Mass Readings for Wednesday, June 15, 2011

FIRST READING: 2 Corinthians 9: 6 - 11

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6 The point is this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

7 Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

8 And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work.

9 As it is written, "He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures for ever."

10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your resources and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

11 You will be enriched in every way for great generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God;

PSALM: Psalms 112: 1 - 4, 9

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1 Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments!

2 His descendants will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.

3 Wealth and riches are in his house; and his righteousness endures for ever.

4 Light rises in the darkness for the upright; the LORD is gracious, merciful, and righteous.

9 He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures for ever; his horn is exalted in honor.

GOSPEL: Matthew 6: 1 - 6, 16 - 18

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1 "Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

2 "Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

4 so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

5 "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

16 "And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

18 that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Mass Readings for Tuesday, June 14, 2011

FIRST READING: 2 Corinthians 8: 1 - 9

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1 We want you to know, brethren, about the grace of God which has been shown in the churches of Macedo'nia,

2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of liberality on their part.

3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own free will,

4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints --

5 and this, not as we expected, but first they gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.

6 Accordingly we have urged Titus that as he had already made a beginning, he should also complete among you this gracious work.

7 Now as you excel in everything -- in faith, in utterance, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in your love for us -- see that you excel in this gracious work also.

8 I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine.

9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.

PSALM: Psalms 146: 2, 5 - 9

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2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have being.

5 Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,

6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith for ever;

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.

GOSPEL: Matthew 5: 43 - 48

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43 "You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'

44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

47 And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

48 You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Mass Readings for Monday, June 13, 2011

Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua

FIRST READING: 2 Corinthians 6: 1 - 10

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1 Working together with him, then, we entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain.

2 For he says, "At the acceptable time I have listened to you, and helped you on the day of salvation." Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

3 We put no obstacle in any one's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry,

4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities,

5 beatings, imprisonments, tumults, labors, watching, hunger;

6 by purity, knowledge, forbearance, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love,

7 truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;

8 in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true;

9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as punished, and yet not killed;

10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

PSALM: Psalms 98: 1 - 4

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1 O sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory.

2 The LORD has made known his victory, he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.

3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!

GOSPEL: Matthew 5: 38 - 42

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38 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'

39 But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also;

40 and if any one would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well;

41 and if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

42 Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you.

Mass Readings for Sunday, June 12, 2011

 

Solemnity of Pentecost Sunday

FIRST READING: Acts 2: 1 - 11

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1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.

2 And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.

6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

7 And they were amazed and wondered, saying, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?

8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?

9 Par'thians and Medes and E'lamites and residents of Mesopota'mia, Judea and Cappado'cia, Pontus and Asia,

10 Phryg'ia and Pamphyl'ia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyre'ne, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,

11 Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God."

PSALM: Psalms 104: 1, 24, 29 - 31, 34

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1 Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, thou art very great! Thou art clothed with honor and majesty,

24 O LORD, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all; the earth is full of thy creatures.

29 When thou hidest thy face, they are dismayed; when thou takest away their breath, they die and return to their dust.

30 When thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created; and thou renewest the face of the ground.

31 May the glory of the LORD endure for ever, may the LORD rejoice in his works,

34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD.

SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 12: 3 - 7, 12 - 13

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3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus be cursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit.

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;

5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord;

6 and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one.

7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.

13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body -- Jews or Greeks, slaves or free -- and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

GOSPEL: John 20: 19 - 23

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19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."

20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you."

22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.

23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."