Catholic Mass Readings For Friday, June 27, 2014

The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

FIRST READING: Deuteronomy 7: 6 - 11

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6 You are a people consecrated to Yahweh, your God. Yahweh has chosen you from among all the peoples on the face of the earth, that you may be his own people.

7 Yahweh has bound himself to you and has chosen you, not because you are the most numerous among all the peoples (on the contrary, you are the least).

8 Rather, he has chosen you because of his love for you and to fulfill the oath he made to your fathers. Therefore, with a firm hand Yahweh brought you out from slavery in Egypt, from the power of Pharaoh.

9 So know that Yahweh, your God, is the true and faithful God. He keeps his covenant, and his love reaches to the thousandth generation for those who love him and fulfill his commandments,

10 but he punishes in their own persons those who hate him and he repays them without delay.

11 So keep the commandments, the norms and the laws that today I command you to practice.

PSALM: Psalms 103: 1 - 4, 6 - 7, 8, 10

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1 Bless the Lord, my soul; all my being, bless his holy name!

2 Bless the Lord, my soul, and do not forget all his kindness;

3 he forgives all your sins and heals all your sickness;

4 he redeems your life from destruction and crowns you with love and compassion;

6 The Lord restores justice and secures the rights of the oppressed.

7 He has made known his ways to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel.

8 The Lord is gracious and merciful, abounding in love and slow to anger;

10 He does not treat us according to our sins, nor does he punish us as we deserve.

SECOND READING: 1 John 4: 7 - 16

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7 My dear friends, let us love one another for love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

8 Those who do not love have not known God, for God is love.

9 How did the love of God appear among us? God sent his only Son into this world that we might have life through him.

10 This is love: not that we loved God but that he first loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

11 Dear friends, if such has been the love of God, we, too, must love one another.

12 No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love spreads freely among us.

13 How may we know that we live in God and he in us? Because God has given us his Spirit.

14 We ourselves have seen and declare that the Father sent his Son to save the world.

15 Those who acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in them and they in God.

16 We have known the love of God and have believed in it. God is love. The one who lives in love, lives in God and God in him.

GOSPEL: Matthew 11: 25 - 30

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25 On that occasion Jesus said, "Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I praise you, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to simple people.

26 Yes, Father, this is what pleased you.

27 Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

28 Come to me, all you who work hard and who carry heavy burdens and I will refresh you.

29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble of heart; and you will find rest.

30 For my yoke is good and my burden is light."

Catholic Mass Readings For Thursday, June 26, 2014

Optional Memorial Saint Josemaria Escriva, Priest

FIRST READING: 2 Kings 24: 8 - 17

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8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he succeeded his father, and he reigned for three months in Jerusalem. His mother was Nehushta, daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.

9 Jehoiachin treated Yahweh badly, as his father had done.

10 At that time, the officials of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to attack Jerusalem, surrounding the city.

11 Nebuchadnezzar came while the city was being besieged by his men.

12 Jehoiachin, king of Judah, surrendered together with his mother, his servants, his leaders and the palace officials. It was the eighth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar.

13 Nebuchadnezzar captured them and he took away the treasures of the House of Yahweh and of the king's house. He also destroyed all the objects of gold which Solomon, king of Israel, had made for the sanctuary of Yahweh. So the word Yahweh had spoken, was fulfilled.

14 Nebuchadnezzar carried off into exile all the leaders and prominent men, the blacksmiths and locksmiths, all the men of valor fit for war. A total of ten thousand were exiled to Babylon. Only the poorest sector of the population was left.

15 Nebuchaddnezzar also carried away Jehoiachin, with his mother, his wives, the ministers of the palace, and the prominent men of the land.

16 So all the prominent people, numbering seven thousand, the blacksmiths, numbering a thousand, and all the men fit for war were deported to Babylon by the king of Babylon.

17 He made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle, king of Jerusalem, in place of Jehoiachin. And he changed his name to Zedekiah.

PSALM: Psalms 79: 1 - 5, 8 - 9

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1 O God, the pagans have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple and reduced Jerusalem to rubble.

2 They have given your servants' corpses to the birds, and the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth.

3 They have poured out the blood of your faithful like water around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.

4 Mocked and reviled by those around us, we are scorned by our neighbors.

5 How long will this last, O Lord? Will you be angry forever? Will your wrath always burn to avenge your rights?

8 Do not remember against us the sins of our fathers. Let your compassion hurry to us, for we have been brought very low.

9 Help us, God, our savior, for the glory of your name; forgive us for the sake of your name.

GOSPEL: Matthew 7: 21 - 29

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21 Not everyone who says to me: Lord! Lord! will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my heavenly Father.

22 Many will say to me on that day, "Lord, Lord, did we not speak in your name? Did we not cast out devils and perform many miracles in your name?"

23 Then I will tell them openly: I have never known you; away from me, you evil people!

24 "So, then, anyone who hears these words of mine and acts accordingly is like a wise man, who built his house on rock.

25 The rain poured, the rivers flooded, and the wind blew and struck that house, but it did not collapse because it was built on rock.

26 But anyone who hears these words of mine and does not act accordingly, is like a fool who built his house on sand.

27 The rain poured, the rivers flooded, and the wind blew and struck that house; it collapsed, and what a terrible fall that was!"

28 When Jesus had finished this discourse, the crowds were struck by the way he taught,

29 because he taught with authority unlike their teachers of the Law.

Catholic Mass Readings For Wednesday, June 25, 2014

FIRST READING: 2 Kings 22: 8 - 13; 23: 1 - 3

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8 At that moment Hilkiah, the high priest, said to Shaphan, the secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the House of Yahweh." And he entrusted the Book to Shaphan who read it.

9 Then Shaphan went to the king and said, "We have gathered the money in the House, and this has been turned over to the caretakers of the House to make the repairs."

10 And Shaphan added, "The priest Hilkiah has turned over a book to me." And Shaphan read the book to the king.

11 When the king heard the contents of the book, he tore his clothes and

12 commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam, Achbor, the secretary Shaphan, and Asaiah, his minister, to do the following,

13 "Go and consult Yahweh about the threats in this book which you have found. Consult him for me, for the people and for the whole of Judah, since our fathers did not listen to what this book says nor to its ordinances. This is why the anger of Yahweh is ready to burn against us."

1 The king summoned to his side all the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem.

2 Then he went up to the House of Yahweh followed by all the people of Judah and Jerusalem. The priests with the prophets and all the people went with him, from the youngest to the oldest. When all were gathered, he read to them the book of the Law found in the House of Yahweh.

3 The king stood by the pillar; he made a covenant in the presence of Yahweh, promising to follow him, to keep his commandments and laws, and to respect his ordinances. He promised to keep this covenant according to what was written in the book with all his heart and with all his soul. And all the people promised with him.

PSALM: Psalms 119: 33 - 37, 40

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33 Explain to me, O Lord, your commandments, and I will be ever faithful to them.

34 Give me understanding, that I may observe your law with all my heart.

35 Guide me in obeying your instructions, for my pleasure lies in them.

36 Incline my heart to follow your will and not my own selfish desire.

37 Turn my eyes away from vanities and direct them to your life-giving word.

40 Oh, how I long for your precepts! Renew my life in your righteousness.

GOSPEL: Matthew 7: 15 - 20

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15 Beware of false prophets: they come to you in sheep's clothing but inside they are wild wolves.

16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Do you ever pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

17 A good tree always produces good fruit, a rotten tree produces bad fruit.

18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit and a rotten tree cannot bear good fruit.

19 Any tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown in the fire.

20 So you will know them by their fruit.

Catholic Mass Readings For Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

FIRST READING: Isaiah 49: 1 - 6

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1 Listen to me, O islands, pay attention, peoples from distant lands. Yahweh called me from my mother's womb; he pronounced my name before I was born.

2 He made my mouth like a sharpened sword. He hid me in the shadow of his hand. He made me into a polished arrow set apart in his quiver.

3 He said to me, "You are Israel, my servant, Through you I will be known."

4 "I have labored in vain," I thought and spent my strength for nothing." Yet what is due me was in the hand of Yahweh, and my reward was with my God. I am important in the sight of Yahweh, and my God is my strength.

5 And now Yahweh has spoken, he who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, to gather Israel to him.

6 He said: " 'Tis not enough that you be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob, to bring back the remnant of Israel. I will make you the light of the nations, that my salvation will reach to the ends of the earth."

PSALM: Psalms 139: 1 - 3, 13 - 15

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1 O Lord, you know me: you have scrutinized me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise; beforehand you discern my thoughts.

3 You observe my activities and times of rest; you are familiar with all my ways.

13 It was you who formed my inmost part and knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I thank you for these wonders you have done, and my heart praises you for your marvelous deeds.

15 Even my bones were known to you when I was being formed in secret, fashioned in the depths of the earth.

SECOND READING: Acts 13: 22 - 26

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22 After that time, God removed him and raised up David as king, to whom he bore witness saying: I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will do all I want him to do.

23 It is from the descendants of David that God has now raised up the promised savior of Israel, Jesus.

24 Before he appeared, John proclaimed a baptism of repentance for all the people of Israel.

25 As John was ending his life's work, he said: 'I am not what you think I am, for after me another one is coming whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.'

26 Brothers, children and descendants of Abraham, and you also who fear God, it is to you that this message of salvation has been sent.

GOSPEL: Luke 1: 57 - 66, 80

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57 When the time came for Elizabeth, she gave birth to a son.

58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the merciful Lord had done a wonderful thing for her and they rejoiced with her.

59 When on the eighth day they came to attend the circumcision of the child, they wanted to name him Zechariah after his father.

60 But his mother said, "Not so; he shall be called John."

61 They said to her, "No one in your family has that name";

62 and they asked the father by means of signs for the name he wanted to give.

63 Zechariah asked for a writing tablet and wrote on it, "His name is John," and they were very surprised.

64 Immediately Zechariah could speak again and his first words were in praise of God.

65 A holy fear came on all in the neighborhood, and throughout the Hills of Judea the people talked about these events.

66 All who heard of it pondered in their minds and wondered, "What will this child be?" For they understood that the hand of the Lord was with him.

80 As the child grew up, he was seen to be strong in the Spirit; he lived in the desert till the day when he appeared openly in Israel.