Mass Readings for Monday, February 21, 2011

"The Possessed Boy at the Foot of Mount Tabor" - James Tissot

FIRST READING: Sirach 1: 1 - 10

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1 All wisdom comes from the Lord and is with him for ever.

2 The sand of the sea, the drops of rain, and the days of eternity -- who can count them?

3 The height of heaven, the breadth of the earth, the abyss, and wisdom -- who can search them out?

4 Wisdom was created before all things, and prudent understanding from eternity.

5 The root of wisdom -- to whom has it been revealed? Her clever devices -- who knows them?

6 There is One who is wise, greatly to be feared, sitting upon his throne.

7 The Lord himself created wisdom; he saw her and apportioned her, he poured her out upon all his works.

8 She dwells with all flesh according to his gift, and he supplied her to those who love him.

9 The fear of the Lord is glory and exultation, and gladness and a crown of rejoicing.

10 The fear of the Lord delights the heart, and gives gladness and joy and long life.

PSALM: Psalms 93: 1 - 2, 5

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1 The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed, he is girded with strength. Yea, the world is established; it shall never be moved;

2 thy throne is established from of old; thou art from everlasting.

5 Thy decrees are very sure; holiness befits thy house, O LORD, for evermore.

GOSPEL: Mark 9: 14 - 29

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14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd about them, and scribes arguing with them.

15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed, and ran up to him and greeted him.

16 And he asked them, "What are you discussing with them?"

17 And one of the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit;

18 and wherever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able."

19 And he answered them, "O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me."

20 And they brought the boy to him; and when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth.

21 And Jesus asked his father, "How long has he had this?" And he said, "From childhood.

22 And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us."

23 And Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible to him who believes."

24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!"

25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again."

26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse; so that most of them said, "He is dead."

27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"

29 And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer."

Mass Readings for Sunday, February 20, 2011

FIRST READING: Leviticus 19: 1 - 2, 17 - 18

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1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

2 Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: Be ye holy, because I the Lord your God am holy.

17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart, but reprove him openly, lest thou incur sin through him.

18 Seek not revenge, nor be mindful of the injury of thy citizens. Thou shalt love thy friend as thyself. I am the Lord.

PSALM: Psalms 103: 1 - 4, 8, 10, 12 - 13

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1 For David himself. Bless the Lord, O my soul: and let all that is within me bless his holy name.

2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget all he hath done for thee.

3 Who forgiveth all thy iniquities: who healeth all thy diseases.

4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction: who crowneth thee with mercy and compassion.

8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful: longsuffering and plenteous in mercy.

10 He hath not dealt with us according to our sins: nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our iniquities from us.

13 As a father hath compassion on his children, so hath the Lord compassion on them that fear him.

SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 3: 16 - 23

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16 Know you not, that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

17 But if any man violate the temple of God, him shall God destroy. For the temple of God is holy, which you are.

18 Let no man deceive himself: if any man among you seem to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written: I will catch the wise in their own craftiness.

20 And again: The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

21 Let no man therefore glory in men.

22 For all things are yours, whether it be Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; for all are yours;

23 And you are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

GOSPEL: Matthew 5: 38 - 48

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38 You have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.

39 But I say to you not to resist evil: but if one strike thee on thy right cheek, turn to him also the other:

40 And if a man will contend with thee in judgment, and take away thy coat, let go thy cloak also unto him.

41 And whosoever will force thee one mile, go with him other two,

42 Give to him that asketh of thee and from him that would borrow of thee turn not away.

43 You have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thy enemy.

44 But I say to you, Love your enemies: do good to them that hate you: and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you:

45 That you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven, who maketh his sun to rise upon the good, and bad, and raineth upon the just and the unjust.

46 For if you love them that love you, what reward shall you have? do not even the publicans this?

47 And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more? do not also the heathens this?

48 Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect.

Mass Readings for Saturday, February 19, 2011

"The Transfiguration" - James Tissot

FIRST READING: Hebrews 11: 1 - 7

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1 Now faith is the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence of things that appear not.

2 For by this the ancients obtained a testimony.

3 By faith we understand that the world was framed by the word of God; that from invisible things visible things might be made.

4 By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice exceeding that of Cain, by which he obtained a testimony that he was just, God giving testimony to his gifts; and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

5 By faith Henoch was translated, that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had testimony that he pleased God.

6 But without faith it is impossible to please God. For he that cometh to God, must believe that he is, and is a rewarder to them that seek him.

7 By faith Noe, having received an answer concerning those things which as yet were not seen, moved with fear, framed the ark for the saving of his house, by the which he condemned the world; and was instituted heir of the justice which is by faith.

PSALM: Psalms 145: 2 - 5, 10 - 11

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

3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: and of his greatness there is no end.

4 Generation and generation shall praise thy works: and they shall declare thy power.

5 They shall speak of the magnificence of the glory of thy holiness: and shall tell thy wondrous works.

10 Let all thy works, O lord, praise thee: and let thy saints bless thee.

11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom: and shall tell of thy power.

GOSPEL: Mark 9: 2 - 13

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2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter and James and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves, and was transfigured before them.

3 And his garments became shining and exceeding white as snow, so as no fuller upon earth can make white.

4 And there appeared to them Elias with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus.

5 And Peter answering, said to Jesus: Rabbi, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

6 For he knew not what he said: for they were struck with fear.

7 And there was a cloud overshadowing them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying: This is my most beloved son; hear ye him.

8 And immediately looking about, they saw no man any more, but Jesus only with them.

9 And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them not to tell any man what things they had seen, till the Son of man shall be risen again from the dead.

10 And they kept the word to themselves; questioning together what that should mean, when he shall be risen from the dead.

11 And they asked him, saying: Why then do the Pharisees and scribes say that Elias must come first?

12 Who answering, said to them: Elias, when he shall come first, shall restore all things; and as it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things and be despised.

13 But I say to you, that Elias also is come, (and they have done to him whatsoever they would,) as it is written of him. 

Mass Readings for Friday, February 18, 2011

FIRST READING: Genesis 11: 1 - 9

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1 And the earth was of one tongue, and of the same speech.

2 And when they removed from the east, they found a plain in the land of Sennaar, and dwelt in it.

3 And each one said to his neighbour: Come, let us make brick, and bake them with fire. And they had brick instead of stones, and slime instead of mortar.

4 And they said: Come, let us make a city and a tower, the top whereof may reach to heaven: and let us make our name famous before we be scattered abroad into all lands.

5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of Adam were building.

6 And he said: Behold, it is one people, and all have one tongue: and they have begun to do this, neither will they leave off from their designs, till they accomplish them in deed.

7 Come ye, therefore, let us go down, and there confound their tongue, that they may not understand one another's speech.

8 And so the Lord scattered them from that place into all lands, and they ceased to build the city.

9 And therefore the name thereof was called Babel, because there the language of the whole earth was confounded: and from thence the Lord scattered them abroad upon the face of all countries.

PSALM: Psalms 33: 10 - 15

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10 The Lord bringeth to naught the counsels of nations; and he rejecteth the devices of people, and casteth away the counsels of princes.

11 But the counsel of the Lord standeth for ever: the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord: the people whom he hath chosen for his inheritance.

13 The Lord hath looked from heaven: he hath beheld all the sons of men.

14 From his habitation which he hath prepared, he hath looked upon all that dwell on the earth.

15 He who hath made the hearts of every one of them: who understandeth all their works.

GOSPEL: Mark 8: 34 -- 9: 1

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34 And calling the multitude together with his disciples, he said to them: If any man will follow me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

35 For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel, shall save it.

36 For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul?

37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

38 For he that shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation: the Son of man also will be ashamed of him, when he shall come in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

1 And he said to them: Amen I say to you, that there are some of them that stand here, who shall not taste death, till they see the kingdom of God coming in power.