Daily Mass Readings for Thursday, April 19, 2012

FIRST READING: Acts 5: 27 - 33

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27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them,

28 saying, "We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us."

29 But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men.

30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.

31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."

33 When they heard this they were enraged and wanted to kill them.

PSALM: Psalms 34: 2, 9, 17 - 20

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

9 O fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no want!

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.

20 He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.

GOSPEL: John 3: 31 - 36

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31 He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth belongs to the earth, and of the earth he speaks; he who comes from heaven is above all.

32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony;

33 he who receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true.

34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for it is not by measure that he gives the Spirit;

35 the Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand.

36 He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him.

Daily Mass Readings for Wednesday, April 18, 2012

FIRST READING: Acts 5: 17 - 26

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17 But the high priest rose up and all who were with him, that is, the party of the Sad'ducees, and filled with jealousy

18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the common prison.

19 But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out and said,

20 "Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life."

21 And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and taught. Now the high priest came and those who were with him and called together the council and all the senate of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

22 But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, and they returned and reported,

23 "We found the prison securely locked and the sentries standing at the doors, but when we opened it we found no one inside."

24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were much perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to.

25 And some one came and told them, "The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people."

26 Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but without violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

PSALM: Psalms 34: 2 - 9

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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!

4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.

5 Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed.

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.

8 O taste and see that the LORD is good! Happy is the man who takes refuge in him!

9 O fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no want!

GOSPEL: John 3: 16 - 21

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16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

17 For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

18 He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20 For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

21 But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God.

Daily Mass Readings for Tuesday, April 17, 2012

"Nicodemus" - by James Tissot

FIRST READING: Acts 4: 32 - 37

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32 Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had everything in common.

33 And with great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of what was sold

35 and laid it at the apostles' feet; and distribution was made to each as any had need.

36 Thus Joseph who was surnamed by the apostles Barnabas (which means, Son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus,

37 sold a field which belonged to him, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.

PSALM: Psalms 93: 1 - 2, 5

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1 The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed, he is girded with strength. Yea, the world is established; it shall never be moved;

2 thy throne is established from of old; thou art from everlasting.

5 Thy decrees are very sure; holiness befits thy house, O LORD, for evermore.

GOSPEL: John 3: 7 - 15

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7 Do not marvel that I said to you, `You must be born anew.'

8 The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit."

9 Nicode'mus said to him, "How can this be?"

10 Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this?

11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen; but you do not receive our testimony.

12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

13 No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man.

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up,

15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life."

Daily Mass Readings for Monday, April 16, 2012

"Interview Between Jesus and Nicodemus" - by James Tissot

FIRST READING: Acts 4: 23 - 31

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23 When they were released they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them.

24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, "Sovereign Lord, who didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them,

25 who by the mouth of our father David, thy servant, didst say by the Holy Spirit, `Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples imagine vain things?

26 The kings of the earth set themselves in array, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed' --

27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against thy holy servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,

28 to do whatever thy hand and thy plan had predestined to take place.

29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats, and grant to thy servants to speak thy word with all boldness,

30 while thou stretchest out thy hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of thy holy servant Jesus."

31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.

PSALM: Psalms 2: 1 - 9

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1 Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain?

2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and his anointed, saying,

3 "Let us burst their bonds asunder, and cast their cords from us."

4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the LORD has them in derision.

5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,

6 "I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill."

7 I will tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my son, today I have begotten you.

8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.

9 You shall break them with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."

GOSPEL: John 3: 1 - 8

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1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicode'mus, a ruler of the Jews.

2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him."

3 Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

4 Nicode'mus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"

5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Do not marvel that I said to you, `You must be born anew.'

8 The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit."