Daily Mass Readings for Thursday, January 12, 2012

FIRST READING: 1 Samuel 4: 1 - 11

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1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines; they encamped at Ebene'zer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek.

2 The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who slew about four thousand men on the field of battle.

3 And when the troops came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, "Why has the LORD put us to rout today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD here from Shiloh, that he may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies."

4 So the people sent to Shiloh, and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phin'ehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

5 When the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded.

6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, "What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?" And when they learned that the ark of the LORD had come to the camp,

7 the Philistines were afraid; for they said, "A god has come into the camp." And they said, "Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before.

8 Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who smote the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness.

9 Take courage, and acquit yourselves like men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; acquit yourselves like men and fight."

10 So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home; and there was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers.

11 And the ark of God was captured; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phin'ehas, were slain.

PSALM: Psalms 44: 10 - 11, 14 - 15, 24 - 25

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10 Thou hast made us turn back from the foe; and our enemies have gotten spoil.

11 Thou hast made us like sheep for slaughter, and hast scattered us among the nations.

14 Thou hast made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples.

15 All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face,

24 Why dost thou hide thy face? Why dost thou forget our affliction and oppression?

25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our body cleaves to the ground.

GOSPEL: Mark 1: 40 - 45

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40 And a leper came to him beseeching him, and kneeling said to him, "If you will, you can make me clean."

41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, "I will; be clean."

42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.

43 And he sternly charged him, and sent him away at once,

44 and said to him, "See that you say nothing to any one; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to the people."

45 But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.

Daily Mass Readings for Wednesday, January 11, 2012

"The Healing of Peter's Mother-In-Law" - James Tissot

FIRST READING: 1 Samuel 3: 1 - 10, 19 - 20

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1 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.

2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place;

3 the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down within the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was.

4 Then the LORD called, "Samuel! Samuel!" and he said, "Here I am!"

5 and ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call; lie down again." So he went and lay down.

6 And the LORD called again, "Samuel!" And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, my son; lie down again."

7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.

8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy.

9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, `Speak, LORD, for thy servant hears.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 And the LORD came and stood forth, calling as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for thy servant hears."

19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.

20 And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the LORD.

PSALM: Psalms 40: 2, 5, 7 - 10

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2 He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.

5 Thou hast multiplied, O LORD my God, thy wondrous deeds and thy thoughts toward us; none can compare with thee! Were I to proclaim and tell of them, they would be more than can be numbered.

7 Then I said, "Lo, I come; in the roll of the book it is written of me;

8 I delight to do thy will, O my God; thy law is within my heart."

9 I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; lo, I have not restrained my lips, as thou knowest, O LORD.

10 I have not hid thy saving help within my heart, I have spoken of thy faithfulness and thy salvation; I have not concealed thy steadfast love and thy faithfulness from the great congregation.

GOSPEL: Mark 1: 29 - 39

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29 And immediately he left the synagogue, and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.

30 Now Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him of her.

31 And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her; and she served them.

32 That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons.

33 And the whole city was gathered together about the door.

34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

35 And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed.

36 And Simon and those who were with him pursued him,

37 and they found him and said to him, "Every one is searching for you."

38 And he said to them, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also; for that is why I came out."

39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

Daily Mass Readings for Tuesday, January 10, 2012

FIRST READING: 1 Samuel 1: 9 - 20

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9 After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the LORD.

10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD, and wept bitterly.

11 And she vowed a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thy maidservant, and remember me, and not forget thy maidservant, but wilt give to thy maidservant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head."

12 As she continued praying before the LORD, Eli observed her mouth.

13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard; therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman.

14 And Eli said to her, "How long will you be drunken? Put away your wine from you."

15 But Hannah answered, "No, my lord, I am a woman sorely troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD.

16 Do not regard your maidservant as a base woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation."

17 Then Eli answered, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have made to him."

18 And she said, "Let your maidservant find favor in your eyes." Then the woman went her way and ate, and her countenance was no longer sad.

19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elka'nah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her;

20 and in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, "I have asked him of the LORD."

PSALM: 1 Samuel 2: 1, 4 - 8

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1 Hannah also prayed and said, "My heart exults in the LORD; my strength is exalted in the LORD. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in thy salvation.

4 The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble gird on strength.

5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn.

6 The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up.

7 The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low, he also exalts.

8 He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and on them he has set the world.

GOSPEL: Mark 1: 21 - 28

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21 And they went into Caper'na-um; and immediately on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught.

22 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.

23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit;

24 and he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God."

25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!"

26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.

27 And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching! With authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him."

28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

Daily Mass Readings for Monday, January 09, 2012

 The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

FIRST READING: Isaiah 42: 1 - 4, 6 - 7

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1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations.

2 He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street;

3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.

4 He will not fail or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.

6 "I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations,

7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.

PSALM: Psalms 29: 1 - 4, 3, 9 - 10

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1 Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory of his name; worship the LORD in holy array.

3 The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, upon many waters.

4 The voice of the LORD is powerful, the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

9 The voice of the LORD makes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forests bare; and in his temple all cry, "Glory!"

10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king for ever.

SECOND READING: Acts 10: 34 - 38

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34 And Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality,

35 but in every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

36 You know the word which he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all),

37 the word which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached:

38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

GOSPEL: Mark 1: 7 - 11

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7 And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.

8 I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove;

11 and a voice came from heaven, "Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased."