Sunday Catholic Mass Readings For January 19, 2014

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

FIRST READING: Isaiah 49: 3, 5 - 6

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3 And he said to me: Thou art my servant Israel, for in thee will I glory.

5 And now saith the Lord, that formed me from the womb to be his servant, that I may bring back Jacob unto him, and Israel will not be gathered together: and I am glorified in the eyes of the Lord, and my God is made my strength.

6 And he said: It is a small thing that thou shouldst be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to convert the dregs of Israel. Behold, I have given thee to be the light of the Gentiles, that thou mayst be my salvation even to the farthest part of the earth.

PSALM: Psalms 40: 2, 4, 7 - 10

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2 With expectation I have waited for the Lord, and he was attentive to me.

4 And he put a new canticle into my mouth, a song to our God. Many shall see, and shall fear: and they shall hope in the Lord.

7 Sacrifice and oblation thou didst not desire; but thou hast pierced ears for me. Burnt offering and sin offering thou didst not require:

8 Then said I, Behold I come. In the head of the book it is written of me

9 That I should do thy will: O my God, I have desired it, and thy law in the midst of my heart.

10 I have declared thy justice in a great church, lo, I will not restrain my lips: O Lord, thou knowest it.

SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 1: 1 - 3

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1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes a brother,

2 To the church of God that is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that invoke the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, in every place of theirs and ours.

3 Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

GOSPEL: John 1: 29 - 34

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29 The next day, John saw Jesus coming to him, and he saith: Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who taketh away the sin of the world.

30 This is he, of whom I said: After me there cometh a man, who is preferred before me: because he was before me.

31 And I knew him not, but that he may be made manifest in Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

32 And John gave testimony, saying: I saw the Spirit coming down, as a dove from heaven, and he remained upon him.

33 And I knew him not; but he who sent me to baptize with water, said to me: He upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining upon him, he it is that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

34 And I saw, and I gave testimony, that this is the Son of God.

Catholic Mass Readings For Saturday, January 18, 2014

"The Calling of Saint Matthew" -- by James Tissot

FIRST READING: 1 Samuel 9: 1 - 4, 17 - 19; 10: 1

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1 Now I there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Cis, the son of Abiel, the son of Seror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphia, the son of a man of Jemini, valiant and strong.

2 And he had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and goodly man, and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he appeared above all the people.

3 And the asses of Cis, Sauls father, were lost: and Cis said to his son Saul: Take one of the servants with thee, and arise, go, and seek the asses. And when they had passed through mount Ephraim,

4 And through the land of Salisa, and had not found them, they passed also through the land of Salim, and they were not there: and through the land of Jemini, and found them not.

17 And when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him: Behold the man, of whom I spoke to thee, this man shall reign over my people.

18 And Saul came to Samuel in the midst of the gate and said: Tell me, I pray thee, where is the house of the seer?

19 And Samuel answered Saul, saying: I am the seer, go up before me to the high place, that you may eat with me today, and I will let thee go in the morning: and tell thee all that is in thy heart.

1 And Samuel took a little vial of oil and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said: Behold, the Lord hath anointed thee to be prince over his inheritance, and thou shalt deliver his people out of the hands of their enemies, that are round about them. And this shall be a sign unto thee, that God hath anointed thee to be prince.

PSALM: Psalms 21: 2 - 7

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2 In thy strength, O Lord, the king shall joy; and in thy salvation he shall rejoice exceedingly.

3 Thou hast given him his heart's desire: and hast not withholden from him the will of his lips.

4 For thou hast prevented him with blessings of sweetness: thou hast set on his head a crown of precious stones.

5 He asked life of thee: and thou hast given him length of days for ever and ever.

6 His glory is great in thy salvation: glory and great beauty shalt thou lay upon him.

7 For thou shalt give him to be a blessing for ever and ever: thou shalt make him joyful in gladness with thy countenance.

GOSPEL: Mark 2: 13 - 17

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13 And he went forth again to the sea side; and all the multitude came to him, and he taught them.

14 And when he was passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alpheus sitting at the receipt of custom; and he saith to him: Follow me. And rising up, he followed him.

15 And it came to pass, that as he sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat down together with Jesus and his disciples. For they were many, who also followed him.

16 And the scribes and the Pharisees, seeing that he ate with publicans and sinners, said to his disciples: Why doth your master eat and drink with publicans and sinners?

17 Jesus hearing this, saith to them: They that are well have no need of a physician, but they that are sick. For I came not to call the just, but sinners.

Catholic Mass Readings For Friday, January 17, 2014

"The Palsied Man Let Down through the Roof" -- by James Tissot

Memorial of Saint Anthony, Abbot

FIRST READING: 1 Samuel 8: 4 - 7, 10 - 22

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4 Then all the ancients of Israel being assembled, came to Samuel to Ramatha.

5 And they said to him: Behold thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: make us a king, to judge us, as all nations have.

6 And the word was displeasing in the eyes of Samuel, that they should say: Give us a king, to judge us. And Samuel prayed to the Lord.

7 And the Lord said to Samuel: Hearken to the voice of the people in all that they say to thee. For they have not rejected thee, but me, that I should not reign over them.

10 Then Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people that had desired a king of him,

11 And said: This will be the right of the king, that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and put them in his chariots, and will make them his horsemen, and his running footmen to run before his chariots,

12 And he will appoint of them to be his tribunes, and centurions, and to plough his fields, and to reap his corn, and to make him arms and chariots.

13 Your daughters also he will take to make him ointments, and to be his cooks, and bakers.

14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your best oliveyards, and give them to his servants.

15 Moreover he will take the tenth of your corn, and of the revenues of your vineyards, to give his eunuchs and servants.

16 Your servants also and handmaids, and your goodliest young men, and your asses he will take away, and put them to his work.

17 Your flocks also he will tithe, and you shall be his servants.

18 And you shall cry out in that day from the face of the king, whom you have chosen to yourselves. and the Lord will not hear you in that day, because you desired unto yourselves a king.

19 But the people would not hear the voice of Samuel, and they said: Nay: but there shall be a king over us.

20 And we also will be like all nations: and our king shall judge us, and go out before us, and tight our battles for us.

21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord.

22 And the Lord said to Samuel: Hearken to their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel: Let every man go to his city.

PSALM: Psalms 89: 16 - 19

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16 Blessed is the people that knoweth jubilation. They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance:

17 And in thy name they shall rejoice all the day, and in thy justice they shall be exalted.

18 For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy good pleasure shall our horn be exalted.

19 For our protection is of the Lord, and of our king the holy one of Israel.

GOSPEL: Mark 2: 1 - 12

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1 And again he entered into Capharnaum after some days.

2 And it was heard that he was in the house, and many came together, so that there was no room; no, not even at the door; and he spoke to them the word.

3 And they came to him, bringing one sick of the palsy, who was carried by four.

4 And when they could not offer him unto him for the multitude, they uncovered the roof where he was; and opening it, they let down the bed wherein the man sick of the palsy lay.

5 And when Jesus had seen their faith, he saith to the sick of the palsy: Son, thy sins are forgiven thee.

6 And there were some of the scribes sitting there, and thinking in their hearts:

7 Why doth this man speak thus? he blasphemeth. Who can forgive sins, but God only?

8 Which Jesus presently knowing in his spirit, that they so thought within themselves, saith to them: Why think you these things in your hearts?

9 Which is easier, to say to the sick of the palsy: Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say: Arise, take up thy bed, and walk?

10 But that you may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)

11 I say to thee: Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house.

12 And immediately he arose; and taking up his bed, went his way in the sight of all; so that all wondered and glorified God, saying: We never saw the like.

A Little Help

Once again, I find myself in a most embarrassing situation, and I am in
quite a quandary.

As you know, I hurt my back at work due to a ladder falling....while I
was on it. I twisted my back in the fall, and have a "slight
compression fracture". It is still bothering me somewhat, but is
slowly improving. Click HERE TO READ MORE