Daily Mass Readings for Monday, January 23, 2012

 Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children

FIRST READING: 2 Samuel 5: 1 - 7, 10

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1 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said, "Behold, we are your bone and flesh.

2 In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you that led out and brought in Israel; and the LORD said to you, `You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.'"

3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel.

4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.

5 At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months; and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.

6 And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jeb'usites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, "You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off" -- thinking, "David cannot come in here."

7 Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.

10 And David became greater and greater, for the LORD, the God of hosts, was with him.

PSALM: Psalms 89: 20 - 22, 25 - 26

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20 I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him;

21 so that my hand shall ever abide with him, my arm also shall strengthen him.

22 The enemy shall not outwit him, the wicked shall not humble him.

25 I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers.

26 He shall cry to me, `Thou art my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.'

GOSPEL: Mark 3: 22 - 30

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22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Be-el'zebul, and by the prince of demons he casts out the demons."

23 And he called them to him, and said to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan?

24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.

26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end.

27 But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man; then indeed he may plunder his house.

28 "Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter;

29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin" --

30 for they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."

Daily Mass Readings for Sunday, January 22, 2012

FIRST READING: Jonah 3: 1 - 5, 10

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1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying,

2 "Arise, go to Nin'eveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you."

3 So Jonah arose and went to Nin'eveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nin'eveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth.

4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he cried, "Yet forty days, and Nin'eveh shall be overthrown!"

5 And the people of Nin'eveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.

10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God repented of the evil which he had said he would do to them; and he did not do it.

PSALM: Psalms 25: 4 - 9

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4 Make me to know thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.

5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me, for thou art the God of my salvation; for thee I wait all the day long.

6 Be mindful of thy mercy, O LORD, and of thy steadfast love, for they have been from of old.

7 Remember not the sins of my youth, or my transgressions; according to thy steadfast love remember me, for thy goodness' sake, O LORD!

8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.

9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.

SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 7: 29 - 31

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29 I mean, brethren, the appointed time has grown very short; from now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none,

30 and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods,

31 and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the form of this world is passing away.

GOSPEL: Mark 1: 14 - 20

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14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God,

15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel."

16 And passing along by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen.

17 And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men."

18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him.

19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zeb'edee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets.

20 And immediately he called them; and they left their father Zeb'edee in the boat with the hired servants, and followed him.

Daily Mass Readings for Saturday, January 21, 2012

 Memorial of Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr

FIRST READING: 2 Samuel 1: 1 - 4, 11 - 12, 19, 23 - 27

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1 After the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amal'ekites, David remained two days in Ziklag;

2 and on the third day, behold, a man came from Saul's camp, with his clothes rent and earth upon his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and did obeisance.

3 David said to him, "Where do you come from?" And he said to him, "I have escaped from the camp of Israel."

4 And David said to him, "How did it go? Tell me." And he answered, "The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people also have fallen and are dead; and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead."

11 Then David took hold of his clothes, and rent them; and so did all the men who were with him;

12 and they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the LORD and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

19 "Thy glory, O Israel, is slain upon thy high places! How are the mighty fallen!

23 "Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely! In life and in death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

24 "Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you daintily in scarlet, who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel.

25 "How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! "Jonathan lies slain upon thy high places.

26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant have you been to me; your love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.

27 "How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!"

PSALM: Psalms 80: 2 - 3, 5 - 7

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2 before E'phraim and Benjamin and Manas'seh! Stir up thy might, and come to save us!

3 Restore us, O God; let thy face shine, that we may be saved!

5 Thou hast fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure.

6 Thou dost make us the scorn of our neighbors; and our enemies laugh among themselves.

7 Restore us, O God of hosts; let thy face shine, that we may be saved!

GOSPEL: Mark 3: 20 - 21

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20 Then he went home; and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat.

21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for people were saying, "He is beside himself."

Daily Mass Readings for Friday, January 20, 2012

FIRST READING: 1 Samuel 24: 3 - 21

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3 And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave.

4 And the men of David said to him, "Here is the day of which the LORD said to you, `Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.'" Then David arose and stealthily cut off the skirt of Saul's robe.

5 And afterward David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.

6 He said to his men, "The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD'S anointed, to put forth my hand against him, seeing he is the LORD'S anointed."

7 So David persuaded his men with these words, and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave, and went upon his way.

8 Afterward David also arose, and went out of the cave, and called after Saul, "My lord the king!" And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and did obeisance.

9 And David said to Saul, "Why do you listen to the words of men who say, `Behold, David seeks your hurt'?

10 Lo, this day your eyes have seen how the LORD gave you today into my hand in the cave; and some bade me kill you, but I spared you. I said, `I will not put forth my hand against my lord; for he is the LORD'S anointed.'

11 See, my father, see the skirt of your robe in my hand; for by the fact that I cut off the skirt of your robe, and did not kill you, you may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it.

12 May the LORD judge between me and you, may the LORD avenge me upon you; but my hand shall not be against you.

13 As the proverb of the ancients says, `Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness'; but my hand shall not be against you.

14 After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog! After a flea!

15 May the LORD therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and you, and see to it, and plead my cause, and deliver me from your hand."

16 When David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.

17 He said to David, "You are more righteous than I; for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil.

18 And you have declared this day how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not kill me when the LORD put me into your hands.

19 For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safe? So may the LORD reward you with good for what you have done to me this day.

20 And now, behold, I know that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand.

21 Swear to me therefore by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father's house."

PSALM: Psalms 57: 2 - 4, 6, 11

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2 I cry to God Most High, to God who fulfils his purpose for me.

3 He will send from heaven and save me, he will put to shame those who trample upon me. [Selah] God will send forth his steadfast love and his faithfulness!

4 I lie in the midst of lions that greedily devour the sons of men; their teeth are spears and arrows, their tongues sharp swords.

6 They set a net for my steps; my soul was bowed down. They dug a pit in my way, but they have fallen into it themselves. [Selah]

11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let thy glory be over all the earth!

GOSPEL: Mark 3: 13 - 19

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13 And he went up on the mountain, and called to him those whom he desired; and they came to him.

14 And he appointed twelve, to be with him, and to be sent out to preach

15 and have authority to cast out demons:

16 Simon whom he surnamed Peter;

17 James the son of Zeb'edee and John the brother of James, whom he surnamed Bo-aner'ges, that is, sons of thunder;

18 Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean,

19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.