Mass Readings For Thursday, January 03, 2013

For the January 3 readings, there are 2 options. The first set of readings are for those parishes that observe the optional memorial of The Most Holy Name of Jesus. The second set of readings are the Christmas Weekday readings.

"The Vision of Saint Joseph"  -- by James Tissot

The Most Holy Name of Jesus (Optional Memorial)

FIRST READING: Philippians 2: 5 - 11

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5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,

7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

8 And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

PSALM: Psalms 113: 1 - 8

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1 Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD!

2 Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore!

3 From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the LORD is to be praised!

4 The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens!

5 Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated on high,

6 who looks far down upon the heavens and the earth?

7 He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap,

8 to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.

GOSPEL: Matthew 1: 18 - 23

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18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit;

19 and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.

20 But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit;

21 she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

22 All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

23 "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel" (which means, God with us).

Or

"Saint John the Baptist Sees Jesus from Afar" -- by James Tissot

FIRST READING: 1 John 2: 29 - 3: 6

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29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that every one who does right is born of him.

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.

4 Every one who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.

5 You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.

6 No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him.

PSALM: Psalms 98: 1, 3 - 6

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1 O sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory.

3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!

5 Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody!

6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!

GOSPEL: John 1: 29 - 34

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29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

30 This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks before me, for he was before me.'

31 I myself did not know him; but for this I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel."

32 And John bore witness, "I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it remained on him.

33 I myself did not know him; but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'

34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God."

Mass Readings For Wednesday, January 02, 2013

"Saint John the Baptist and the Pharisees" -- by James Tissot

Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops, Fathers of the Church, and Doctors of the Church

FIRST READING: 1 John 2: 22 - 28

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22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.

23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also.

24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will abide in the Son and in the Father.

25 And this is what he has promised us, eternal life.

26 I write this to you about those who would deceive you;

27 but the anointing which you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that any one should teach you; as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie, just as it has taught you, abide in him.

28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.

PSALM: Psalms 98: 1 - 4

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1 O sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory.

2 The LORD has made known his victory, he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.

3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!

GOSPEL: John 1: 19 - 28

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19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"

20 He confessed, he did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."

21 And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the prophet?" And he answered, "No."

22 They said to him then, "Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

23 He said, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, `Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said."

24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.

25 They asked him, "Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?"

26 John answered them, "I baptize with water; but among you stands one whom you do not know,

27 even he who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie."

28 This took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Mass Readings For Tuesday, January 01, 2013

Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God

FIRST READING: Numbers 6: 22 - 27

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22 The LORD said to Moses,

23 "Say to Aaron and his sons, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them,

24 The LORD bless you and keep you:

25 The LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you:

26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.

27 "So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them."

PSALM: Psalms 67: 2 - 3, 5 - 6, 8

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2 May God have mercy on us, and bless us: may he cause the light of his countenance to shine upon us, and may he have mercy on us.

3 That we may know thy way upon earth: thy salvation in all nations.

5 Let the nations be glad and rejoice: for thou judgest the people with justice, and directest the nations upon earth.

6 Let the people, O God, confess to thee: let all the people give praise to thee:

8 May God bless us: and all the ends of the earth fear him.

SECOND READING: Galatians 4: 4 - 7

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4 But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,

5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"

7 So through God you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then an heir.

GOSPEL: Luke 2: 16 - 21

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16 And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17 And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child;

18 and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

19 But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Mass Readings For Monday, December 31, 2012

FIRST READING: 1 John 2: 18 - 21

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18 Children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come; therefore we know that it is the last hour.

19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out, that it might be plain that they all are not of us.

20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all know.

21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and know that no lie is of the truth.

PSALM: Psalms 96: 1 - 2, 11 - 13

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1 O sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth!

2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.

11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

12 let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy

13 before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth.

GOSPEL: John 1: 1 - 18

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1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was in the beginning with God;

3 all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.

4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7 He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him.

8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.

9 The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not.

11 He came to his own home, and his own people received him not.

12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God;

13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.

15 (John bore witness to him, and cried, "This was he of whom I said, `He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.'")

16 And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace.

17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

18 No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.