Mass Readings For Thursday, January 24, 2013

"Jesus Preaches From A Ship" -- by James Tissot

Memorial of Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

FIRST READING: Hebrews 7: 25 -- 8: 6

---

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.

1 Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,

2 a minister in the sanctuary and the true tent which is set up not by man but by the Lord.

3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; hence it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer.

4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law.

5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary; for when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, "See that you make everything according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain."

6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry which is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.

PSALM: Psalms 40: 7 - 10, 17

---

7 Then I said, "Lo, I come; in the roll of the book it is written of me;

8 I delight to do thy will, O my God; thy law is within my heart."

9 I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; lo, I have not restrained my lips, as thou knowest, O LORD.

10 I have not hid thy saving help within my heart, I have spoken of thy faithfulness and thy salvation; I have not concealed thy steadfast love and thy faithfulness from the great congregation.

17 As for me, I am poor and needy; but the Lord takes thought for me. Thou art my help and my deliverer; do not tarry, O my God!

GOSPEL: Mark 3: 7 - 12

---

7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed; also from Judea

8 and Jerusalem and Idume'a and from beyond the Jordan and from about Tyre and Sidon a great multitude, hearing all that he did, came to him.

9 And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they should crush him;

10 for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch him.

11 And whenever the unclean spirits beheld him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God."

12 And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.

Mass Readings For Wednesday, January 23, 2013

"The Man with the Withered Hand" -- by James Tissot

FIRST READING: Hebrews 7: 1 - 3, 15 - 17

---

1 For this Melchiz'edek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him;

2 and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace.

3 He is without father or mother or genealogy, and has neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest for ever.

15 This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchiz'edek,

16 who has become a priest, not according to a legal requirement concerning bodily descent but by the power of an indestructible life.

17 For it is witnessed of him, "Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchiz'edek."

PSALM: Psalms 110: 1 - 4

---

1 The LORD says to my lord: "Sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool."

2 The LORD sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your foes!

3 Your people will offer themselves freely on the day you lead your host upon the holy mountains. From the womb of the morning like dew your youth will come to you.

4 The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchiz'edek."

GOSPEL: Mark 3: 1 - 6

---

1 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand.

2 And they watched him, to see whether he would heal him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him.

3 And he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Come here."

4 And he said to them, "Is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent.

5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

6 The Pharisees went out, and immediately held counsel with the Hero'di-ans against him, how to destroy him.

Mass Readings For Tuesday, January 22, 2013

"The Disciples Eat Wheat on the Sabbath" -- by James Tissot

Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children

FIRST READING: Hebrews 6: 10 - 20

---

10 For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love which you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do.

11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness in realizing the full assurance of hope until the end,

12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself,

14 saying, "Surely I will bless you and multiply you."

15 And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise.

16 Men indeed swear by a greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation.

17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he interposed with an oath,

18 so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God should prove false, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to

seize the hope set before us.

19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain,

20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchiz'edek.

PSALM: Psalms 111: 1 - 2, 4 - 5, 9 - 10

---

1 Praise the LORD. I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.

2 Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who have pleasure in them.

4 He has caused his wonderful works to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and merciful.

5 He provides food for those who fear him; he is ever mindful of his covenant.

9 He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant for ever. Holy and terrible is his name!

10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who practice it. His praise endures for ever!

GOSPEL: Mark 2: 23 - 28

---

23 One sabbath he was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain.

24 And the Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?"

25 And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him:

26 how he entered the house of God, when Abi'athar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also

gave it to those who were with him?"

27 And he said to them, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath;

28 so the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath."

Mass Readings For Monday, January 21, 2013

Memorial of Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr

FIRST READING: Hebrews 5: 1 - 10

---

1 For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.

2 He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness.

3 Because of this he is bound to offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people.

4 And one does not take the honor upon himself, but he is called by God, just as Aaron was.

5 So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, "Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee";

6 as he says also in another place, "Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchiz'edek."

7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard for his godly fear.

8 Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered;

9 and being made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,

10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchiz'edek.

PSALM: Psalms 110: 1 - 4

---

1 The LORD says to my lord: "Sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool."

2 The LORD sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your foes!

3 Your people will offer themselves freely on the day you lead your host upon the holy mountains. From the womb of the morning like dew your youth will come to you.

4 The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchiz'edek."

GOSPEL: Mark 2: 18 - 22

---

18 Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"

19 And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

20 The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.

21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; if he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made.

22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but new wine is for fresh skins."