Daily Mass Readings for Friday, December 16, 2011

FIRST READING: Isaiah 56: 1 - 3, 6 - 8

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1 Thus says the LORD: "Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed.

2 Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the sabbath, not profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil."

3 Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, "The LORD will surely separate me from his people"; and let not the eunuch say, "Behold, I am a dry tree."

6 "And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, every one who keeps the sabbath, and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant --

7 these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.

8 Thus says the Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered."

PSALM: Psalms 67: 2 - 3, 5, 7 - 8

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2 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us,

3 that thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving power among all nations.

5 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for thou dost judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.

7 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us.

8 God has blessed us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!

GOSPEL: John 5: 33 - 36

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33 You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.

34 Not that the testimony which I receive is from man; but I say this that you may be saved.

35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

36 But the testimony which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father has granted me to accomplish, these very works which I am doing, bear me witness that the Father has sent me.

Daily Mass Readings for Thursday, December 15, 2011

FIRST READING: Isaiah 54: 1 - 10

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1 "Sing, O barren one, who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who have not been in travail! For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her that is married, says the LORD.

2 Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; hold not back, lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes.

3 For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your descendants will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities.

4 "Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be put to shame; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.

5 For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called.

6 For the LORD has called you like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast off, says your God.

7 For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will gather you.

8 In overflowing wrath for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you, says the LORD, your Redeemer.

9 "For this is like the days of Noah to me: as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you and will not rebuke you.

10 For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

PSALM: Psalms 30: 2, 4 - 6, 11 - 13

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2 O LORD my God, I cried to thee for help, and thou hast healed me.

4 Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name.

5 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, "I shall never be moved."

11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,

12 that my soul may praise thee and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to thee for ever.

GOSPEL: Luke 7: 24 - 30

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24 When the messengers of John had gone, he began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken by the wind?

25 What then did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings' courts.

26 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

27 This is he of whom it is written, `Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.'

28 I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."

29 (When they heard this all the people and the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John;

30 but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.)

Daily Mass Readings for Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church

FIRST READING: Isaiah 45: 6 - 8, 18, 21 - 25

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6 that men may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other.

7 I form light and create darkness, I make weal and create woe, I am the LORD, who do all these things.

8 "Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the skies rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation may sprout forth, and let it cause righteousness to spring up also; I the LORD have created it.

18 For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it a chaos, he formed it to be inhabited!): "I am the LORD, and there is no other.

21 Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me.

22 "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

23 By myself I have sworn, from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness a word that shall not return: `To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.'

24 "Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed, all who were incensed against him.

25 In the LORD all the offspring of Israel shall triumph and glory."

PSALM: Psalms 85: 9 - 14

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9 Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.

10 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.

11 Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.

12 Yea, the LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.

13 Righteousness will go before him, and make his footsteps a way.

GOSPEL: Luke 7: 18 - 23

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18 The disciples of John told him of all these things.

19 And John, calling to him two of his disciples, sent them to the Lord, saying, "Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?"

20 And when the men had come to him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, `Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?'"

21 In that hour he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many that were blind he bestowed sight.

22 And he answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.

23 And blessed is he who takes no offense at me."

Daily Mass Readings for Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr

FIRST READING: Zephaniah 3: 1 - 2, 9 - 13

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1 Woe to her that is rebellious and defiled, the oppressing city!

2 She listens to no voice, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the LORD, she does not draw near to her God.

9 "Yea, at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him with one accord.

10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, the daughter of my dispersed ones, shall bring my offering.

11 "On that day you shall not be put to shame because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me; for then I will remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and you shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain.

12 For I will leave in the midst of you a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD,

13 those who are left in Israel; they shall do no wrong and utter no lies, nor shall there be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue. For they shall pasture and lie down, and none shall make them afraid."

PSALM: Psalms 34: 2 - 3, 6 - 7, 17 - 19, 23

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2 My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and be glad.

3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!

6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

17 When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.

18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the LORD delivers him out of them all.

23 The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

GOSPEL: Matthew 21: 28 - 32

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28 "What do you think? A man had two sons; and he went to the first and said, `Son, go and work in the vineyard today.'

29 And he answered, `I will not'; but afterward he repented and went.

30 And he went to the second and said the same; and he answered, `I go, sir,' but did not go.

31 Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him; and even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him.