Catholic Mass Readings For Tuesday, June 17, 2014

FIRST READING: 1 Kings 21: 17 - 29

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17 Then Yahweh spoke to Elijah of Tishbe,

18 "Go down to meet Ahab, king of Israel, in Samaria. He is taking possession of the vineyard of Naboth.

19 Say to him: 'Have you killed and have taken possession at the same time?' Then give him this word of mine: 'Dogs shall lick your blood in the very place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth.'"

20 Ahab then said to Elijah, "Who, better than my enemy, could find me here and now!" Elijah answered, "I have come to you because you have done what Yahweh abhors.

21 This is Yahweh's word: I will bring disgrace on you. I will sweep you away and cut off every male of your family, from the lowliest to the greatest.

22 Your family will disappear like the families of Jeroboam and Baasa, because you have offended me and have dragged Israel into sin.

23 There is another word of Yahweh to Jezebel: 'The dogs shall devour Jezebel within the territory of Jezreel.'

24 If anyone of Ahab's line dies in the city, he shall be devoured by dogs; if in the green country, the birds of the air shall feed on him."

25 There was no one like Ahab, urged by his wife Jezebel, in doing what Yahweh abhorred.

26 He did horrible things and ran after unclean idols just as the Amorites had done, from whom Yahweh had taken the land to give it to Israel.

27 On hearing these words, Ahab tore his clothes and put on sackcloth. He fasted as he lay in sackcloth and moved around despondently.

28 Then Yahweh said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself?

29 Because of this I will not bring about the disaster during his reign; during his son's reign disgrace will fall on his family."

PSALM: Psalms 51: 3 - 6, 11, 16

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3 Have mercy on me, O God, in your love. In your great compassion blot out my sin.

4 Wash me thoroughly of my guilt; cleanse me of evil.

5 For I acknowledge my wrongdoings and have my sins ever in mind.

6 Against you alone have I sinned; what is evil in your sight I have done. You are right when you pass sentence and blameless in your judgment.

11 Turn your face away from my sins and blot out all my offenses.

16 Deliver me, O God, from the guilt of blood, and of your justice I shall sing aloud.

GOSPEL: Matthew 5: 43 - 48

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43 You have heard that it was said: Love your neighbor and do not do good to your enemy.

44 But this I tell you: Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,

45 so that you may be children of your Father in Heaven. For he makes his sun rise on both the wicked and the good, and he gives rain to both the just and the unjust.

46 If you love those who love you, what is special about that? Do not even tax collectors do as much?

47 And if you are friendly only to your friends, what is so exceptional about that? Do not even the pagans do as much?

48 For your part you shall be righteous and perfect in the way your heavenly Father is righteous and perfect.

Catholic Mass Readings For Monday, June 16, 2014

FIRST READING: 1 Kings 21: 1 - 16

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1 Now Naboth, a man from Jezreel, owned a vineyard just beside the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria.

2 Ahab asked Naboth, "Give me your vineyard which is near my house that I may use it for a vegetable garden. I will give you a better vineyard in exchange. Or, if you prefer, I will pay you its price."

3 But Naboth said to Ahab, "Yahweh forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers."

4 So Ahab went home angry and sad because of what Naboth had told him, that he would not give him the inheritance of his fathers. So he lay down on his bed with his face turned toward the wall and refused to eat.

5 His wife Jezebel came to him and said, "Why are you so angry that you refuse to eat?"

6 He answered, "I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and asked him to sell me his vineyard or to exchange it for another better one but he answered: I will not give you my vineyard."

7 His wife Jezebel said to him, "Are you not king of Israel? Get up and eat and be joyful, for I will give you the vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel."

8 So Jezebel wrote letters using Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and important persons living near Naboth.

9 This is what she wrote in the letters, "Declare a fast and put Naboth on trial.

10 Get two worthless fellows to accuse him in this way: 'You have cursed God and the king.' Then take him out and stone him to death."

11 The people, the elders and the important persons who lived in his city did as Jezebel had instructed them in the letters she sent to them.

12 They declared a fast and put Naboth on trial.

13 The two worthless fellows came in and sat facing him, accusing Naboth before the people, "Naboth cursed God and the king!" So the people took him outside the city and stoned him to death.

14 They then sent word to Jezebel that Naboth had been stoned and was dead.

15 As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, she told Ahab, "Now take possession of the vineyard of Naboth, the man of Jezreel who refused to sell it to you, for Naboth is now dead."

16 As soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he went down to the vineyard of Naboth and took possession of it.

PSALM: Psalms 5: 2 - 7

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2 O Lord, listen to my words and hear my complaint,

3 give heed to my sighs, my King and my God.

4 From daybreak you hear my voice, from dawn I am in your presence watching for you.

5 You are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil has no place in you.

6 The arrogant cannot stand before you. You hate all who do evil;

7 you destroy all who speak falsehood, who thirst for blood and live on lies; all of them the Lord detests.

GOSPEL: Matthew 5: 38 - 42

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38 You have heard that it was said: An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

39 But I tell you this: do not oppose evil with evil; if someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn and offer the other.

40 If someone sues you in court for your shirt, give your coat as well.

41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.

42 Give when asked and do not turn your back on anyone who wants to borrow from you.

Sunday Catholic Mass Readings For June 15, 2014

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

FIRST READING: Exodus 34: 4 - 6, 8 - 9

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4 So Moses cut two slabs of stone like the first. Then he rose early in the morning and went up Mount Sinai as Yahweh had commanded, taking in his hands the two slabs of stone.

5 And Yahweh came down in a cloud and stood there with him, and Moses called on the name of Yahweh.

6 Then Yahweh passed in front of him and cried out, "Yahweh, Yahweh is a God full of pity and mercy, slow to anger and abounding in truth and loving-kindness."

8 Moses hastened to bow down to the ground and worshiped.

9 He then said, "If you really look kindly on me, my Lord, please come and walk in our midst and even though we are a stiff-necked people, pardon our wickedness and our sin and make us yours."

PSALM: Daniel 3: 52 - 55

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52 Blessed are you, Lord, God of our fathers, be praised and exalted for ever.

Blessed is your holy and glorious name, celebrated and exalted for ever.

53 Blessed are you in the temple of your sacred glory, your praises are sung for ever.

54 Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom, honored and glorified for ever.

55 Blessed are you who fathom the depths, who are enthroned on the cherubim, praised and exalted for ever.

SECOND READING: 2 Corinthians 13: 11 - 13

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11 Finally, brothers and sisters, be happy, strive to be perfect, have courage, be of one mind and live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.

13 The grace of Christ Jesus the Lord, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

GOSPEL: John 3: 16 - 18

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16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but may have eternal life.

17 God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world; instead, through him the world is to be saved.

18 Whoever believes in him will not be condemned. He who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the Name of the only Son of God.

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.