Daily Mass Readings for Thursday, October 13, 2011

"Zacharias Killed Between the Altar and the Sanctuary" - James Tissot

FIRST READING: Romans 3: 21 - 30

---

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;

26 it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in Jesus.

27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On the principle of works? No, but on the principle of faith.

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

29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,

30 since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of their faith and the uncircumcised through their faith.

PSALM: Psalms 130: 1 - 6

---

1 Out of the depths I cry to thee, O LORD!

2 Lord, hear my voice! Let thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!

3 If thou, O LORD, shouldst mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand?

4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;

6 my soul waits for the LORD more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.

GOSPEL: Luke 11: 47 - 54

---

47 Woe to you! for you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed.

48 So you are witnesses and consent to the deeds of your fathers; for they killed them, and you build their tombs.

49 Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, `I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,'

50 that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation,

51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechari'ah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it shall be required of this generation.

52 Woe to you lawyers! for you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering."

53 As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard, and to provoke him to speak of many things,

54 lying in wait for him, to catch at something he might say.

Daily Mass Readings for Wednesday, October 12, 2011

FIRST READING: Romans 2: 1 - 11

---

1 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, whoever you are, when you judge another; for in passing judgment upon him you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things.

2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who do such things.

3 Do you suppose, O man, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will escape the judgment of God?

4 Or do you presume upon the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not know that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

5 But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

6 For he will render to every man according to his works:

7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;

8 but for those who are factious and do not obey the truth, but obey wickedness, there will be wrath and fury.

9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek,

10 but glory and honor and peace for every one who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek.

11 For God shows no partiality.

PSALM: Psalms 62: 2 - 3, 6 - 7, 9

---

2 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly moved.

3 How long will you set upon a man to shatter him, all of you, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?

6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

7 On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

9 Men of low estate are but a breath, men of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath.

GOSPEL: Luke 11: 42 - 46

---

42 "But woe to you Pharisees! for you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

43 Woe to you Pharisees! for you love the best seat in the synagogues and salutations in the market places.

44 Woe to you! for you are like graves which are not seen, and men walk over them without knowing it."

45 One of the lawyers answered him, "Teacher, in saying this you reproach us also."

46 And he said, "Woe to you lawyers also! for you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

Daily Mass Readings for Tuesday, October 11, 2011

FIRST READING: Romans 1: 16 - 25

---

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, "He who through faith is righteous shall live."

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth.

19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.

20 Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse;

21 for although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened.

22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,

23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man or birds or animals or reptiles.

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,

25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever! Amen.

PSALM: Psalms 19: 2 - 5

---

2 Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.

3 There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;

4 yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,

5 which comes forth like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.

GOSPEL: Luke 11: 37 - 41

---

37 While he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him; so he went in and sat at table.

38 The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner.

39 And the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of extortion and wickedness.

40 You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also?

41 But give for alms those things which are within; and behold, everything is clean for you.

Daily Mass Readings for Monday, October 10, 2011

FIRST READING: Romans 1: 1 - 7

---

1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God

2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures,

3 the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh

4 and designated Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations,

6 including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ;

7 To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

PSALM: Psalms 98: 1 - 4

---

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: Luke 11: 29 - 32

---

29 When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah.

30 For as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nin'eveh, so will the Son of man be to this generation.

31 The queen of the South will arise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

32 The men of Nin'eveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.