Mass Readings For Monday, June 10, 2013

"The Sermon of the Beatitudes" -- by James Tissot

FIRST READING: 2 Corinthians 1: 1 - 7

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1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother: to the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints that are in all Achaia:

2 Grace unto you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.

4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation; that we also may be able to comfort them who are in all distress, by the exhortation wherewith we also are exhorted by God.

5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us: so also by Christ doth our comfort abound.

6 Now whether we be in tribulation, it is for your exhortation and salvation: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation: or whether we be exhorted, it is for your exhortation and salvation, which worketh the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer.

7 That our hope for you may be steadfast: knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so shall you be also of the consolation.

PSALM: Psalms 34: 2 - 9

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2 I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall be always in my mouth.

3 In the Lord shall my soul be praised: let the meek hear and rejoice.

4 O magnify the Lord with me; and let us extol his name together.

5 I sought the Lord, and he heard me; and he delivered me from all my troubles.

6 Come ye to him and be enlightened: and your faces shall not be confounded.

7 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him: and saved him out of all his troubles.

8 The angel of the Lord shall encamp round about them that fear him: and shall deliver them.

9 O taste, and see that the Lord is sweet: blessed is the man that hopeth in him.

GOSPEL: Matthew 5: 1 - 12

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1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain, and when he was set down, his disciples came unto him.

2 And opening his mouth, he taught them, saying:

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land.

5 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

6 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill.

7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called children of God.

10 Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake:

12 Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets that were before you.

Sunday Mass Readings For June 09, 2013

"The Resurrection of the Widow's Son at Nain" -- by James Tissot

FIRST READING: 1 Kings 17: 17 - 24

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17 And it came to pass after this that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick, and the sickness was very grievous, so that there was no breath left in him.

18 And she said to Elias: What have I to do with thee, thou man of God? art thou come to me that my iniquities should be remembered, and that thou shouldst kill my son?

19 And Elias said to her: Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him into the upper chamber where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.

20 And he cried to the Lord, and said: O Lord my God, hast thou afflicted also the widow, with whom I am after a so maintained, so as to kill her son?

21 And he stretched, and measured himself upon the child three times, and cried to the Lord, and said: O Lord my God, let the soul of this child, I beseech thee, return into his body.

22 And the Lord heard the voice of Elias: and the soul of the child returned into him, and he revived.

23 And Elias took the child, and brought him down from the upper chamber to the house below, and delivered him to his mother, and said to her: Behold thy son liveth.

24 And the woman said to Elias: Now, by this I know that thou art a man of God, and the word of the Lord in thy mouth is true.

PSALM: Psalms 30: 2, 4 - 6, 11 - 13

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2 I will extol thee, O Lord, for thou hast upheld me: and hast not made my enemies to rejoice over me.

4 Thou hast brought forth, O Lord, my soul from hell: thou hast saved me from them that go down into the pit.

5 Sing to the Lord, O ye his saints: and give praise to the memory of his holiness.

6 For wrath is in his indignation; and life in his good will. In the evening weeping shall have place, and in the morning gladness.

11 The Lord hath heard, and hath had mercy on me: the Lord became my helper.

12 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into joy: thou hast cut my sackcloth, and hast compassed me with gladness:

13 To the end that my glory may sing to thee, and I may not regret: O Lord my God, I will give praise to thee for ever.

SECOND READING: Galatians 1: 11 - 19

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11 For I give you to understand, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.

12 For neither did I receive it of man, nor did I learn it; but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

13 For you have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion: how that, beyond measure, I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it.

14 And I made progress in the Jews' religion above many of my equals in my own nation, being more abundantly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

15 But when it pleased him, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,

16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, immediately I condescended not to flesh and blood.

17 Neither went I to Jerusalem, to the apostles who were before me: but I went into Arabia, and again I returned to Damascus.

18 Then, after three years, I went to Jerusalem, to see Peter, and I tarried with him fifteen days.

19 But other of the apostles I saw none, saving James the brother of the Lord.

GOSPEL: Luke 7: 11 - 17

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11 And it came to pass afterwards, that he went into a city that is called Naim; and there went with him his disciples, and a great multitude.

12 And when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold a dead man was carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow: and a great multitude of the city was with her.

13 Whom when the Lord had seen, being moved with mercy towards her, he said to her: Weep not.

14 And he came near and touched the bier. And they that carried it, stood still. And he said: Young man, I say to thee, arise.

15 And he that was dead, sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother.

16 And there came a fear on them all: and they glorified God, saying: A great prophet is risen up among us: and, God hath visited his people.

17 And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judea, and throughout all the country round about.

Mass Readings For Saturday, June 08, 2013

"Jesus Found In The Temple" --by James Tissot

Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

FIRST READING: Tobit 12: 1, 5 - 15, 20

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1 Tobit then called his son Tobias and said to him, "My son, see to the wages of the man who went with you; and he must also be given more."

5 So he called the angel and said to him, "Take half of all that you two have brought back."

6 Then the angel called the two of them privately and said to them: "Praise God and give thanks to him; exalt him and give thanks to him in the presence of all the living for what he has done for you. It is good to praise God and to exalt his name, worthily declaring the works of God. Do not be slow to give him thanks.

7 It is good to guard the secret of a king, but gloriously to reveal the works of God. Do good, and evil will not overtake you.

8 Prayer is good when accompanied by fasting, almsgiving, and righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than much with wrongdoing. It is better to give alms than to treasure up gold.

9 For almsgiving delivers from death, and it will purge away every sin. Those who perform deeds of charity and of righteousness will have fulness of life;

10 but those who commit sin are the enemies of their own lives.

11 "I will not conceal anything from you. I have said, `It is good to guard the secret of a king, but gloriously to reveal the works of God.'

12 And so, when you and your daughter-in-law Sarah prayed, I brought a reminder of your prayer before the Holy One; and when you buried the dead, I was likewise present with you.

13 When you did not hesitate to rise and leave your dinner in order to go and lay out the dead, your good deed was not hidden from me, but I was with you.

14 So now God sent me to heal you and your daughter-in-law Sarah.

15 I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels who present the prayers of the saints and enter into the presence of the glory of the Holy One."

20 And now give thanks to God, for I am ascending to him who sent me. Write in a book everything that has happened."

PSALM: Tobit 13: 2, 6 - 8

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2 For he afflicts, and he shows mercy; he leads down to Hades, and brings up again, and there is no one who can escape his hand.

6 If you turn to him with all your heart and with all your soul, to do what is true before him, then he will turn to you and will not hide his face from you. But see what he will do with you; give thanks to him with your full voice. Praise the Lord of righteousness, and exalt the King of the ages. I give him thanks in the land of my captivity, and I show his power and majesty to a nation of sinners. Turn back, you sinners, and do right before him; who knows if he will accept you and have mercy on you?

7 I exalt my God; my soul exalts the King of heaven, and will rejoice in his majesty.

8 Let all men speak, and give him thanks in Jerusalem.

GOSPEL: Luke 2: 41 - 51

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41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover.

42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom;

43 and when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,

44 but supposing him to be in the company they went a day's journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances;

45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him.

46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions;

47 and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

48 And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously."

49 And he said to them, "How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"

50 And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them.

51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

Mass Readings For Friday, June 07, 2013

Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

FIRST READING: Ezekiel 34: 11 - 16

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11 For thus saith the Lord God: Behold I myself will seek my sheep, and will visit them.

12 As the shepherd visiteth his flock in the day when he shall be in the midst of his sheep that were scattered, so will I visit my sheep, and will deliver them out of all the places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

13 And I will bring them out from the peoples, and will gather them out of the countries, and will bring them to their own land: and I will feed them in the mountains of Israel, by the rivers, and in all the habitations of the land.

14 I will feed them in the most fruitful pastures, and their pastures shall be in the high mountains of Israel: there shall they rest on the green grass, and be fed in fat pastures upon the mountains of Israel.

15 I will feed my sheep: and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God.

16 I will seek that which was lost: and that which was driven away, I will bring again: and I will bind up that which was broken, and I will strengthen that which was weak, and that which was fat and strong I will preserve: and I will feed them in judgment.

PSALM: Psalms 23: 1 - 6

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1 The Lord ruleth me: and I shall want nothing.

2 He hath set me in a place of pasture. He hath brought me up, on the water of refreshment:

3 He hath converted my soul. He hath led me on the paths of justice, for his own name's sake.

4 For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they have comforted me.

5 Thou hast prepared a table before me against them that afflict me. Thou hast anointed my head with oil; and my chalice which inebriateth me, how goodly is it!

6 And thy mercy will follow me all the days of my life. And that I may dwell in the house of the Lord unto length of days.

SECOND READING: Romans 5: 5 - 11

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5 And hope confoundeth not: because the charity of God is poured forth in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost, who is given to us.

6 For why did Christ, when as yet we were weak, according to the time, die for the ungodly?

7 For scarce for a just man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man some one would dare to die.

8 But God commendeth his charity towards us; because when as yet we were sinners, according to the time,

9 Christ died for us; much more therefore, being now justified by his blood, shall we be saved from wrath through him.

10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

11 And not only so; but also we glory in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received reconciliation.

GOSPEL: Luke 15: 3 - 7

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3 And he spoke to them this parable, saying:

4 What man of you that hath an hundred sheep: and if he shall lose one of them, doth he not leave the ninety-nine in the desert, and go after that which was lost, until he find it?

5 And when he hath found it, lay it upon his shoulders, rejoicing:

6 And coming home, call together his friends and neighbours, saying to them: Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost?

7 I say to you, that even so there shall be joy in heaven upon one sinner that doth penance, more than upon ninety-nine just who need not penance.