Mass Readings For Sunday, March 6, 2011

FIRST READING: Deuteronomy 11: 18, 26 - 28, 32

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18 "You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

26 "Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse:

27 the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day,

28 and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods which you have not known.

32 you shall be careful to do all the statutes and the ordinances which I set before you this day.

PSALM: Psalms 31: 2 - 4, 17, 25

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2 Incline thy ear to me, rescue me speedily! Be thou a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me!

3 Yea, thou art my rock and my fortress; for thy name's sake lead me and guide me,

4 take me out of the net which is hidden for me, for thou art my refuge.

17 Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I call on thee; let the wicked be put to shame, let them go dumbfounded to Sheol.

25 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.

SECOND READING: Romans 3: 21 - 25, 28

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21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it,

22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction;

23 since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

24 they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus,

25 whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins;

28 For we hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law.

GOSPEL: Matthew 7: 21 - 27

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21 "Not every one who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

22 On that day many will say to me, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'

23 And then will I declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.'

24 "Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock;

25 and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

26 And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand;

27 and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it."

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.