Daily Mass Readings for Friday, May 25, 2012

"Feed My Lambs" - by James Tissot

FIRST READING: Acts 25: 13 - 21

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13 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Berni'ce arrived at Caesare'a to welcome Festus.

14 And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, "There is a man left prisoner by Felix;

15 and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews gave information about him, asking for sentence against him.

16 I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up any one before the accused met the accusers face to face, and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him.

17 When therefore they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought in.

18 When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed;

19 but they had certain points of dispute with him about their own superstition and about one Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.

20 Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wished to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them.

21 But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor, I commanded him to be held until I could send him to Caesar."

PSALM: Psalms 103: 1 - 2, 11 - 12, 19 - 20

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1 Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name!

2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,

11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

19 The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word!

GOSPEL: John 21: 15 - 19

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15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs."

16 A second time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep."

17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep.

18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go."

19 (This he said to show by what death he was to glorify God.) And after this he said to him, "Follow me."

Daily Mass Readings for Thursday, May 24, 2012

FIRST READING: Acts 22: 30 ; 23: 6 - 11

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30 But on the morrow, desiring to know the real reason why the Jews accused him, he unbound him, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them.

6 But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, "Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead I am on trial."

7 And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided.

8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.

9 Then a great clamor arose; and some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and contended, "We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?"

10 And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them and bring him into the barracks.

11 The following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage, for as you have testified about me at Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also at Rome."

PSALM: Psalms 16: 1 - 2, 5, 7 - 11

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1 Preserve me, O God, for in thee I take refuge.

2 I say to the LORD, "Thou art my Lord; I have no good apart from thee."

5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; thou holdest my lot.

7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.

8 I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure.

10 For thou dost not give me up to Sheol, or let thy godly one see the Pit.

11 Thou dost show me the path of life; in thy presence there is fulness of joy, in thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.

GOSPEL: John 17: 20 - 26

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20 "I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word,

21 that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

22 The glory which thou hast given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,

23 I in them and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them even as thou hast loved me.

24 Father, I desire that they also, whom thou hast given me, may be with me where I am, to behold my glory which thou hast given me in thy love for me before the foundation of the world.

25 O righteous Father, the world has not known thee, but I have known thee; and these know that thou hast sent me.

26 I made known to them thy name, and I will make it known, that the love with which thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them."

Daily Mass Readings for Wednesday, May 23, 2012

FIRST READING: Acts 20: 28 - 38

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28 Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son.

29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;

30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.

31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.

32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

33 I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel.

34You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities, and to those who were with me.

35 In all things I have shown you that by so toiling one must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, `It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

36 And when he had spoken thus, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

37 And they all wept and embraced Paul and kissed him,

38 sorrowing most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they should see his face no more. And they brought him to the ship.

PSALM: Psalms 68: 29 - 30, 33 - 36

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29 Because of thy temple at Jerusalem kings bear gifts to thee.

30 Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds, the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples. Trample under foot those who lust after tribute; scatter the peoples who delight in war.

33 to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens; lo, he sends forth his voice, his mighty voice.

34 Ascribe power to God, whose majesty is over Israel, and his power is in the skies.

35 Terrible is God in his sanctuary, the God of Israel, he gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God!

GOSPEL: John 17: 11 - 19

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11 And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name, which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.

12 While I was with them, I kept them in thy name, which thou hast given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled.

13 But now I am coming to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

14 I have given them thy word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

15 I do not pray that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil one.

16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

17 Sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth.

18 As thou didst send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.

19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth.

Daily Mass Readings for Tuesday, May 22, 2012

FIRST READING: Acts 20: 17 - 27

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17 And from Mile'tus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church.

18 And when they came to him, he said to them: "You yourselves know how I lived among you all the time from the first day that I set foot in Asia,

19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which befell me through the plots of the Jews;

20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house,

21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance to God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, bound in the Spirit, not knowing what shall befall me there;

23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.

24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may accomplish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

25 And now, behold, I know that all you among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom will see my face no more.

26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you,

27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

PSALM: Psalms 68: 10 - 11, 20 - 21

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10 thy flock found a dwelling in it; in thy goodness, O God, thou didst provide for the needy.

11 The Lord gives the command; great is the host of those who bore the tidings:

20 Our God is a God of salvation; and to GOD, the Lord, belongs escape from death.

21 But God will shatter the heads of his enemies, the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.

GOSPEL: John 17: 1 - 11

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1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify thy Son that the Son may glorify thee,

2 since thou hast given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom thou hast given him.

3 And this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.

4 I glorified thee on earth, having accomplished the work which thou gavest me to do;

5 and now, Father, glorify thou me in thy own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was made.

6 "I have manifested thy name to the men whom thou gavest me out of the world; thine they were, and thou gavest them to me, and they have kept thy word.

7 Now they know that everything that thou hast given me is from thee;

8 for I have given them the words which thou gavest me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from thee; and they have believed that thou didst send me.

9 I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom thou hast given me, for they are thine;

10 all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them.

11 And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name, which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.