Sunday Mass Readings For November 04, 2012

FIRST READING: Deuteronomy 6: 2 - 6

---

2 that you may fear the LORD your God, you and your son and your son's

son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command

you, all the days of your life; and that your days may be prolonged.

3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them; that it may go well with

you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the LORD, the God of your fathers,

has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.

4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD;

5 and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your

soul, and with all your might.

6 And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart.

PSALM: Psalms 18: 2 - 4, 47, 51

---

2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my

rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my

stronghold.

3 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my

enemies.

4 The cords of death encompassed me, the torrents of perdition assailed me;

47 the God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me.

SECOND READING: Hebrews 7: 23 - 28

---

23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by

death from continuing in office;

24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues for ever.

25 Consequently he is able for all time to save those who draw near to God

through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

26 For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless,

unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens.

27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his

own sins and then for those of the people; he did this once for all when he

offered up himself.

28 Indeed, the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the

word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been

made perfect for ever.

GOSPEL: Mark 12: 28 - 34

---

28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another,

and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is

the first of all?"

29 Jesus answered, "The first is, `Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord

is one;

30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your

soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.'

31 The second is this, `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no

other commandment greater than these."

32 And the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that

he is one, and there is no other but he;

33 and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with

all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all

whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."

34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not

far from the kingdom of God." And after that no one dared to ask him any

question.

Mass Readings for Saturday, November 03, 2012

FIRST READING: Philippians 1: 18 - 26

---

18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in that I rejoice.

19 Yes, and I shall rejoice. For I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,

20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I shall not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

22 If it is to be life in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.

23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.

24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

25 Convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith,

26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

PSALM: Psalms 42: 2 - 3, 5

---

2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?

3 My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me continually, "Where is your God?"

5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help.

GOSPEL: Luke 14: 1, 7 - 11

---

1 One sabbath when he went to dine at the house of a ruler who belonged to the Pharisees, they were watching him.

7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he marked how they chose the places of honor, saying to them,

8 "When you are invited by any one to a marriage feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest a more eminent man than you be invited by him;

9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, `Give place to this man,' and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place.

10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, `Friend, go up higher'; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you.

11 For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Mass Readings for Friday, November 02, 2012

TheCommemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)

FIRST READING: Wisdom 3: 1 - 9

---

1 But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them.

2 In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be an affliction,

3 and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace.

4 For though in the sight of men they were punished, their hope is full of immortality.

5 Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself;

6 like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them.

7 In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, and will run like sparks through the stubble.

8 They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will reign over them for ever.

9 Those who trust in him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love, because grace and mercy are upon his elect, and he watches over his holy ones.

PSALM: Psalms 27: 1, 4, 7 - 9, 13 - 14

---

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

4 One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.

7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me!

8 Thou hast said, "Seek ye my face." My heart says to thee, "Thy face, LORD, do I seek."

9 Hide not thy face from me. Turn not thy servant away in anger, thou who hast been my help. Cast me not off, forsake me not, O God of my salvation!

13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!

14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; yea, wait for the LORD!

SECOND READING: Romans 5: 5 - 11

---

5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.

6 While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

7 Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man -- though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die.

8 But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.

9 Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

11 Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received our reconciliation.

GOSPEL: John 11: 17 - 27

---

17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Laz'arus had already been in the tomb four days.

18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off,

19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.

20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary sat in the house.

21 Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

22 And even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you."

23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

24 Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,

26 and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

27 She said to him, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world."

Mass Readings for Thursday, November 01, 2012

Solemnity of All Saints

FIRST READING: Revelation 7: 2 - 4, 9 - 14

---

2 Then I saw another angel ascend from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea,

3 saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads."

4 And I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand sealed, out of every tribe of the sons of Israel,

9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

10 and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!"

11 And all the angels stood round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,

12 saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God for ever and ever! Amen."

13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, clothed in white robes, and whence have they come?"

14 I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

PSALM: Psalms 24: 1 - 6

---

1 The earth is the LORD's and the fulness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein;

2 for he has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the rivers.

3 Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?

4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false, and does not swear deceitfully.

5 He will receive blessing from the LORD, and vindication from the God of his salvation.

6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. [Selah]

SECOND READING: 1 John 3: 1 - 3

---

1 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

2 Beloved, we are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

3 And every one who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

GOSPEL: Matthew 5: 1 - 12

---

1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him.

2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 "Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.