Mass Readings for Monday, August 06, 2012

"The Transfiguration of the Lord" -- by James Tissot

Feastof the Transfiguration of the Lord

FIRST READING: Daniel 7: 9 - 10, 13 - 14

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9 As I watched, Thrones were set up and the Ancient One took his throne. His clothing was snow bright, and the hair on his head as white as wool; His throne was flames of fire, with wheels of burning fire.

10 A surging stream of fire flowed out from where he sat; Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him, and myriads upon myriads attended him. The court was convened, and the books were opened.

13 As the visions during the night continued, I saw One like a son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven; When he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him,

14 He received dominion, glory, and kingship; nations and peoples of every language serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed.

PSALM: Psalms 97: 1 - 2, 5 - 6, 9

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1 The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!

2 Clouds and thick darkness are round about him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.

6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness; and all the peoples behold his glory.

9 For thou, O LORD, art most high over all the earth; thou art exalted far above all gods.

SECOND READING: 2 Peter 1: 16 - 19

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16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,"

18 we heard this voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.

19 And we have the prophetic word made more sure. You will do well to pay attention to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

GOSPEL: Mark 9: 2 - 10

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2 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves; and he was transfigured before them,

3 and his garments became glistening, intensely white, as no fuller on earth could bleach them.

4 And there appeared to them Eli'jah with Moses; and they were talking to Jesus.

5 And Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for you and one for Moses and one for Eli'jah."

6 For he did not know what to say, for they were exceedingly afraid.

7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is my beloved Son; listen to him."

8 And suddenly looking around they no longer saw any one with them but Jesus only.

9 And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of man should have risen from the dead.

10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.

Sunday Mass Readings For August 05, 2012

FIRST READING: Exodus 16: 2 - 4, 12 - 15

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2 And the whole congregation of the people of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness,

3 and said to them, "Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."

4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law or not.

12 "I have heard the murmurings of the people of Israel; say to them, `At twilight you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'"

13 In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning dew lay round about the camp.

14 And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as hoarfrost on the ground.

15 When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "It is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat.

PSALM: Psalms 78: 3 - 4, 23 - 25, 54

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3 things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us.

4 We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders which he has wrought.

23 Yet he commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven;

24 and he rained down upon them manna to eat, and gave them the grain of heaven.

25 Man ate of the bread of the angels; he sent them food in abundance.

54 And he brought them to his holy land, to the mountain which his right hand had won.

SECOND READING: Ephesians 4: 17, 20 - 24

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17 Now this I affirm and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds;

20 You did not so learn Christ! --

21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus.

22 Put off your old nature which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts,

23 and be renewed in the spirit of your minds,

24 and put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

GOSPEL: John 6: 24 - 35

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24 So when the people saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Caper'na-um, seeking Jesus.

25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?"

26 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.

27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal."

28 Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?"

29 Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent."

30 So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform?

31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, `He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"

32 Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.

33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world."

34 They said to him, "Lord, give us this bread always."

35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.

Mass Readings for Saturday, August 04, 2012

"The Daughter of Herodias Dancing" -- by James Tissot

Memorial of Saint John Mary Vianney, Priest

FIRST READING: Jeremiah 26: 11 - 16, 24

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11 Then the priests and the prophets said to the princes and to all the people, "This man deserves the sentence of death, because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears."

12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the princes and all the people, saying, "The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard.

13 Now therefore amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God, and the LORD will repent of the evil which he has pronounced against you.

14 But as for me, behold, I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and right to you.

15 Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the LORD sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears."

16 Then the princes and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, "This man does not deserve the sentence of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God."

24 But the hand of Ahi'kam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah so that he was not given over to the people to be put to death.

PSALM: Psalms 69: 15 - 16, 30 - 31, 33 - 34

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15 Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the pit close its mouth over me.

16 Answer me, O LORD, for thy steadfast love is good; according to thy abundant mercy, turn to me.

30 I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving.

31 This will please the LORD more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs.

33 For the LORD hears the needy, and does not despise his own that are in bonds.

34 Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves therein.

GOSPEL: Matthew 14: 1 - 12

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1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus;

2 and he said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist, he has been raised from the dead; that is why these powers are at work in him."

3 For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison, for the sake of Hero'di-as, his brother Philip's wife;

4 because John said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."

5 And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet.

6 But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Hero'di-as danced before the company, and pleased Herod,

7 so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.

8 Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter."

9 And the king was sorry; but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given;

10 he sent and had John beheaded in the prison,

11 and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.

12 And his disciples came and took the body and buried it; and they went and told Jesus.

Mass Readings for Friday, August 03, 2012

FIRST READING: Jeremiah 26: 1 - 9

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1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoi'akim the son of Josi'ah, king of Judah, this word came from the LORD,

2 "Thus says the LORD: Stand in the court of the LORD's house, and speak to all the cities of Judah which come to worship in the house of the LORD all the words that I command you to speak to them; do not hold back a word.

3 It may be they will listen, and every one turn from his evil way, that I may repent of the evil which I intend to do to them because of their evil doings.

4 You shall say to them, `Thus says the LORD: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law which I have set before you,

5 and to heed the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently, though you have not heeded,

6 then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.'"

7 The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD.

8 And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, "You shall die!

9 Why have you prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, `This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant'?" And all the people gathered about Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.

PSALM: Psalms 69: 5, 8 - 10, 14

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5 O God, thou knowest my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from thee.

8 I have become a stranger to my brethren, an alien to my mother's sons.

9 For zeal for thy house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult thee have fallen on me.

10 When I humbled my soul with fasting, it became my reproach.

14 rescue me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters.

GOSPEL: Matthew 13: 54 - 58

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54 and coming to his own country he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?

55 Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?

56 And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?"

57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house."

58 And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.