Daily Catholic Mass Readings For Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter

FIRST READING: Acts 8: 1-8

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1 And at that time there was raised a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all dispersed through the countries of Judea, and Samaria, except the apostles.

2 And devout men took order for Stephen's funeral, and made great mourning over him.

3 But Saul made havock of the church, entering in from house to house, and dragging away men and women, committed them to prison.

4 They therefore that were dispersed, went about preaching the word of God.

5 And Philip going down to the city of Samaria, preached Christ unto them.

6 And the people with one accord were attentive to those things which were said by Philip, hearing, and seeing the miracles which he did.

7 For many of them who had unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, went out.

8 And many, taken with the palsy, and that were lame, were healed.

PSALM: Psalms 66: 1-7

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1 Unto the end, a canticle of a psalm of the resurrection. Shout with joy to God, all the earth,

2 Sing ye a psalm to his name; give glory to his praise.

3 Say unto God, How terrible are thy works, O Lord! in the multitude of thy strength thy enemies shall lie to thee.

4 Let all the earth adore thee, and sing to thee: let it sing a psalm to thy name.

5 Come and see the works of God; who is terrible in his counsels over the sons of men.

6 Who turneth the sea into dry land, in the river they shall pass on foot: there shall we rejoice in him.

7 Who by his power ruleth for ever: his eyes behold the nations; let not them that provoke him be exalted in themselves.

GOSPEL: John 6: 35-40

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35 And Jesus said to them: I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall not hunger: and he that believeth in me shall never thirst.

36 But I said unto you, that you also have seen me, and you believe not.

37 All that the Father giveth to me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me, I will not cast out.

38 Because I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me.

39 Now this is the will of the Father who sent me: that of all that he hath given me, I should lose nothing; but should raise it up again in the last day.

40 And this is the will of my Father that sent me: that every one who seeth the Son, and believeth in him, may have life everlasting, and I will raise him up in the last day.

Daily Catholic Mass Readings For Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter

FIRST READING: Acts 7: 51-- 8: 1

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51 You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do you also.

52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them who foretold of the coming of the Just One; of whom you have been now the betrayers and murderers:

53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

54 Now hearing these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed with their teeth at him.

55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looking up steadfastly to heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. And he said: Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

56 And they crying out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and with one accord ran violently upon him.

57 And casting him forth without the city, they stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man, whose name was Saul.

58 And they stoned Stephen, invoking, and saying: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

59 And falling on his knees, he cried with a loud voice, saying: Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep in the Lord. And Saul was consenting to his death.

1 And at that time there was raised a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all dispersed through the countries of Judea, and Samaria, except the apostles.

PSALM: Psalms 31: 3-4, 6-8, 17, 21

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3 Bow down thy ear to me: make haste to deliver me. Be thou unto me a God, a protector, and a house of refuge, to save me.

4 For thou art my strength and my refuge; and for thy name's sake thou wilt lead me, and nourish me.

6 Into thy hands I commend my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, the God of truth.

7 Thou hast hated them that regard vanities, to no purpose. But I have hoped in the Lord:

8 I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy. For thou hast regarded my humility, thou hast saved my soul out of distresses.

17 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; save me in thy mercy.

21 Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy face, from the disturbance of men. Thou shalt protect them in thy tabernacle from the contradiction of tongues.

GOSPEL: John 6: 30-35

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30 They said therefore to him: What sign therefore dost thou shew, that we may see, and may believe thee? What dost thou work?

31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

32 Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say to you; Moses gave you not bread from heaven, but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

33 For the bread of God is that which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life to the world.

34 They said therefore unto him: Lord, give us always this bread.

35 And Jesus said to them: I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall not hunger: and he that believeth in me shall never thirst.

Daily Catholic Mass Readings For Saturday, April 18, 2015

"Jesus Walks on the Sea"
-- by James Tissot

Saturday of the Second Week of Easter

FIRST READING: Acts 6: 1-7

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1 And in those days, the number of the disciples increasing, there arose a murmuring of the Greeks against the Hebrews, for that their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

2 Then the twelve calling together the multitude of the disciples, said: It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

5 And the saying was liked by all the multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith, and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte of Antioch.

6 These they set before the apostles; and they praying, imposed hands upon them.

7 And the word of the Lord increased; and the number of the disciples was multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly: a great multitude also of the priests obeyed the faith.

PSALM: Psalms 33: 1-2, 4-5, 18-19

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1 Rejoice in the Lord, O ye just: praise becometh the upright.

2 Give praise to the Lord on the harp; sing to him with the psaltery, the instrument of ten strings.

4 For the word of the Lord is right, and all his works are done with faithfulness.

5 He loveth mercy and judgment; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.

18 Behold the eyes of the Lord are on them that fear him: and on them that hope in his mercy.

19 To deliver their souls from death; and feed them in famine.

GOSPEL: John 6: 16-21

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16 And when evening was come, his disciples went down to the sea.

17 And when they had gone up into a ship, they went over the sea to Capharnaum; and it was now dark, and Jesus was not come unto them.

18 And the sea arose, by reason of a great wind that blew.

19 When they had rowed therefore about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking upon the sea, and drawing nigh to the ship, and they were afraid.

20 But he saith to them: It is I; be not afraid.

21 They were willing therefore to take him into the ship; and presently the ship was at the land to which they were going.

Daily Catholic Mass Readings For Friday, April 17, 2015

"The People Seek Jesus to Make Him King"
-- by James Tissot

Friday of the Second Week of Easter

FIRST READING: Acts 5: 34-42

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34 But one in the council rising up, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, respected by all the people, commanded the men to be put forth a little while.

35 And he said to them: Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do, as touching these men.

36 For before these days rose up Theodas, affirming himself to be somebody, to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all that believed him were scattered, and brought to nothing.

37 After this man, rose up Judas of Galilee, in the days of the enrolling, and drew away the people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as consented to him, were dispersed.

38 And now, therefore, I say to you, refrain from these men, and let them alone; for if this council or this work be of men, it will come to nought;

39 But if it be of God, you cannot overthrow it, lest perhaps you be found even to fight against God. And they consented to him.

40 And calling in the apostles, after they had scourged them, they charged them that they should not speak at all in the name of Jesus; and they dismissed them.

41 And they indeed went from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were accounted worthy to suffer reproach for the name of Jesus.

42 And every day they ceased not in the temple, and from house to house, to teach and preach Christ Jesus.

PSALM: Psalms 27: 1, 4, 13-14

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1 The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?

4 One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. That I may see the delight of the Lord, and may visit his temple.

13 I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

14 Expect the Lord, do manfully, and let thy heart take courage, and wait thou for the Lord.

GOSPEL: John 6: 1-15

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1 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is that of Tiberias.

2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw the miracles which he did on them that were diseased.

3 Jesus therefore went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.

4 Now the pasch, the festival day of the Jews, was near at hand.

5 When Jesus therefore had lifted up his eyes, and seen that a very great multitude cometh to him, he said to Philip: Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?

6 And this he said to try him; for he himself knew what he would do.

7 Philip answered him: Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one may take a little.

8 One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, saith to him:

9 There is a boy here that hath five barley loaves, and two fishes; but what are these among so many?

10 Then Jesus said: Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. The men therefore sat down, in number about five thousand.

11 And Jesus took the loaves: and when he had given thanks, he distributed to them that were set down. In like manner also of the fishes, as much as they would.

12 And when they were filled, he said to his disciples: Gather up the fragments that remain, lest they be lost.

13 They gathered up therefore, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above to them that had eaten.

14 Now those men, when they had seen what a miracle Jesus had done, said: This is of a truth the prophet, that is to come into the world.

15 Jesus therefore, when he knew that they would come to take him by force, and make him king, fled again into the mountain himself alone.