Catholic Mass Readings For Thursday, June 19, 2014

FIRST READING: Sirach 48: 1 - 14

---

1 Then came the prophet Elijah like a fire, his words a burning torch.

2 He brought a famine on the people and in his zealous love had them reduced in number.

3 Speaking in the name of the Lord he closed the heavens, and on three occasions called down fire.

4 How marvelous you were, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! Who could ever boast of being your equal?

5 By the word of the Most High you brought a dead man back to life;

6 you brought kings to destruction and thrust famous men from their beds.

7 You heard a rebuke at Sinai and sentences of punishment at Horeb;

8 you anointed kings to be avengers and prophets to succeed you.

9 You were taken up by a whirlwind of flames in a chariot drawn by fiery horses.

10 It was written that you should be the one to calm God's anger in the future before it broke out in fury, to turn the hearts of fathers to their sons and to restore the tribes of Jacob.

11 Happy are those who will see you and those who die in love, for we too shall live.

12 Such was Elijah, taken up in a whirlwind, and Elisha was filled with his spirit.

During his life no leader could shake him, no one dominated him.

13 Nothing was too difficult for him and even in death his body prophesied.

14 In life he worked wonders, in death his deeds were amazing.

PSALM: Psalms 97: 1 - 7

---

1 The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the distant islands be glad.

2 Clouds and darkness surround him; justice and right are his throne.

3 Fire goes before him, burning his foes on every side.

4 His lightning lights up the world; the earth watches and trembles.

5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, the Lord of all the earth.

6 The heavens proclaim his justice, all peoples see his glory.

7 Shame on worshipers of idols, on those proud of their worthless images. Let all spirits bow before him..

GOSPEL: Matthew 6: 7 - 15

---

7 When you pray, do not use a lot of words, as the pagans do, for they hold that the more they say, the more chance they have of being heard.

8 Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need, even before you ask him.

9 This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, holy be your name,

10 your kingdom come and your will be done, on earth as in heaven.

11 Give us today the kind of bread we need.

12 Forgive us our debts just as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us.

13 Do not bring us to the test but deliver us from the evil one.

14 If you forgive others their wrongs, your Father in heaven will also forgive yours.

15 If you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive you either.

Catholic Mass Readings For Wednesday, June 18, 2014

FIRST READING: 2 Kings 2: 1, 6 - 14

---

1 Yahweh took Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind. It happened this way: Elijah and Elisha had left Gilgal.

6 Elijah said once more to Elisha, "Stay here, I beg you, for Yahweh is only sending me to the Jordan." But Elisha answered, "I swear by Yahweh and by your life that I will never leave you." And as they went on their way,

7 fifty fellow prophets of Jericho followed them at a certain distance.

When Elijah and Elisha stood by the Jordan

8 Elijah took his mantle, rolled it, and struck the water with it. The water parted to both sides and they crossed over on dry ground.

9 After they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "What shall I do for you before I am taken away from you? Ask me." Elisha said, "Grant that I may have the best of your spirit."

10 Elijah answered, "Your request is most difficult. Yet if you see me while I am being taken from you, then you shall have it. But if not, you shall not have it."

11 As they were talking on the way, a chariot of fire with horses of fire stood between them, and Elijah was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind.

12 Elisha saw him and cried out, "Father, my father, chariots of Israel and its horsemen!"

When Elisha lost sight of him, he took hold of his own clothes and tore them.

13 He then picked up the mantle which had fallen from Elijah and returned to the banks of the Jordan.

14 There he struck the water with the mantle, but it did not part. So he asked, "Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah?" And as he struck the water again it parted. Elisha crossed over.

PSALM: Psalms 31: 20 - 21, 24

---

20 How great is the goodness which you have stored for those who fear you, which you show, for all to see, to those who take refuge in you!

21 In the shelter of your presence you hide them from human wiles; you keep them in your dwelling, safe from the intrigues of wagging tongues.

24 Love the Lord, all you his saints! The Lord preserves his faithful, but he fully requites the arrogant.

GOSPEL: Matthew 6: 1 - 6, 16 - 18

---

1 Be careful not to make a show of your righteousness before people. If you do so, you do not gain anything from your Father in heaven.

2 When you give something to the poor, do not have it trumpeted before you, as do those who want to be seen in the synagogues and in the streets in order to be praised by the people. I assure you, they have been already paid in full.

3 If you give something to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

4 so that your gift remains really secret. Your Father who sees what is kept secret, will reward you.

5 When you pray, do not be like those who want to be seen. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues or on street corners to be seen by everyone. I assure you, they have already been paid in full.

6 When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is with you in secret; and your Father who sees what is kept secret will reward you.

16 When you fast, do not put on a miserable face as do the hypocrites. They put on a gloomy face, so people can see they are fasting. I tell you this: they have been paid in full already.

17 When you fast, wash your face and make yourself look cheerful,

18 because you are not fasting for appearances or for people, but for your Father who sees beyond appearances. And your Father, who sees what is kept secret will reward you.

Catholic Mass Readings For Tuesday, June 17, 2014

FIRST READING: 1 Kings 21: 17 - 29

---

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

---

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

---

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

---

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

---

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

---

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.