Mass Readings For Saturday, January 12, 2013

FIRST READING: 1 John 5: 14 - 21

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14 And this is the confidence which we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him.

16 If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin which is mortal; I do not say that one is to pray for that.

17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not mortal.

18 We know that any one born of God does not sin, but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.

19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world is in the power of the evil one.

20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, to know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

PSALM: Psalms 149: 1 - 6, 9

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1 Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the faithful!

2 Let Israel be glad in his Maker, let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King!

3 Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with timbrel and lyre!

4 For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with victory.

5 Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their couches.

6 Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands,

9 to execute on them the judgment written! This is glory for all his faithful ones. Praise the LORD!

GOSPEL: John 3: 22 - 30

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22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the land of Judea; there he remained with them and baptized.

23 John also was baptizing at Ae'non near Salim, because there was much water there; and people came and were baptized.

24 For John had not yet been put in prison.

25 Now a discussion arose between John's disciples and a Jew over purifying.

26 And they came to John, and said to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you bore witness, here he is, baptizing, and all are going to him."

27 John answered, "No one can receive anything except what is given him from heaven.

28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.

29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice; therefore this joy of mine is now full.

30 He must increase, but I must decrease."

Mass Readings For Friday, January 11, 2013

FIRST READING: 1 John 5: 5 - 13

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5 Who is it that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

6 This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood.

7 And the Spirit is the witness, because the Spirit is the truth.

8 There are three witnesses, the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree.

9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has borne witness to his Son.

10 He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne to his Son.

11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12 He who has the Son has life; he who has not the Son of God has not life.

13 I write this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

PSALM: Psalms 147: 12 - 15, 19 - 20

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12 Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion!

13 For he strengthens the bars of your gates; he blesses your sons within you.

14 He makes peace in your borders; he fills you with the finest of the wheat.

15 He sends forth his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly.

19 He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and ordinances to Israel.

20 He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his ordinances. Praise the LORD!

GOSPEL: Luke 5: 12 - 16

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12 While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and besought him, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean."

13 And he stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately the leprosy left him.

14 And he charged him to tell no one; but "go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to the people."

15 But so much the more the report went abroad concerning him; and great multitudes gathered to hear and to be healed of their infirmities.

16 But he withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.

Mass Readings For Thursday, January 10, 2013

"Jesus Teaches In The Synagogues" -- by James Tissot

FIRST READING: 1 John 4: 19 -- 5: 4

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19 We love, because he first loved us.

20 If any one says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.

21 And this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should love his brother also.

1 Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God, and every one who loves the parent loves the child.

2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith.

PSALM: Psalms 72: 2, 14 - 15, 17

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2 May he judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with justice!

14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life; and precious is their blood in his sight.

15 Long may he live, may gold of Sheba be given to him! May prayer be made for him continually, and blessings invoked for him all the day!

17 May his name endure for ever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May men bless themselves by him, all nations call him blessed!

GOSPEL: Luke 4: 14 - 22

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14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and a report concerning him went out through all the surrounding country.

15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the sabbath day. And he stood up to read;

17 and there was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened the book and found the place where it was written,

18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

19 to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."

20 And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.

21 And he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

22 And all spoke well of him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth; and they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?"

Mass Readings For Wednesday, January 09, 2013

"Jesus Walks on the Sea" -- by James Tissot

FIRST READING: 1 John 4: 11 - 18

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11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

12 No man has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his own Spirit.

14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world.

15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

16 So we know and believe the love God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

17 In this is love perfected with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so are we in this world.

18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love.

PSALM: Psalms 72: 1 - 2, 10, 12 - 13

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1 Give the king thy justice, O God, and thy righteousness to the royal son!

2 May he judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with justice!

10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles render him tribute, may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts!

12 For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper.

13 He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy.

GOSPEL: Mark 6: 45 - 52

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45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Beth-sa'ida, while he dismissed the crowd.

46 And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.

47 And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land.

48 And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them,

49 but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out;

50 for they all saw him, and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; have no fear."

51 And he got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded,

52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.