Catholic Mass Readings For Saturday, June 14, 2014

FIRST READING: 1 Kings 19: 19 - 21

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19 So Elijah left. He found Elisha, son of Shaphat, who was plowing a field of twelve acres and was at the end of the twelfth acre. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak over him.

20 Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah and said, "Let me say goodbye to my father and mother; then I will follow you." Elijah said to him, "Return if you want, don't worry about what I did."

21 However, Elisha turned back, took the yoke of oxen and slew them. He roasted their meat on the pieces of the yoke and gave it to his people who ate of it. After this, he followed Elijah and began ministering to him.

PSALM: Psalms 16: 1 - 2, 5, 7 - 10

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1 Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge.

2 I say to the Lord, "You are my Lord, my only good."

5 O Lord, my inheritance and my cup, my chosen portion - hold secure my lot.

7 I bless the Lord who counsels me; even at night my inmost self instructs me.

8 I keep the Lord always before me; for with him at my right hand, I will never be shaken.

9 My heart, therefore, exults, my soul rejoices; my body too will rest assured.

10 For you will not abandon my soul to the grave, nor will you suffer your holy one to see decay in the land of the dead.

GOSPEL: Matthew 5: 33 - 37

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33 You have also heard that people were told in the past: Do not break your oath; an oath sworn to the Lord must be kept.

34 But I tell you this: do not take oaths. Do not swear by the heavens, for they are God's throne,

35 nor by the earth, because it is his footstool, nor by Jerusalem because it is the city of the great king.

36 Do not even swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black.

37 Say yes when you mean yes and say no when you mean no. Anything else you say comes from the devil.

Catholic Mass Readings For Friday, June 13, 2014

Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church

FIRST READING: 1 Kings 19: 9, 11 - 16

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9 On reaching the place, he came to the cave and stayed in it. Then the word of Yahweh came to him,"What are you doing here, Elijah?"

11 Then Yahweh said, "Go up and stand on the mount, waiting for Yahweh." And Yahweh passed by.

There was first a windstorm, wild wind which rent the mountains and broke the rocks into pieces before Yahweh, but Yahweh was not in the wind. After the storm, an earthquake, but Yahweh was not in the earthquake.

12 After the earthquake, a fire, but Yahweh was not in the fire. After the fire, the murmur of a gentle breeze.

13 When Elijah perceived it, he covered his face with his cloak, went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

Then he heard a voice addressing him again, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

14 He answered, "I am burning with jealous love for Yahweh, the God of hosts, because the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars and slain your prophets with the sword. No one is left but myself, yet they still seek my life to take it away."

15 Yahweh said to him, "Take the road back through the desert and go to Damascus for you must anoint Hazael as king of Syria;

16 you shall also anoint Jehu, son of Minshi, as king over Israel; and Elisha, son of Shaphat, from Abelmehrah, you shall anoint as prophet in your place.

PSALM: Psalms 27: 7 - 9, 13 - 14

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7 Hear my voice when I call, O Lord, have mercy on me and answer.

8 My heart says to you, "I seek your face, O Lord."

9 Do not hide your face from me nor turn away your servant in anger. You are my protector, do not reject me abandon me not, O God my savior!

13 I hope, I am sure, that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

14 Trust in the Lord, be strong and courageous - yes, put your hope in the Lord!

GOSPEL: Matthew 5: 27 - 32

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27 You have heard that it was said: Do not commit adultery.

28 But I tell you this: anyone who looks at a woman to satisfy his lust has in fact already committed adultery with her in his heart.

29 So, if your right eye causes you to sin, pull it out and throw it away! It is much better for you to lose a part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell.

30 If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is better for you to lose a part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell.

31 It was also said: anyone who divorces his wife must give her a written notice of divorce.

32 But what I tell you is this: If a man divorces his wife except in the case of unlawful union, he causes her to commit adultery. And the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Catholic Mass Readings For Thursday, June 12, 2014

FIRST READING: 1 Kings 18: 41 - 46

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41 Elijah then said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink, for the sound of rain is rushing in."

42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. Elijah, in the meantime, went to the top of Carmel, bowed to the ground and put his face between his knees.

43 Then he said to his servant, "Go up and look in the direction of the sea." The man went up, looked, and said, "There is nothing." Then Elijah said, "Go again" and seven times he went.

44 At the seventh time, he perceived a little cloud, the size of a man's hand, rising out of the sea. Elijah told him, "Go, tell Ahab: Prepare your chariot and go down before the rain stops you."

45 A little later the sky grew dark with clouds and wind and a strong rain fell. Ahab was riding on his way to Jezreel;

46 as for Elijah, the hand of Yahweh was on him, and tucking his cloak in his belt, he ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

PSALM: Psalms 65: 10 - 13

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10 You water the land and care for it, enriching it with natural resources. God's stream is filled with water; so you prepare the earth to give us its fruits.

11 You drench the furrows in the land and level the ridges, you soften the soil with showers and bless its crops.

12 You crown the year with your goodness; abundance flows everywhere.

13 The deserts have become pasture land, the hills are clothed with gladness.

GOSPEL: Matthew 5: 20 - 26

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20 I tell you, then, that if you are not righteous in a better way than the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.

21 You have heard that it was said to our people in the past: Do not commit murder; anyone who does kill will have to face trial.

22 But now I tell you: whoever gets angry with a brother or sister will have to face trial. Whoever insults a brother or sister deserves to be brought before the council; whoever humiliates a brother or sister deserves to be thrown into the fire of hell.

23 So, if you are about to offer your gift at the altar and you remember that your brother has something against you,

24 leave your gift there in front of the altar, go at once and make peace with him, and then come back and offer your gift to God.

25 Don't forget this: be reconciled with your opponent quickly when you are together on the way to court. Otherwise he will turn you over to the judge, who will hand you over to the police, who will put you in jail.

26 There you will stay, until you have paid the last penny.

Catholic Mass Readings For Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle

FIRST READING: Acts 11: 21 - 26; 13: 1 - 3

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21 The hand of the Lord was with them so that a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

22 News of this reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem, so they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

23 When he arrived and saw the manifest signs of God's favor, he rejoiced and urged them all to remain firmly faithful to the Lord;

24 for he himself was a good man filled with Holy Spirit and faith. Thus large crowds came to know the Lord.

25 Then Barnabas went off to Tarsus to look for Saul

26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they had meetings with the Church and instructed many people. It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.

1 There were at Antioch - in the Church which was there - prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Symeon known as Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod, and Saul.

2 On one occasion while they were celebrating the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said to them, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul and send them to do the work for which I have called them."

3 So, after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

PSALM: Psalms 98: 1 - 6

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1 Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wonders; his right hand, his holy arm, has won victory for him.

2 The Lord has shown his salvation, revealing his justice to the nations.

3 He has not forgotten his love nor his faithfulness to Israel. To the farthest ends of the earth all have seen God's saving power.

4 All you lands, make a joyful noise to the Lord, break into song and sing praise,

5 with melody of the lyre and with music of the harp.

6 With trumpet blast and sound of the horn, rejoice before the King, the Lord!

GOSPEL: Matthew 5: 17 - 19

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17 Do not think that I have come to remove the Law and the Prophets. I have not come to remove but to fulfill them.

18 I tell you this: as long as heaven and earth last, not the smallest letter or stroke of the Law will change until all is fulfilled.

19 So then, whoever breaks the least important of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be the least in the kingdom of heaven. On the other hand, whoever obeys them and teaches others to do the same will be great in the kingdom of heaven.