Mass Readings for Monday, September 03, 2012

Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope, Father of the Church, and Doctor of the Church

FIRST READING: Genesis 2: 4 - 9, 15

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4 These are the generations of the heaven and the earth, when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the heaven and the earth:

5 And every plant of the field before it sprung up in the earth, and every herb of the ground before it grew: for the Lord God had not rained upon the earth; and there was not a man to till the earth.

6 But a spring rose out of the earth, watering all the surface of the earth.

7 And the Lord God formed man of the slime of the earth: and breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul.

8 And the Lord God had planted a paradise of pleasure from the beginning: wherein he placed man whom he had formed.

9 And the Lord God brought forth of the ground all manner of trees, fair to behold, and pleasant to eat of: the tree of life also in the midst of paradise: and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

15 And the Lord God took man, and put him into the paradise of pleasure, to dress it, and to keep it.

PSALM: Psalms 90: 2 - 5, 12 - 14, 16

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2 Before the mountains were made, or the earth and the world was formed; from eternity and to eternity thou art God.

3 Turn not man away to be brought low: and thou hast said: Be converted, O ye sons of men.

4 For a thousand years in thy sight are as yesterday, which is past. And as a watch in the night,

5 Things that are counted nothing, shall their years be.

12 Can number thy wrath? So make thy right hand known: and men learned in heart, in wisdom.

13 Return, O Lord, how long? and be entreated in favour of thy servants.

14 We are filled in the morning with thy mercy: and we have rejoiced, and are delighted all our days.

16 Look upon thy servants and upon their works: and direct their children.

GOSPEL: Matthew 6: 31 - 34

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31 Be not solicitous therefore, saying: What shall we eat: or what shall we drink, or wherewith shall we be clothed?

32 For after all these things do the heathens seek. For your Father knoweth that you have need of all these things.

33 Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Be not therefore solicitous for tomorrow; for the morrow will be solicitous for itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof.

Sunday Mass Readings For September 02, 2012

FIRST READING: Deuteronomy 4: 1 - 2, 6 - 8

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1 And now, O Israel, hear the commandments and judgments which I teach thee: that doing them, thou mayst live, and entering in mayst possess the land which the Lord the God of your fathers will give you.

2 You shall not add to the word that I speak to you, neither shall you take away from it: keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

6 And you shall observe, and fulfil them in practice. For this is your wisdom, and understanding in the sight of nations, that hearing all these precepts, they may say: Behold a wise and understanding people, a great nation.

7 Neither is there any other nation so great, that hath gods so nigh them, as our God is present to all our petitions.

8 For what other nation is there so renowned that hath ceremonies, and just judgments, and all the law, which I will set forth this day before our eyes?

PSALM: Psalms 15: 2 - 5

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2 He that walketh without blemish, and worketh justice:

3 He that speaketh truth in his heart, who hath not used deceit in his tongue: Nor hath done evil to his neighbour: nor taken up a reproach against his neighbours.

4 In his sight the malignant is brought to nothing: but he glorifieth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his neighbour, and deceiveth not;

5 He that hath not put out his money to usury, nor taken bribes against the innocent: He that doth these things, shall not be moved for ever.

SECOND READING: James 1: 17 - 18, 21 - 22, 27

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17 Every best gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change nor shadow of alteration.

18 For of his own will hath he begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be some beginning of his creature.

21 Wherefore, casting away all uncleanness and abundance of naughtiness, with meekness receive the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

27 Religion clean and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation and to keep one’s self unspotted from this world.

GOSPEL: Mark 7: 1 - 8, 14 - 15, 21 - 23

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1 And there assembled together unto him the Pharisees and some of the scribes, coming from Jerusalem.

2 And when they had seen some of his disciples eat bread with common, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.

3 For the Pharisees and all the Jews eat not without often washing their hands, holding the tradition of the ancients.

4 And when they come from the market, unless they be washed, they eat not: and many other things there are that have been delivered to them to observe, the washings of cups and of pots and of brazen vessels and of beds.

5 And the Pharisees and scribes asked him: Why do not thy disciples walk according to the tradition of the ancients, but they eat bread with common hands?

6 But he answering, said to them: Well did Isaias prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

7 And in vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines and precepts of men.

8 For leaving the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, the washing of pots and of cups: and many other things you do like to these.

14 And calling again the multitude unto him, he said to them: Hear ye me all and understand.

15 There is nothing from without a man that entering into him can defile him. But the things which come from a man, those are they that defile a man.

21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.

23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.

Mass Readings For Saturday, September 1, 2012

FIRST READING: 1 Corinthians 1: 26 - 31

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26 For see your vocation, brethren, that there are not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble.

27 But the foolish things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the wise: and the weak things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the strong.

28 And the base things of the world and the things that are contemptible, hath God chosen: and things that are not, that he might bring to nought things that are:

29 That no flesh should glory in his sight.

30 But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and justice and sanctification and redemption:

31 That, as it is written: He that glorieth may glory in the Lord.

PSALM: Psalms 33: 12 - 13, 18 - 21

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12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord: the people whom he hath chosen for his inheritance.

13 The Lord hath looked from heaven: he hath beheld all the sons of men.

18 Behold the eyes of the Lord are on them that fear him: and on them that hope in his mercy.

19 To deliver their souls from death; and feed them in famine.

20 Our soul waiteth for the Lord: for he is our helper and protector.

21 For in him our heart shall rejoice: and in his holy name we have trusted.

GOSPEL: Matthew 25: 14 - 30

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14 For even as a man going into a far country called his servants and delivered to them his goods;

15 And to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to every one according to his proper ability: and immediately he took his journey.

16 And he that had received the five talents went his way and traded with the same and gained other five.

17 And in like manner he that had received the two gained other two.

18 But he that had received the one, going his way, digged into the earth and hid his lord’s money.

19 But after a long time the lord of those servants came and reckoned with them.

20 And he that had received the five talents coming, brought other five talents, saying: Lord, thou didst deliver to me five talents. Behold I have gained other five over and above.

21 His lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant, because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

22 And he also that had received the two talents came and said: Lord, thou deliveredst two talents to me. Behold I have gained other two.

23 His lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant: because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

24 But he that had received the one talent, came and said: Lord, I know that thou art a hard man; thou reapest where thou hast not sown and gatherest where thou hast not strewed.

25 And being afraid, I went and hid thy talent in the earth. Behold here thou hast that which is thine.

26 And his lord answering, said to him: Wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sow not and gather where I have not strewed.

27 Thou oughtest therefore to have committed my money to the bankers: and at my coming I should have received my own with usury.

28 Take ye away therefore the talent from him and give it him that hath ten talents.

29 For to every one that hath shall be given, and he shall abound: but from him that hath not, that also which he seemeth to have shall be taken away.

30 And the unprofitable servant, cast ye out into the exterior darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Mass Readings for Friday, August 31, 2012

"The Foolish Virgins"(top) & "The Wise Virgins" (bottom) -- by James Tissot

FIRST READING: 1 Corinthians 1: 17 - 25

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17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not in wisdom of speech, lest the cross of Christ should be made void.

18 For the word of the cross, to them indeed that perish, is foolishness: but to them that are saved, that is, to us, it is the power of God.

19 For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise: and the prudence of the prudent I will reject.

20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

21 For, seeing that in the wisdom of God, the world, by wisdom, knew not God, it pleased God, by the foolishness of our preaching, to save them that believe.

22 For both the Jews require signs: and the Greeks seek after wisdom.

23 But we preach Christ crucified: unto the Jews indeed a stumblingblock, and unto the Gentiles foolishness:

24 But unto them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God.

25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men: and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

PSALM: Psalms 33: 1 - 2, 4 - 5, 10 - 11

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1 A psalm for David.> Rejoice in the Lord, O ye just: praise becometh the upright.

2 Give praise to the Lord on the harp; sing to him with the psaltery, the instrument of ten strings.

4 For the word of the Lord is right, and all his works are done with faithfulness.

5 He loveth mercy and judgment; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.

10 The Lord bringeth to nought the counsels of nations; and he rejecteth the devices of people, and casteth away the counsels of princes.

11 But the counsel of the Lord standeth for ever: the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

GOSPEL: Matthew 25: 1 - 13

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1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be like to ten virgins, who taking their lamps went out to meet the bridegroom and the bride.

2 And five of them were foolish and five wise.

3 But the five foolish, having taken their lamps, did not take oil with them.

4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with the lamps.

5 And the bridegroom tarrying, they all slumbered and slept.

6 And at midnight there was a cry made: Behold the bridegroom cometh. Go ye forth to meet him.

7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.

8 And the foolish said to the wise: Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out.

9 The wise answered, saying: Lest perhaps there be not enough for us and for you, go ye rather to them that sell and buy for yourselves.

10 Now whilst they went to buy the bridegroom came: and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage. And the door was shut.

11 But at last came also the other virgins, saying: Lord, Lord, open to us.

12 But he answering said: Amen I say to you, I know you not.

13 Watch ye therefore, because you know not the day nor the hour.