Catholic Mass Readings For Saturday, February 08, 2014

"Jesus Commands the Apostles to Rest " -- by James Tissot

FIRST READING: 1 Kings 3: 4 - 13

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4 He went therefore to Gabaon, to sacrifice there: for that was the great high place: a thousand victims for holocausts did Solomon offer upon that altar in Gabaon.

5 And the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, saying: Ask what thou wilt that I should give thee.

6 And Solomon said: Thou hast shewn great mercy to thy servant David my father, even at, he walked before thee in truth, and justice, and an upright heart with thee: and thou hast kept thy great mercy for him, and hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

7 And now, O Lord God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a child, and know not how to go out and come in.

8 And thy servant is in the midst of the people which thou hast chosen, an immense people, which cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

9 Give therefore to thy servant an understanding heart, to judge thy people, and discern between good and evil. For who shall be able to judge this people, thy people which is so numerous?

10 And the word was pleasing to the Lord that Solomon had asked such a thing.

11 And the Lord said to Solomon: Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life or riches, nor the lives of thy enemies, but hast asked for thyself wisdom to discern judgment,

12 Behold I have done for thee according to thy words, and have given thee a wise and understanding heart, insomuch that there hath been no one like thee before thee, nor shall arise after thee.

13 Yea and the things also which thou didst not ask, I have given thee: to wit riches and glory, as that no one hath been like thee among the kings in all days heretofore.

PSALM: Psalms 119: 9 - 14

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9 By what doth a young man correct his way? by observing thy words.

10 With my whole heart have I sought after thee: let me not stray from thy commandments.

11 Thy words have I hidden in my heart, that I may not sin against thee.

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

13 With my lips I have pronounced all the judgments of thy mouth.

14 I have been delighted in the way of thy testimonies, as in all riches.

GOSPEL: Mark 6: 30 - 34

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30 And the apostles coming together unto Jesus, related to him all things that they had done and taught.

31 And he said to them: Come apart into a desert place, and rest a little. For there were many coming and going: and they had not so much as time to eat.

32 And going up into a ship, they went into a desert place apart.

33 And they saw them going away, and many knew: and they ran flocking thither on foot from all the cities, and were there before them.

34 And Jesus going out saw a great multitude: and he had compassion on them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.

Catholic Mass Readings For Friday, February 07, 2014

"The Daughter of Herodias Dancing" -- by James Tissot

FIRST READING: Sirach 47: 2 - 11

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2 And as the fat taken away from the flesh, so was David chosen from among the children of Israel.

3 He played with lions as with lambs: and with bears he did in like manner as with the lambs of the flock, in his youth.

4 Did not he kill the giant, and take away reproach from his people?

5 In lifting up his hand, with the stone in the sling he beat down the boasting of Goliath:

6 For he called upon the Lord the Almighty, and he gave strength in his right hand, to take away the mighty warrior, and to set up the horn of his nation.

7 So in ten thousand did he glorify him, and praised him in the blessings of the Lord, in offering to him a crown of glory:

8 For he destroyed the enemies on every side, and extirpated the Philistines the adversaries unto this day: he broke their horn for ever.

9 In all his works he gave thanks to the holy one, and to the most High, with words of glory.

10 With his whole heart he praised the Lord, and loved God that made him: and he gave him power against his enemies:

11 And he set singers before the altar, and by their voices he made sweet melody.

PSALM: Psalms 18: 31, 47, 50 - 51

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31 As for my God, his way is undefiled: the words of the Lord are fire tried: he is the protector of all that trust in him.

47 The Lord liveth, and blessed be my God, and let the God of my salvation be exalted:

50 Therefore will I give glory to thee, O Lord, among the nations, and I will sing a psalm to thy name.

51 Giving great deliverance to his king, and shewing mercy to David his anointed: and to his seed for ever.

GOSPEL: Mark 6: 14 - 29

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14 And king Herod heard, (for his name was made manifest,) and he said: John the Baptist is risen again from the dead, and therefore mighty works shew forth themselves in him.

15 And others said: It is Elias. But others said: It is a prophet, as one of the prophets.

16 Which Herod hearing, said: John whom I beheaded, he is risen again from the dead.

17 For Herod himself had sent and apprehended John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias the wife of Philip his brother, because he had married her.

18 For John said to Herod: It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.

19 Now Herodias laid snares for him: and was desirous to put him to death, and could not.

20 For Herod feared John, knowing him to be a just and holy man: and kept him, and when he heard him, did many things: and he heard him willingly.

21 And when a convenient day was come, Herod made a supper for his birthday, for the princes, and tribunes, and chief men of Galilee.

22 And when the daughter of the same Herodias had come in, and had danced, and pleased Herod, and them that were at table with him, the king said to the damsel: Ask of me what thou wilt, and I will give it thee.

23 And he swore to her: Whatsoever thou shalt ask I will give thee, though it be the half of my kingdom.

24 Who when she was gone out, said to her mother, What shall I ask? But she said: The head of John the Baptist.

25 And when she was come in immediately with haste to the king, she asked, saying: I will that forthwith thou give me in a dish, the head of John the Baptist.

26 And the king was struck sad. Yet because of his oath, and because of them that were with him at table, he would not displease her:

27 But sending an executioner, he commanded that his head should be brought in a dish.

28 And he beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head in a dish: and gave it to the damsel, and the damsel gave it to her mother.

29 Which his disciples hearing came, and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

Catholic Mass Readings For Thursday, February 06, 2014

Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs

FIRST READING: 1 Kings 2: 1 - 4, 10 - 12

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1 And the days of David drew nigh that he should die, and he charged his son Solomon, saying:

2 I am going the way of all flesh: take thou courage, and shew thyself a man.

3 And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and observe his ceremonies, and his precepts, and judgments, and testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses: that thou mayest understand all thou dost, and whithersoever thou shalt turn thyself:

4 That the Lord may confirm his words, which he hath spoken of me, saying: If thy children shall take heed to their ways, and shall walk before me in truth, with all their heart, and with all their soul, there shall not be taken away from thee a man on the throne of Israel.

10 So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.

11 And the days that David reigned in Israel, were forty years: in Hebron he reigned seven years, in Jerusalem thirty-three.

12 And Solomon sat upon the throne of his father David, and his kingdom was strengthened exceedingly.

PSALM: 1 Chronicles 29: 10 - 12

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10 And he blessed the Lord before all the multitude, and he said: Blessed art thou, O Lord the God of Israel, our father from eternity to eternity.

11 Thine, O Lord, is magnificence, and power, and glory, and victory: and to thee is praise: for all that is in heaven, and in earth, is thine: thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art above all princes.

12 Thine are riches, and thine is glory, thou hast dominion over all, in thy hand is power and might: in thy hand greatness, and the empire of all things.

GOSPEL: Mark 6: 7 - 13

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7 And he called the twelve; and began to send them two and two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.

8 And he commanded them that they should take nothing for the way, but a staff only: no scrip, no bread, nor money in their purse,

9 But to be shod with sandals, and that they should not put on two coats.

10 And he said to them: Wheresoever you shall enter into an house, there abide till you depart from that place.

11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you; going forth from thence, shake off the dust from your feet for a testimony to them.

12 And going forth they preached that men should do penance:

13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

Catholic Mass Readings For Wednesday, February 05, 2014

Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr

FIRST READING: 2 Samuel 24: 2, 9 - 17

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2 And the king said to Joab the general of his army: Go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Bersabee, and number ye the people that I may know the number of them.

9 And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people to the king, and there were found of Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword: and of Juda five hundred thousand fighting men.

10 But David's heart struck him, after the people were numbered: and David said to the Lord: I have sinned very much in what I have done: but I pray thee, O Lord, to take away the iniquity of thy servant, because I have done exceeding foolishly.

11 And David arose in the morning, and the word of the Lord came to Gad the prophet and the seer of David, saying:

12 Go, and say to David: Thus saith the Lord: I give thee thy choice of three things, choose one of them which thou wilt, that I may do it to thee.

13 And when Gad was come to David, he told him, saying: Either seven years of famine shall come to thee in thy land: or thou shalt flee three months before thy adversaries, and they shall pursue thee: or for three days there shall be a pestilence in thy land. Now therefore deliberate, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.

14 And David said to Gad: I am in a great strait: but it is better that I should fall into the hands of the Lord (for his mercies are many) than into the hands of men.

15 And the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel, from the morning unto the time appointed, and there died of the people from Dan to Bersabee seventy thousand men.

16 And when the angel of the Lord had stretched out his hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord had pity on the affliction, and said to the angel that slew the people: It is enough: now hold thy hand. And the angel of the Lord was by the threshingfloor of Areuna the Jebusite.

17 And David said to the Lord, when he saw the angel striking the people: It is I; I am he that have sinned, I have done wickedly: these that are the sheep, what have they done? let thy hand, I beseech thee, be turned against me, and against my father's house.

PSALM: Psalms 32: 1 - 2, 5 - 7

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1 Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

2 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord hath not imputed sin, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

5 I have acknowledged my sin to thee, and my injustice I have not concealed. I said I will confess against myself my injustice to the Lord: and thou hast forgiven the wickedness of my sin.

6 For this shall every one that is holy pray to thee in a seasonable time. And yet in a flood of many waters, they shall not come nigh unto him.

7 Thou art my refuge from the trouble which hath encompassed me: my joy, deliver me from them that surround me.

GOSPEL: Mark 6: 1 - 6

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1 And going out from thence, he went into his own country; and his disciples followed him.

2 And when the sabbath was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were in admiration at his doctrine, saying: How came this man by all these things? and what wisdom is this that is given to him, and such mighty works as are wrought by his hands?

3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joseph, and Jude, and Simon? are not also his sisters here with us? And they were scandalized in regard of him.

4 And Jesus said to them: A prophet is not without honor, but in his own country, and in his own house, and among his own kindred.

5 And he could not do any miracles there, only that he cured a few that were sick, laying his hands upon them.

6 And he wondered because of their unbelief, and he went through the villages round about teaching.