Sunday Catholic Mass Readings For April 26, 2015

"The Good Shepherd"
-- by James Tissot

Fourth Sunday of Easter

FIRST READING: Acts 4: 8-12

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8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said to them: Ye princes of the people, and ancients, hear:

9 If we this day are examined concerning the good deed done to the infirm man, by what means he hath been made whole:

10 Be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God hath raised from the dead, even by him this man standeth here before you whole.

11 This is the stone which was rejected by you the builders, which is become the head of the corner.

12 Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is no other name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved.

PSALM: Psalms 118: 1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28-29

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1 Give praise to Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

8 It is good to confide in the Lord, rather than to have confidence in man.

9 It is good to trust in the Lord, rather than to trust in princes.

21 I will give glory to thee because thou hast heard me: and art become my salvation.

22 The stone which the builders rejected; the same is become the head of the corner.

23 This is the Lord's doing: and it is wonderful in our eyes.

26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name Lord. We have blessed you out of the house of the Lord.

28 Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, and I will exalt thee. I will praise thee, because thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.

29 O praise ye the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

SECOND READING: 1 John 3: 1-2

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1 Behold what manner of charity the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called, and should be the sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth not us, because it knew not him.

2 Dearly beloved, we are now the sons of God; and it hath not yet appeared what we shall be. We know, that, when he shall appear, we shall be like to him: because we shall see him as he is.

GOSPEL: John 10: 11-18

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11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep.

12 But the hireling, and he that is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and flieth: and the wolf catcheth, and scattereth the sheep:

13 And the hireling flieth, because he is a hireling: and he hath no care for the sheep.

14 I am the good shepherd; and I know mine, and mine know me.

15 As the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father: and I lay down my life for my sheep.

16 And other sheep I have, that are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd.

17 Therefore doth the Father love me: because I lay down my life, that I may take it again.

18 No man taketh it away from me: but I lay it down of myself, and I have power to lay it down: and I have power to take it up again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Daily Catholic Mass Readings For Saturday, April 25, 2015

"Saint Mark"
-- by James Tissot

Feast of Saint Mark, Evangelist

FIRST READING: 1 Peter 5: 5-14

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5 In like manner, ye young men, be subject to the ancients. And do you all insinuate humility one to another, for God resisteth the proud, but to the humble he giveth grace.

6 Be you humbled therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in the time of visitation:

7 Casting all your care upon him, for he hath care of you.

8 Be sober and watch: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour.

9 Whom resist ye, strong in faith: knowing that the same affliction befalls your brethren who are in the world.

10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us into his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little, will himself perfect you, and confirm you, and establish you.

11 To him be glory and empire for ever and ever. Amen.

12 By Sylvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I think, I have written briefly: beseeching and testifying that this is the true grace of God, wherein you stand.

13 The church that is in Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you: and so doth my son Mark.

14 Salute one another with a holy kiss. Grace be to all you, who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

PSALM: Psalms 89: 2-3, 6-7, 16-17

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2 The mercies of the Lord I will sing for ever. I will shew forth thy truth with my mouth to generation and generation.

3 For thou hast said: Mercy shall be built up for ever in the heavens: thy truth shall be prepared in them.

6 The heavens shall confess thy wonders, O Lord: and thy truth in the church of the saints.

7 For who in the clouds can be compared to the Lord: or who among the sons of God shall be like to God?

16 Blessed is the people that knoweth jubilation. They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance:

17 And in thy name they shall rejoice all the day, and in thy justice they shall be exalted.

GOSPEL: Mark 16: 15-20

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15 And he said to them: Go ye into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

16 He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned.

17 And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name they shall cast out devils: they shall speak with new tongues.

18 They shall take up serpents; and if they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: they shall lay their hands upon the sick, and they shall recover.

19 And the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God.

20 But they going forth preached everywhere: the Lord working withal, and confirming the word with signs that followed.

Daily Catholic Mass Readings For Friday, April 24, 2015

Friday of the Third Week of Easter

FIRST READING: Acts 9: 1-20

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1 And Saul, as yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,

2 And asked of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues: that if he found any men and women of this way, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

3 And as he went on his journey, it came to pass that he drew nigh to Damascus; and suddenly a light from heaven shined round about him.

4 And falling on the ground, he heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

5 Who said: Who art thou, Lord? And he: I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. It is hard for thee to kick against the goad.

6 And he trembling and astonished, said: Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?

7 And the Lord said to him: Arise, and go into the city, and there it shall be told thee what thou must do. Now the men who went in company with him, stood amazed, hearing indeed a voice, but seeing no man.

8 And Saul arose from the ground; and when his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. But they leading him by the hands, brought him to Damascus.

9 And he was there three days, without sight, and he did neither eat nor drink.

10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias. And the Lord said to him in a vision: Ananias. And he said: Behold I am here, Lord.

11 And the Lord said to him: Arise, and go into the street that is called Straight, and seek in the house of Judas, one named Saul of Tarsus. For behold he prayeth.

12 (And he saw a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hands upon him, that he might receive his sight.)

13 But Ananias answered: Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints in Jerusalem.

14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that invoke thy name.

15 And the Lord said to him: Go thy way; for this man is to me a vessel of election, to carry my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.

16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.

17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house. And laying his hands upon him, he said: Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus hath sent me, he that appeared to thee in the way as thou camest; that thou mayest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he received his sight; and rising up, he was baptized.

19 And when he had taken meat, he was strengthened. And he was with the disciples that were at Damascus, for some days.

20 And immediately he preached Jesus in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

PSALM: Psalms 117: 1-2

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1 O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.

2 For his mercy is confirmed upon us: and the truth of the Lord remaineth for ever.

GOSPEL: John 6: 52-59

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52 If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, for the life of the world.

53 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying: How can this man give us his flesh to eat?

54 Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you.

55 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day.

56 For my flesh is meat indeed: and my blood is drink indeed.

57 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him.

58 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, the same also shall live by me.

59 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead. He that eateth this bread, shall live for ever.

Daily Catholic Mass Readings For Thursday, April 23, 2015

Thursday of the Third Week of Easter

FIRST READING: Acts 8: 26-40

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26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying: Arise, go towards the south, to the way that goeth down from Jerusalem into Gaza: this is desert.

27 And rising up, he went. And behold a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch, of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge over all her treasures, had come to Jerusalem to adore.

28 And he was returning, sitting in his chariot, and reading Isaias the prophet.

29 And the Spirit said to Philip: Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.

30 And Philip running thither, heard him reading the prophet Isaias. And he said: Thinkest thou that thou understandest what thou readest?

31 Who said: And how can I, unless some man shew me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

32 And the place of the scripture which he was reading was this: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb without voice before his shearer, so openeth he not his mouth.

33 In humility his judgment was taken away. His generation who shall declare, for his life shall be taken from the earth?

34 And the eunuch answering Philip, said: I beseech thee, of whom doth the prophet speak this? of himself, or of some other man?

35 Then Philip, opening his mouth, and beginning at this scripture, preached unto him Jesus.

36 And as they went on their way, they came to a certain water; and the eunuch said: See, here is water: what doth hinder me from being baptized?

37 And Philip said: If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest. And he answering, said: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still; and they went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch: and he baptized him.

39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took away Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more. And he went on his way rejoicing.

40 But Philip was found in Azotus; and passing through, he preached the gospel to all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.

PSALM: Psalms 66: 8-9, 16-17, 20

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8 O bless our God, ye Gentiles: and make the voice of his praise to be heard.

9 Who hath set my soul to live: and hath not suffered my feet to be moved:

16 Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will tell you what great things he hath done for my soul.

17 I cried to him with my mouth: and I extolled him with my tongue.

20 Blessed be God, who hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.

GOSPEL: John 6: 44-51

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44 No man can come to me, except the Father, who hath sent me, draw him; and I will raise him up in the last day.

45 It is written in the prophets: And they shall all be taught of God. Every one that hath heard of the Father, and hath learned, cometh to me.

46 Not that any man hath seen the Father; but he who is of God, he hath seen the Father.

47 Amen, amen I say unto you: He that believeth in me, hath everlasting life.

48 I am the bread of life.

49 Your fathers did eat manna in the desert, and are dead.

50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven; that if any man eat of it, he may not die.

51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven.