Mass Readings for Thursday, August 30, 2012

FIRST READING: 1 Corinthians 1: 1 - 9

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1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes a brother,

2 To the church of God that is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that invoke the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place of theirs and ours.

3 Grace to you and peace, from God our father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I give thanks to my God always for you, for the grace of God that is given you in Christ Jesus:

5 That in all things you are made rich in him, in all utterance and in all knowledge;

6 As the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you,

7 So that nothing is wanting to you in any grace, waiting for the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

8 Who also will confirm you unto the end without crime, in the days of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 God is faithful: by whom you are called unto the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

PSALM: Psalms 145: 2 - 7

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

3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: and of his greatness there is no end.

4 Generation and generation shall praise thy works: and they shall declare thy power.

5 They shall speak of the magnificence of the glory of thy holiness: and shall tell thy wondrous works.

6 And they shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and shall declare thy greatness.

7 They shall publish the memory of the abundance of thy sweetness: and shall rejoice in thy justice.

GOSPEL: Matthew 24: 42 - 51

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42 Watch ye therefore, because you know not what hour your Lord will come.

43 But this know ye, that, if the goodman of the house knew at what hour the thief would come, he would certainly watch and would not suffer his house to be broken open.

44 Wherefore be you also ready, because at what hour you know not the Son of man will come.

45 Who, thinkest thou, is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath appointed over his family, to give them meat in season?

46 Blessed is that servant, whom when his lord shall come he shall find so doing.

47 Amen I say to you: he shall place him over all his goods.

48 But if that evil servant shall say in his heart: My lord is long a coming:

49 And shall begin to strike his fellow servants and shall eat and drink with drunkards:

50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day that he hopeth not and at an hour that he knoweth not:

51 And shall separate him and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Mass Readings for Thursday, August 29, 2012

"The Head of Saint John the Baptist on a Charger" -- by James Tissot

TheMemorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist

FIRST READING: 2 Thessalonians 3: 6 - 10, 16 - 18

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6 And we charge you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother walking disorderly and not according to the tradition which they have received of us.

7 For yourselves know how you ought to imitate us. For we were not disorderly among you.

8 Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nothing: but in labour and in toil we worked night and day, lest we should be chargeable to any of you.

9 Not as if we had not power: but that we might give ourselves a pattern unto you, to imitate us.

10 For also, when we were with you, this we declared to you: that, if any man will not work, neither let him eat.

16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you everlasting peace in every place. The Lord be with you all.

17 The salutation of Paul with my own hand: which is the sign in every epistle. So I write.

18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

PSALM: Psalms 128: 1 - 2, 4 - 5

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1 Blessed are all they that fear the Lord: that walk in his ways.

2 For thou shalt eat the labours of thy hands: blessed art thou, and it shall be well with thee.

4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.

5 May the Lord bless thee out of Sion: and mayst thou see the good things of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.

GOSPEL: Mark 6: 17 - 29

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17 For Herod himself had sent and apprehended John, and bound him prison for the sake of Herodias the wife of Philip his brother, because he had married her.

18 For John said to Herod: It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.

19 Now Herodias laid snares for him: and was desirous to put him to death and could not.

20 For Herod feared John, knowing him to be a just and holy man: and kept him, and when he heard him, did many things: and he heard him willingly.

21 And when a convenient day was come, Herod made a supper for his birthday, for the princes, and tribunes, and chief men of Galilee.

22 And when the daughter of the same Herodias had come in, and had danced, and pleased Herod, and them that were at table with him, the king said to the damsel: Ask of me what thou wilt, and I will give it thee.

23 And he swore to her: Whatsoever thou shalt ask I will give thee, though it be the half of my kingdom.

24 Who when she was gone out, said to her mother, What shall I ask? But her mother said: The head of John the Baptist.

25 And when she was come in immediately with haste to the king, she asked, saying: I will that forthwith thou give me in a dish, the head of John the Baptist.

26 And the king was struck sad. Yet because of his oath, and because of them that were with him at table, he would not displease her:

27 But sending an executioner, he commanded that his head should be brought in a dish.

28 And he beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head in a dish: and gave to the damsel, and the damsel gave it her mother.

29 Which his disciples hearing came, and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

Mass Readings for Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop, Early Church Father, and Doctor of the Church

FIRST READING: 2 Thessalonian 2: 1 - 3, 14 - 17

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1 And we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and of our gathering together unto him:

2 That you be not easily moved from your sense nor be terrified, neither by spirit nor by word nor by epistle. as sent from us, as if the day of the Lord were at hand.

3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for unless there come a revolt first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.

14 Whereunto also he hath called you by our gospel, unto the purchasing of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast: and hold the traditions, which you have learned, whether by word or by our epistle.

16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God and our Father, who hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope in grace,

17 Exhort your hearts and confirm you in every good work and word.

PSALM: Psalms 96: 10 - 13

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10 Say ye among the Gentiles, the Lord hath reigned. For he hath corrected the world, which shall not be moved: he will judge the people with justice.

11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad, let the sea be moved, and the fulness thereof:

12 The fields and all things that are in them shall be joyful. Then shall all the trees of the woods rejoice

13 before the face of the Lord, because he cometh: because he cometh to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with justice, and the people with his truth.

GOSPEL: Matthew 23: 23 - 26

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23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you tithe mint and anise and cummin and have left the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and faith. These things you ought to have done and not to leave those undone.

24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel.

25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you make clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but within you are full of rapine and uncleanness.

26 Thou blind Pharisee, first make clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, that the outside may become clean.

Mass Readings for Monday, August 27, 2012

"Woe unto You, Scribes and Pharisees" -- by James Tissot

Memorial of Saint Monica

FIRST READING: 2 Thessalonians 1: 1 - 5, 11 - 12

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1 Paul and Sylvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians. In God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,

2 Grace unto you: and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 We are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith groweth exceedingly and the charity of every one of you towards each other aboundeth.

4 So that we ourselves also glory in you in the churches of God, for your patience and faith, and in all your persecutions and tribulations: which you endure

5 For an example of the just judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which also you suffer.

11 Wherefore also we pray always for you: That our God would make you worthy of his vocation and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith in power:

12 That the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

PSALM: Psalms 96: 1 - 5

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1 Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle: sing to the Lord, all the earth.

2 Sing ye to the Lord and bless his name: shew forth his salvation from day to day.

3 Declare his glory among the Gentiles: his wonders among all people.

4 For the Lord is great, and exceedingly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.

5 For all the gods of the Gentiles are devils: but the Lord made the heavens.

GOSPEL: Matthew 23: 13 - 22

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13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men: for you yourselves do not enter in and those that are going in, you suffer not to enter.

14 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour the houses of widows, praying long prayers. For this you shall receive the greater judgment.

15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you go round about the sea and the land to make one proselyte. And when he is made, you make him the child of hell twofold more than yourselves.

16 Woe to you, blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but he that shall swear by the gold of the temple is a debtor.

17 Ye foolish and blind: for whether is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

18 And whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it is a debtor.

19 Ye foolish and blind: for whether is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

20 He therefore that sweareth by the altar sweareth by it and by all things that are upon it.

21 And whosoever shall swear by the temple sweareth by it and by him that dwelleth in it.

22 And he that sweareth by heaven sweareth by the throne of God and by him that sitteth thereon.