Daily Mass Readings for Monday, September 19, 2011

FIRST READING: Ezra 1: 1 - 6

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1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:

2 "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

3 Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel -- he is the God who is in Jerusalem;

4 and let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem."

5 Then rose up the heads of the fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, every one whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem;

6 and all who were about them aided them with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with beasts, and with costly wares, besides all that was freely offered.

PSALM: Psalms 126: 1 - 6

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1 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.

2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."

3 The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad.

4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like the watercourses in the Negeb!

5 May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy!

6 He that goes forth weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

GOSPEL: Luke 8: 16 - 18

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16 "No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a vessel, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, that those who enter may see the light.

17 For nothing is hid that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light.

18 Take heed then how you hear; for to him who has will more be given, and from him who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away."

Daily Mass Readings for Sunday, September 18, 2011

FIRST READING: Isaiah 55: 6 - 9

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6 "Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near;

7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

PSALM: Psalms 145: 2 - 3, 8 - 9, 17 - 18

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

3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.

8 The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

9 The LORD is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.

17 The LORD is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings.

18 The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.

SECOND READING: Philippians 1: 20 - 24, 27

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20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I shall not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

22 If it is to be life in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.

23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.

24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you stand firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,

GOSPEL: Matthew 20: 1 - 16

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1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place;

4 and to them he said, `You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went.

5 Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same.

6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing; and he said to them, `Why do you stand here idle all day?'

7 They said to him, `Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, `You go into the vineyard too.'

8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, `Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.'

9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.

10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius.

11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the householder,

12 saying, `These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.'

13 But he replied to one of them, `Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius?

14 Take what belongs to you, and go; I choose to give to this last as I give to you.

15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?'

16 So the last will be first, and the first last."

Daily Mass Readings for Saturday, September 17, 2011

FIRST READING: 1 Timothy 6: 13 - 16

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13 In the presence of God who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession,

14 I charge you to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ;

15 and this will be made manifest at the proper time by the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,

16 who alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

PSALM: Psalms 100: 1 - 5

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1 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the lands!

2 Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!

3 Know that the LORD is God! It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him, bless his name!

5 For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures for ever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

GOSPEL: Luke 8: 4 - 15

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4 And when a great crowd came together and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable:

5 "A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell along the path, and was trodden under foot, and the birds of the air devoured it.

6 And some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.

7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew with it and choked it.

8 And some fell into good soil and grew, and yielded a hundredfold." As he said this, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

9 And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant,

10 he said, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but for others they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.

11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

12 The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, that they may not believe and be saved.

13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy; but these have no root, they believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.

14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.

15 And as for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience. 

Daily Mass Readings for Friday, September 16, 2011

Memorial of Saint Cornelius, Pope and Martyr, and  Saint Cyprian, Bishop and Martyr

FIRST READING: 1 Timothy 6: 2 - 12

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2 Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brethren; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these duties.

3 If any one teaches otherwise and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching which accords with godliness,

4 he is puffed up with conceit, he knows nothing; he has a morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, base suspicions,

5 and wrangling among men who are depraved in mind and bereft of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.

6 There is great gain in godliness with contentment;

7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world;

8 but if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.

10 For the love of money is the root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs.

11 But as for you, man of God, shun all this; aim at righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.

12 Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

PSALM: Psalms 49: 6 - 10, 17 - 20

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6 men who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?

7 Truly no man can ransom himself, or give to God the price of his life,

8 for the ransom of his life is costly, and can never suffice,

9 that he should continue to live on for ever, and never see the Pit.

10 Yea, he shall see that even the wise die, the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others.

17 For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him.

18 Though, while he lives, he counts himself happy, and though a man gets praise when he does well for himself,

19 he will go to the generation of his fathers, who will never more see the light.

20 Man cannot abide in his pomp, he is like the beasts that perish.

GOSPEL: Luke 8: 1 - 3

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1 Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him,

2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Mag'dalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,

3 and Joan'na, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.