Mass Readings For Saturday, March 5, 2011

FIRST READING: Sirach 51: 12 - 20

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12 Therefore I will give thanks to thee and praise thee, and I will bless the name of the Lord.

13 While I was still young, before I went on my travels, I sought wisdom openly in my prayer.

14 Before the temple I asked for her, and I will search for her to the last.

15 From blossom to ripening grape my heart delighted in her; my foot entered upon the straight path; from my youth I followed her steps.

16 I inclined my ear a little and received her, and I found for myself much instruction.

17 I made progress therein; to him who gives wisdom I will give glory.

18 For I resolved to live according to wisdom, and I was zealous for the good; and I shall never be put to shame.

19 My soul grappled with wisdom, and in my conduct I was strict; I spread out my hands to the heavens, and lamented my ignorance of her.

20 I directed my soul to her, and through purification I found her. I gained understanding with her from the first, therefore I will not be forsaken.

PSALM: Psalms 19: 8 - 11

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8 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;

9 the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever; the ordinances of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.

10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.

11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

GOSPEL: Mark 11: 27 - 33

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27 And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him,

28 and they said to him, "By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?"

29 Jesus said to them, "I will ask you a question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

30 Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men? Answer me."

31 And they argued with one another, "If we say, `From heaven,' he will say, `Why then did you not believe him?'

32 But shall we say, `From men'?" -- they were afraid of the people, for all held that John was a real prophet.

33 So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

Mass Readings For Friday, March 4, 2011

"The Accursed Fig Tree" - James Tissot

FIRST READING: Sirach 44: 1, 9 - 13

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1 Let us now praise famous men, and our fathers in their generations.

9 And there are some who have no memorial, who have perished as though they had not lived; they have become as though they had not been born, and so have their children after them.

10 But these were men of mercy, whose righteous deeds have not been forgotten;

11 their prosperity will remain with their descendants, and their inheritance to their children's children.

12 Their descendants stand by the covenants; their children also, for their sake.

13 Their posterity will continue for ever, and their glory will not be blotted out.

PSALM: Psalms 149: 1 - 6, 9

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1 Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the faithful!

2 Let Israel be glad in his Maker, let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King!

3 Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with timbrel and lyre!

4 For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with victory.

5 Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their couches.

6 Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands,

9 to execute on them the judgment written! This is glory for all his faithful ones. Praise the LORD!

GOSPEL: Mark 11: 11 - 25

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11 And he entered Jerusalem, and went into the temple; and when he had looked round at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

12 On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry.

13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

14 And he said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard it.

15 And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons;

16 and he would not allow any one to carry anything through the temple.

17 And he taught, and said to them, "Is it not written, `My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers."

18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and sought a way to destroy him; for they feared him, because all the multitude was astonished at his teaching.

19 And when evening came they went out of the city.

20 As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots.

21 And Peter remembered and said to him, "Master, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered."

22 And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God.

23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, `Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.

24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any one; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

Mass Readings For Thursday, March 3, 2011

FIRST READING: Sirach 42: 15 - 25

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15 I will now call to mind the works of the Lord, and will declare what I have seen. By the words of the Lord his works are done.

16 The sun looks down on everything with its light, and the work of the Lord is full of his glory.

17 The Lord has not enabled his holy ones to recount all his marvelous works, which the Lord the Almighty has established that the universe may stand firm in his glory.

18 He searches out the abyss, and the hearts of men, and considers their crafty devices. For the Most High knows all that may be known, and he looks into the signs of the age.

19 He declares what has been and what is to be, and he reveals the tracks of hidden things.

20 No thought escapes him, and not one word is hidden from him.

21 He has ordained the splendors of his wisdom, and he is from everlasting and to everlasting. Nothing can be added or taken away, and he needs no one to be his counselor.

22 How greatly to be desired are all his works, and how sparkling they are to see!

23 All these things live and remain for ever for every need, and are all obedient.

24 All things are twofold, one opposite the other, and he has made nothing incomplete.

25 One confirms the good things of the other, and who can have enough of beholding his glory?

PSALM: Psalms 33: 2 - 9

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

3 Sing to him a new song, play skilfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

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.

6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all their host by the breath of his mouth.

7 He gathered the waters of the sea as in a bottle; he put the deeps in storehouses.

8 Let all the earth fear the LORD, let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!

9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood forth.

GOSPEL: Mark 10: 46 - 52

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46 And they came to Jericho; and as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great multitude, Bartimae'us, a blind beggar, the son of Timae'us, was sitting by the roadside.

47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

48 And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

49 And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; rise, he is calling you."

50 And throwing off his mantle he sprang up and came to Jesus.

51 And Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" And the blind man said to him, "Master, let me receive my sight."

52 And Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.

Mass Readings for Wednesday, March 2, 2011

FIRST READING: Sirach 36: 1, 4 - 5, 10 - 17

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1 Have mercy upon us, O Lord, the God of all, and look upon us,

4 As in us thou hast been sanctified before them, so in them be thou magnified before us;

5 and let them know thee, as we have known that there is not God but thee, O Lord.

10 Crush the heads of the rulers of the enemy, who say, "There is no one but ourselves."

11 Gather all the tribes of Jacob, and give them their inheritance, as at the beginning.

12 Have mercy, O Lord, upon the people called by thy name, upon Israel, whom thou hast likened to a first-born son.

13 Have pity on the city of thy sanctuary, Jerusalem, the place of thy rest.

14 Fill Zion with the celebration of thy wondrous deeds, and thy temple with thy glory.

15 Bear witness to those whom thou didst create in the beginning, and fulfil the prophecies spoken in thy name.

16 Reward those who wait for thee, and let thy prophets be found trustworthy.

17 Hearken, O Lord, to the prayer of thy servants, according to the blessing of Aaron for thy people, and all who are on the earth will know that thou art the Lord, the God of the ages.

PSALM: Psalms 79: 8 - 9, 11, 13

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8 Do not remember against us the iniquities of our forefathers; let thy compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low.

9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name; deliver us, and forgive our sins, for thy name's sake!

11 Let the groans of the prisoners come before thee; according to thy great power preserve those doomed to die!

13 Then we thy people, the flock of thy pasture, will give thanks to thee for ever; from generation to generation we will recount thy praise.

GOSPEL: Mark 10: 32 - 45

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32 And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him,

33 saying, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles;

34 and they will mock him, and spit upon him, and scourge him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise."

35 And James and John, the sons of Zeb'edee, came forward to him, and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you."

36 And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?"

37 And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory."

38 But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"

39 And they said to him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;

40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared."

41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John.

42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them.

43 But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant,

44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.

45 For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."