Mass Readings for Wednesday, October 24, 2012

FIRST READING: Ephesians 3: 2 - 12

---

2 Assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you,

3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly.

4 When you read this you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ,

5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

6 that is, how the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace which was given me by the working of his power.

8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

9 and to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things;

10 that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.

11 This was according to the eternal purpose which he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,

12 in whom we have boldness and confidence of access through our faith in him.

PSALM: Isaiah 12: 2 - 6

---

2 "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation."

3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

4 And you will say in that day: "Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name; make known his deeds among the nations, proclaim that his name is exalted.

5 "Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth.

6 Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel."

GOSPEL: Luke 12: 39 - 48

---

39 But know this, that if the householder had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into.

40 You also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an unexpected hour."

41 Peter said, "Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?"

42 And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time?

43 Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing.

44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.

45 But if that servant says to himself, `My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk,

46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will punish him, and put him with the unfaithful.

47 And that servant who knew his master's will, but did not make ready or act according to his will, shall receive a severe beating.

48 But he who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, shall receive a light beating. Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required; and of him to whom men commit much they will demand the more.

The Order of Mass

Mass Readings for Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Memorial of Saint John of Capistrano, OFM, Priest

FIRST READING: Ephesians 2: 12 - 22

---

12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ.

14 For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility,

15 by abolishing in his flesh the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,

16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby bringing the hostility to an end.

17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near;

18 for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

19 So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

21 in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord;

22 in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

PSALM: Psalms 85: 9 - 14

---

9 Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.

10 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.

11 Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.

12 Yea, the LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.

13 Righteousness will go before him, and make his footsteps a way.

GOSPEL: Luke 12: 35 - 38

---

35 "Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning,

36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the marriage feast, so that they may open to him at once when he comes and knocks.

37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes; truly, I say to you, he will gird himself and have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them.

38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those servants!

The Mass And The Saints

Mass Readings for Monday, October 22, 2012

FIRST READING: Ephesians 2: 1 - 10

---

1 And you he made alive, when you were dead through the trespasses and sins

2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.

3 Among these we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of body and mind, and so we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us,

5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

6 and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

7 that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God --

9 not because of works, lest any man should boast.

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

PSALM: Psalms 100: 2 - 5

---

2 Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!

3 Know that the LORD is God! It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him, bless his name!

5 For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures for ever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

GOSPEL: Luke 12: 13 - 21

---

13 One of the multitude said to him, "Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me."

14 But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or divider over you?"

15 And he said to them, "Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

16 And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully;

17 and he thought to himself, `What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?'

18 And he said, `I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.'

20 But God said to him, `Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'

21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

Sunday Mass Readings For October 21, 2012

"Christ Meeting the Mother and the Sons of Zebedee"  - by Paolo Veronese

FIRST READING: Isaiah 53: 10 - 11

---

10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to bruise him; he has put him to grief; when he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand;

11 he shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous; and he shall bear their iniquities.

PSALM: Psalms 33: 4 - 5, 18 - 20, 22

---

4 For the word of the LORD is upright; and all his work is done in faithfulness.

5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.

18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,

19 that he may deliver their soul from death, and keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and shield.

22 Let thy steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in thee.

SECOND READING: Hebrews 4: 14 - 16

---

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

15 For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

GOSPEL: Mark 10: 35 - 45 Or Mark 10: 42 - 45

---

35 And James and John, the sons of Zeb'edee, came forward to him, and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you."

36 And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?"

37 And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory."

38 But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"

39 And they said to him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;

40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared."

41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John.

42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them.

43 But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant,

44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.

45 For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Or

42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them.

43 But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant,

44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.

45 For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."