Sunday Mass Readings For November 18, 2012

FIRST READING: Daniel 12: 1 - 3

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1 "At that time there shall arise Michael, the great prince, guardian of your people; It shall be a time unsurpassed in distress since nations began until that time. At that time your people shall escape, everyone who is found written in the book.

2 Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.

3 But the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, And those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever.

PSALM: Psalms 16: 5, 8 - 11

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5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; thou holdest my lot.

8 I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure.

10 For thou dost not give me up to Sheol, or let thy godly one see the Pit.

11 Thou dost show me the path of life; in thy presence there is fulness of joy, in thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.

SECOND READING: Hebrews 10: 11 - 14, 18

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11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,

13 then to wait until his enemies should be made a stool for his feet.

14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

GOSPEL: Mark 13: 24 - 32

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24 "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light,

25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

26 And then they will see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory.

27 And then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

28 "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near.

29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates.

30 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away before all these things take place.

31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

32 "But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Mass Readings for Saturday, November 17, 2012

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious

FIRST READING: 3 John 1: 5 - 8

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5 Beloved, it is a loyal thing you do when you render any service to the brethren, especially to strangers,

6 who have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey as befits God's service.

7 For they have set out for his sake and have accepted nothing from the heathen.

8 So we ought to support such men, that we may be fellow workers in the truth.

PSALM: Psalms 119: 1 - 6

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1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD!

2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart,

3 who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!

4 Thou hast commanded thy precepts to be kept diligently.

5 O that my ways may be steadfast in keeping thy statutes!

6 Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all thy commandments.

GOSPEL: Luke 18: 1 - 8

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1 And he told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

2 He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor regarded man;

3 and there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, 'Vindicate me against my adversary.'

4 For a while he refused; but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God nor regard man,

5 yet because this widow bothers me, I will vindicate her, or she will wear me out by her continual coming.'"

6 And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says.

7 And will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?

8 I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

Mass Readings for Friday, November 16, 2012

"The Two Women at the Mill" -- by James Tissot

Optional Memorial of St. Albert the Great, Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church

FIRST READING: 2 John 1: 4 - 9

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4 I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children following the truth, just as we have been commanded by the Father.

5 And now I beg you, lady, not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning, that we love one another.

6 And this is love, that we follow his commandments; this is the commandment, as you have heard from the beginning, that you follow love.

7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, men who will not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh; such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.

8 Look to yourselves, that you may not lose what you have worked for, but may win a full reward.

9 Any one who goes ahead and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God; he who abides in the doctrine has both the Father and the Son.

PSALM: Psalms 119: 1 - 2, 10 - 11, 17 - 18

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1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD!

2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart,

10 With my whole heart I seek thee; let me not wander from thy commandments!

11 I have laid up thy word in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.

17 Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live and observe thy word.

18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

GOSPEL: Luke 17: 26 - 37

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26 As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of man.

27 They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

28 Likewise as it was in the days of Lot -- they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built,

29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom fire and sulphur rained from heaven and destroyed them all --

30 so will it be on the day when the Son of man is revealed.

31 On that day, let him who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away; and likewise let him who is in the field not turn back.

32 Remember Lot's wife.

33 Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.

34 I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left.

35 There will be two women grinding together; one will be taken and the other left."

37 And they said to him, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."

Mass Readings for Thursday, November 15, 2012

FIRST READING: Philemon 1: 7 - 20

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7 For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.

8 Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required,

9 yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you -- I, Paul, an ambassador and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus --

10 I appeal to you for my child, Ones'imus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment.

11 (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.)

12 I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart.

13 I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel;

14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own free will.

15 Perhaps this is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back for ever,

16 no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

17 So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me.

18 If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.

19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand, I will repay it -- to say nothing of your owing me even your own self.

20 Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.

PSALM: Psalms 146: 7 - 10

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7 who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free;

8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.

9 The LORD watches over the sojourners, he upholds the widow and the fatherless; but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

10 The LORD will reign for ever, thy God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!

GOSPEL: Luke 17: 20 - 25

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20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, he answered them, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed;

21 nor will they say, `Lo, here it is!' or `There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you."

22 And he said to the disciples, "The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and you will not see it.

23 And they will say to you, `Lo, there!' or `Lo, here!' Do not go, do not follow them.

24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of man be in his day.

25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.