Mass Readings for Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot

FIRST READING: Hosea 10: 1 - 3, 7 - 8, 12

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1 Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit. The more his fruit increased the more altars he built; as his country improved he improved his pillars.

2 Their heart is false; now they must bear their guilt. The LORD will break down their altars, and destroy their pillars.

3 For now they will say: "We have no king, for we fear not the LORD, and a king, what could he do for us?"

7 Sama'ria's king shall perish, like a chip on the face of the waters.

8 The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed. Thorn and thistle shall grow up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us, and to the hills, Fall upon us.

12 Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and rain salvation upon you.

PSALM: Psalms 105: 2 - 7

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2 Sing to him, sing praises to him, tell of all his wonderful works!

3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!

4 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his presence continually!

5 Remember the wonderful works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,

6 O offspring of Abraham his servant, sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!

7 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.

GOSPEL: Matthew 10: 1 - 7

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1 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity.

2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zeb'edee, and John his brother;

3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;

4 Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

5 These twelve Jesus sent out, charging them, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans,

6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

7 And preach as you go, saying, `The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'

Mass Readings for Tuesday, July 10, 2012

"Jesus Heals a Mute Possessed Man" -- by James Tissot

FIRST READING:Hosea 8: 4 - 7, 11 - 13

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4 They made kings, but not through me. They set up princes, but without my knowledge. With their silver and gold they made idols for their own destruction.

5 I have spurned your calf, O Samaria. My anger burns against them. How long will it be till they are pure

6 in Israel? A workman made it; it is not God. The calf of Samaria shall be broken to pieces.

7 For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. The standing grain has no heads, it shall yield no meal; if it were to yield, aliens would devour it.

11 Because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning, they have become to him altars for sinning.

12 Were I to write for him my laws by ten thousands, they would be regarded as a strange thing.

13 They love sacrifice; they sacrifice flesh and eat it; but the LORD has no delight in them. Now he will remember their iniquity, and punish their sins; they shall return to Egypt.

PSALM: Psalms 115: 3 - 10

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3 Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases.

4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.

5 They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.

6 They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell.

7 They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat.

8 Those who make them are like them; so are all who trust in them.

9 O Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.

10 O house of Aaron, put your trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.

GOSPEL: Matthew 9: 32 - 38

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32 As they were going away, behold, a dumb demoniac was brought to him.

33 And when the demon had been cast out, the dumb man spoke; and the crowds marveled, saying, "Never was anything like this seen in Israel."

34 But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the prince of demons."

35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every infirmity.

36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;

38 pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."

Mass Readings for Monday, July 09, 2012

"The Daughter of Jairus" -- by James Tissot

FIRST READING: Hosea 2: 16 - 18, 21 - 22

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16 "And in that day, says the LORD, you will call me, `My husband,' and no longer will you call me, `My Ba'al.'

17 For I will remove the names of the Ba'als from her mouth, and they shall be mentioned by name no more.

18 And I will make for you a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the creeping things of the ground; and I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land; and I will make you lie down in safety.

21 "And in that day, says the LORD, I will answer the heavens and they shall answer the earth;

22 and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil, and they shall answer Jezreel.

PSALM: Psalms 145: 2 - 9

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2 Every day I will bless thee, and praise thy name for ever and ever.

3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.

4 One generation shall laud thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.

5 On the glorious splendor of thy majesty, and on thy wondrous works, I will meditate.

6 Men shall proclaim the might of thy terrible acts, and I will declare thy greatness.

7 They shall pour forth the fame of thy abundant goodness, and shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

8 The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

9 The LORD is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.

GOSPEL: Matthew 9: 18 - 26

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18 While he was thus speaking to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, "My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live."

19 And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples.

20 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment;

21 for she said to herself, "If I only touch his garment, I shall be made well."

22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well.

23 And when Jesus came to the ruler's house, and saw the flute players, and the crowd making a tumult,

24 he said, "Depart; for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him.

25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.

26 And the report of this went through all that district.

Sunday Mass Readings For July 08, 2012

"He Did No Miracles But He Healed Them" -- by James Tissot

FIRST READING: Ezekiel 2: 2 - 5

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2 And when he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me upon my feet; and I heard him speaking to me.

3 And he said to me, "Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels, who have rebelled against me; they and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day.

4 The people also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them; and you shall say to them, `Thus says the Lord GOD.'

5 And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that there has been a prophet among them.

PSALM: Psalms 123: 1 - 4

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1 To thee I lift up my eyes, O thou who art enthroned in the heavens!

2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he have mercy upon us.

3 Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt.

4 Too long our soul has been sated with the scorn of those who are at ease, the contempt of the proud.

SECOND READING: 2 Corinthians 12: 7 - 10

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7 And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too elated.

8 Three times I besought the Lord about this, that it should leave me;

9 but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

GOSPEL: Mark 6: 1 - 6

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1 He went away from there and came to his own country; and his disciples followed him.

2 And on the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue; and many who heard him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get all this? What is the wisdom given to him? What mighty works are wrought by his hands!

3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.

4 And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house."

5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands upon a few sick people and healed them.

6 And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.