes of all: who first indeed by interpretation, is king of justice: and then also king of Salem, that is, king of peace:

3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but likened unto the Son of God, continueth a priest for ever.

15 And it is yet far more evident: if according to the similitude of Melchisedech there ariseth another priest,

16 Who is made not according to the law of a carnal commandment, but according to the power of an indissoluble life:

17 For he testifieth: Thou art a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech.

PSALM: Psalms 110: 1 - 4

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1 The Lord said to my Lord: Sit thou at my right hand: Until I make thy enemies thy footstool.

2 The Lord will send forth the sceptre of thy power out of Sion: rule thou in the midst of thy enemies.

3 With thee is the principality in the day of thy strength: in the brightness of the saints: from the womb before the day star I begot thee.

4 The Lord hath sworn, and he will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech.

GOSPEL: Mark 3: 1 - 6

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1 And he entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there who had a withered hand.

2 And they watched him whether he would heal on the sabbath days; that they might accuse him.

3 And he said to the man who had the withered hand: Stand up in the midst.

4 And he saith to them: Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy? But they held their peace.

5 And looking round about on them with anger, being grieved for the blindness of their hearts, he saith to the man: Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth: and his hand was restored unto him.

6 And the Pharisees going out, immediately made a consultation with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

Mass Readings for Tuesday, January 18, 2011

"The Disciples Picking Wheat On The Sabbath" - James Tissot

FIRST READING: Hebrews 6: 10 - 20

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10 For God is not unjust, that he should forget your work, and the love which you have shewn in his name, you who have ministered, and do minister to the saints.

11 And we desire that every one of you shew forth the same carefulness to the accomplishing of hope unto the end:

12 That you become not slothful, but followers of them, who through faith and patience shall inherit the promises.

13 For God making promise to Abraham, because he had no one greater by whom he might swear, swore by himself,

14 Saying: Unless blessing I shall bless thee, and multiplying I shall multiply thee.

15 And so patiently enduring he obtained the promise.

16 For men swear by one greater than themselves: and an oath for confirmation is the end of all their controversy.

17 Wherein God, meaning more abundantly to shew to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed an oath:

18 That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have the strongest comfort, who have fled for refuge to hold fast the hope set before us.

19 Which we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm, and which entereth in even within the veil;

20 Where the forerunner Jesus is entered for us, made a high priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech.

PSALM: Psalms 111: 1 - 2, 4 - 5, 9 - 10

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1 I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; in the council of the just: and in the congregation.

2 Great are the works of the Lord: sought out according to all his wills.

4 He hath made a remembrance of his wonderful works, being a merciful and gracious Lord:

5 He hath given food to them that fear him. He will be mindful for ever of his covenant.

9 He hath sent redemption to his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever. Holy and terrible is his name:

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. A good understanding to all that do it: his praise continueth for ever and ever.

GOSPEL: Mark 2: 23 - 28

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23 And it came to pass again, as the Lord walked through the corn fields on the sabbath, that his disciples began to go forward, and to pluck the ears of corn.

24 And the Pharisees said to him: Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?

25 And he said to them: Have you never read what David did when he had need, and was hungry himself, and they that were with him?

26 How he went into the house of God, under Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the loaves of proposition, which was not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave to them who were with him?

27 And he said to them: The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath.

28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord of the sabbath also.

Mass Readings for Monday, January 17, 2011

FIRST READING: Hebrews 5: 1 - 10

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1 For every high priest taken from among men, is ordained for men in the things that appertain to God, that he may offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins:

2 Who can have compassion on them that are ignorant and that err: because he himself also is compassed with infirmity.

3 And therefore he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.

4 Neither doth any man take the honour to himself, but he that is called by God, as Aaron was.

5 So Christ also did not glorify himself, that he might be made a high priest: but he that said unto him: Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

6 As he saith also in another place: Thou art a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech.

7 Who in the days of his flesh, with a strong cry and tears, offering up prayers and supplications to him that was able to save him from death, was heard for his reverence.

8 And whereas indeed he was the Son of God, he learned obedience by the things which he suffered:

9 And being consummated, he became, to all that obey him, the cause of eternal salvation.

10 Called by God a high priest according to the order of Melchisedech.

PSALM: Psalms 110: 1 - 4

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1 The Lord said to my Lord: Sit thou at my right hand: Until I make thy enemies thy footstool.

2 The Lord will send forth the sceptre of thy power out of Sion: rule thou in the midst of thy enemies.

3 With thee is the principality in the day of thy strength: in the brightness of the saints: from the womb before the day star I begot thee.

4 The Lord hath sworn, and he will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech.

GOSPEL: Mark 2: 18 - 22

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18 And the disciples of John and the Pharisees used to fast; and they come and say to him: Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast; but thy disciples do not fast?

19 And Jesus saith to them: Can the children of the marriage fast, as long as the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

20 But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them; and then they shall fast in those days.

21 No man seweth a piece of raw cloth to an old garment: otherwise the new piecing taketh away from the old, and there is made a greater rent.

22 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: otherwise the wine will burst the bottles, and both the wine will be spilled, and the bottles will be lost. But new wine must be put into new bottles.