Mass Readings For Friday, May 24, 2013

FIRST READING: Sirach 6: 5 - 17

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5 A sweet word multiplieth friends, and appeaseth enemies, and a gracious tongue in a good man aboundeth.

6 Be in peace with many, but let one of a thousand be thy counsellor.

7 If thou wouldst get a friend, try him before thou takest him, and do not credit him easily.

8 For there is a friend for his own occasion, and he will not abide in the day of thy trouble.

9 And there is a friend that turneth to enmity; and there is a friend that will disclose hatred and strife and reproaches.

10 And there is a friend a companion at the table, and he will not abide in the day of distress.

11 A friend if he continue steadfast, shall be to thee as thyself, and shall act with confidence among them of thy household.

12 If he humble himself before thee, and hide himself from thy face, thou shalt have unanimous friendship for good.

13 Separate thyself from thy enemies, and take heed of thy friends.

14 A faithful friend is a strong defence: and he that hath found him, hath found a treasure.

15 Nothing can be compared to a faithful friend, and no weight of gold and silver is able to countervail the goodness of his fidelity.

16 A faithful friend is the medicine of life and immortality: and they that fear the Lord, shall find him.

17 He that feareth God, shall likewise have good friendship: because according to him shall his friend be.

PSALM: Psalms 119: 12, 16, 18, 27, 34 - 35

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12 Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy justifications.

16 I will think of thy justifications: I will not forget thy words.

18 Open thou my eyes: and I will consider the wondrous things of thy law.

27 Make me to understand the way of thy justifications: and I shall be exercised in thy wondrous works.

34 Give me understanding, and I will search thy law; and I will keep it with my whole heart.

35 Lead me into the path of thy commandments; for this same I have desired.

GOSPEL: Mark 10: 1 - 12

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1 And rising up from thence, he cometh into the coasts of Judea beyond the Jordan: and the multitudes flock to him again. And as he was accustomed, he taught them again.

2 And the Pharisees coming to him asked him: Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.

3 But he answering, saith to them: What did Moses command you?

4 Who said: Moses permitted to write a bill of divorce, and to put her away.

5 To whom Jesus answering, said: Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you that precept.

6 But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female.

7 For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother; and shall cleave to his wife.

8 And they two shall be in one flesh. Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh.

9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

10 And in the house again his disciples asked him concerning the same thing.

11 And he saith to them: Whosoever shall put away his wife and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

12 And if the wife shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

Mass Readings For Thursday, May 23, 2013

FIRST READING: Sirach 5: 1 - 8

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1 Set not thy heart upon unjust possessions, and say not: I have enough to live on: for it shall be of no service in the time of vengeance and darkness.

2 Follow not in thy strength the desires of thy heart:

3 And say not: How mighty am I? and who shall bring me under for my deeds? for God will surely take revenge.

4 Say not: I have sinned, and what harm hath befallen me? for the most High is a patient rewarder.

5 Be not without fear about sin forgiven, and add not sin upon sin:

6 And say not: The mercy of the Lord is great, he will have mercy on the multitude of my sins.

7 For mercy and wrath quickly come from him, and his wrath looketh upon sinners.

8 Delay not to be converted to the Lord, and defer it not from day to day.

PSALM: Psalms 1: 1 - 4, 6

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1 Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the chair of pestilence.

2 But his will is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he shall meditate day and night.

3 And he shall be like a tree which is planted near the running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit, in due season. And his leaf shall not fall off: and all whatsoever he shall do shall prosper.

4 Not so the wicked, not so: but like the dust, which the wind driveth from the face of the earth.

6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the just: and the way of the wicked shall perish.

GOSPEL: Mark 9: 41 - 50

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41 For whosoever shall give you to drink a cup of water in my name, because you belong to Christ: amen I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.

42 And whosoever shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me; it were better for him that a millstone were hanged around his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

43 And if thy hand scandalize thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life, maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into unquenchable fire:

44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished.

45 And if thy foot scandalize thee, cut it off. It is better for thee to enter lame into life everlasting, than having two feet, to be cast into the hell of unquenchable fire:

46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished.

47 And if thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out. It is better for thee with one eye to enter into the kingdom of God, than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire:

48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished.

49 For every one shall be salted with fire: and every victim shall be salted with salt.

50 Salt is good. But if the salt became unsavoury; wherewith will you season it? Have salt in you, and have peace among you.

Mass Readings For Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Optional Memorial Saint Rita of Cascia, Religious

FIRST READING: Sirach 4: 11 - 19

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11 And thou shalt be as the obedient son of the most High, and he will have mercy on thee more than a mother.

12 Wisdom inspireth life into her children, and protecteth them that seek after her, and will go before them in the way of justice.

13 And he that loveth her, loveth life: and they that watch for her, shall embrace her sweetness.

14 They that hold her fast, shall inherit life: and whithersoever she entereth, God will give a blessing.

15 They that serve her, shall be servants to the holy one: and God loveth them that love her.

16 He that hearkeneth to her, shall judge nations: and he that looketh upon her, shall remain secure.

17 If he trust to her, he shall inherit her, and his generation shall be in assurance.

18 For she walketh with him in temptation, and at the first she chooseth him.

19 She will bring upon him fear and dread and trial: and she will scourge him with the affliction of her discipline, till she try him by her laws, and trust his soul.

PSALM: Psalms 119: 165, 168, 171 - 172, 174 - 175

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165 Much peace have they that love thy law, and to them there is no stumbling block.

168 I have kept thy commandments and thy testimonies: because all my ways are in thy sight.

171 My lips shall utter a hymn, when thou shalt teach me thy justifications.

172 My tongue shall pronounce thy word: because all thy commandments are justice.

174 I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord; and thy law is my meditation.

175 My soul shall live and shall praise thee: and thy judgments shall help me.

GOSPEL: Mark 9: 38 - 40

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38 John answered him, saying: Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, who followeth not us, and we forbade him.

39 But Jesus said: Do not forbid him. For there is no man that doth a miracle in my name, and can soon speak ill of me.

40 For he that is not against you, is for you.

Mass Readings For Tuesday, May 21, 2013

"Jesus and the Little Child" -- by James Tissot

FIRST READING: Sirach 2: 1 - 11

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1 Son, when thou comest to the service of God, stand in justice and in fear, and prepare thy soul for temptation.

2 Humble thy heart, and endure: incline thy ear, and receive the words of understanding: and make not haste in the time of clouds.

3 Wait on God with patience: join thyself to God, and endure, that thy life may be increased in the latter end.

4 Take all that shall be brought upon thee: and in thy sorrow endure, and in thy humiliation keep patience.

5 For gold and silver are tried in the fire, but acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation.

6 Believe God, and he will recover thee: and direct thy way, and trust in him. Keep his fear, and grow old therein.

7 Ye that fear the Lord, wait for his mercy: and go not aside from him, lest ye fall.

8 Ye that fear the Lord, believe him: and your reward shall not be made void.

9 Ye that fear the Lord, hope in him: and mercy shall come to you for your delight.

10 Ye that fear the Lord, love him, and your hearts shall be enlightened.

11 My children behold the generations of men: and know ye that no one hath hoped in the Lord, and hath been confounded.

PSALM: Psalms 37: 3 - 4, 18 - 19, 27 - 28, 39 - 40

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3 Trust in the Lord, and do good, and dwell in the land, and thou shalt be fed with its riches.

4 Delight in the Lord, and he will give thee the requests of thy heart.

18 The Lord knoweth the days of undefiled; and their inheritance shall be for ever.

19 They shall not be confounded in the evil time; and in the days of famine they shall be filled:

27 Decline from evil and do good, and dwell for ever and ever.

28 For the Lord loveth judgment, and will not forsake his saints: they shall be preserved for ever. The unjust shall be punished, and the seed of the wicked shall perish.

39 But the salvation of the just is from the Lord, and he is their protector in the time of trouble.

40 And the Lord will help them and deliver them: and he will rescue them from the wicked, and save them, because they have hoped in him.

GOSPEL: Mark 9: 30 - 37

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30 And departing from thence, they passed through Galilee: and he would not that any man should know it.

31 And he taught his disciples and said to them: The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise again the third day.

32 But they understood not the word: and they were afraid to ask him.

33 And they came to Capharnaum. And when they were in the house, he asked them: What did you treat of in the way?

34 But they held their peace, for in the way they had disputed among themselves, which of them should be the greatest.

35 And sitting down, he called the twelve and saith to them: If any man desire to be first, he shall be the last of all and be minister of all.

36 And taking a child, he set him in the midst of them. Whom when he had embraced, he saith to them:

37 Whosoever shall receive one such child as this in my name receiveth me. And whosoever shall receive me receiveth not me but him that sent me.