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Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Daily Mass Readings for Thursday, February 15, 2018


Unknown Illustrator of Henry Davenport Northrop's 'Treasures of the Bible', 1894- PD-Art-1923

Thursday After Ash Wednesday



FIRST READING: Deuteronomy 30:15-20

15 Consider that I have set before thee this day life and good, and on the other hand death and evil:
16 That thou mayst love the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways, and keep his commandments and ceremonies and judgments, and thou mayst live, and he may multiply thee, and bless thee in the land, which thou shalt go in to possess.
17 But if thy heart be turned away, so that thou wilt not hear, and being deceived with error thou adore strange gods, and serve them:
18 I foretell thee this day that thou shalt perish, and shalt remain but a short time in the land, to which thou shalt pass over the Jordan, and shalt go in to possess it.
19 I call heaven and earth to witness this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Choose therefore life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
20 And that thou mayst love the Lord thy God, and obey his voice, and adhere to him (for he is thy life, and the length of thy days,) that thou mayst dwell in the land, for which the Lord swore to thy fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that he would give it them.

PSALM: Psalms 1:1-4, 6

1 Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the chair of pestilence.
2 But his will is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he shall meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree which is planted near the running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit, in due season. And his leaf shall not fall off: and all whatsoever he shall do shall prosper.
4 Not so the wicked, not so: but like the dust, which the wind driveth from the face of the earth.
6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the just: and the way of the wicked shall perish.

GOSPEL: Luke 9:22-25

22 Saying: The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the ancients and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day rise again.
23 And he said to all: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24 For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; for he that shall lose his life for my sake, shall save it.
25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, and cast away himself?




Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Daily Mass Readings for Wednesday, February 14, 2018





FIRST READING: Joel 2:12-18

12 Now therefore saith the Lord: Be converted to me with all your heart, in fasting, and in weeping, and in mourning.
13 And rend your hearts, and not your garments, and turn to the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, patient and rich in mercy, and ready to repent of the evil.
14 Who knoweth but he will return, and forgive, and leave a blessing behind him, sacrifice and libation to the Lord your God?
15 Blow the trumpet in Sion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly,
16 Gather together the people, sanctify the church, assemble the ancients, gather together the little ones, and them that suck at the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth from his bed, and the bride out of her bride chamber.
17 Between the porch and the altar the priests the Lord's ministers shall weep, and shall say: Spare, O Lord, spare thy people: and give not thy inheritance to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them. Why should they say among the nations: Where is their God?
18 The Lord hath been zealous for his land, and hath spared his people.

PSALM: Psalms 51:3-6, 12-14, 17

3 Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy. And according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my iniquity.
4 Wash me yet more from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
5 For I know my iniquity, and my sin is always before me.
6 To thee only have I sinned, and have done evil before thee: that thou mayst be justified in thy words and mayst overcome when thou art judged.
12 Create a clean heart in me, O God: and renew a right spirit within my bowels.
13 Cast me not away from thy face; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
14 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and strengthen me with a perfect spirit.
17 O Lord, thou wilt open my lips: and my mouth shall declare thy praise.

SECOND READING: 2 Corinthians 5:20--6:2

20 For Christ therefore we are ambassadors, God as it were exhorting by us. For Christ, we beseech you, be reconciled to God.
21 Him, who knew no sin, he hath made sin for us, that we might be made the justice of God in him.
1 And we helping do exhort you, that you receive not the grace of God in vain.
2 For he saith: In an accepted time have I heard thee; and in the day of salvation have I helped thee. Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

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

1 Take heed that you do not your justice before men, to be seen by them: otherwise you shall not have a reward of your Father who is in heaven.
2 Therefore when thou dost an almsdeed, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honoured by men. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward.
3 But when thou dost alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth.
4 That thy alms may be in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret will repay thee.
5 And when ye pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, that love to stand and pray in the synagogues and corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men: Amen I say to you, they have received their reward.
6 But thou when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret will repay thee.
16 And when you fast, be not as the hypocrites, sad. For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward.
17 But thou, when thou fastest anoint thy head, and wash thy face;
18 That thou appear not to men to fast, but to thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret, will repay thee.








Monday, February 12, 2018

Daily Mass Readings for Tuesday, February 13, 2018


"The Pharisees and the Herodians Conspire Against Jesus" -- by James Tissot- PD-Art-1923
"The Pharisees and the Herodians Conspire Against Jesus"
-- by James Tissot


FIRST READING: James 1:12-18

12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been proved, he shall receive a crown of life, which God hath promised to them that love him.
13 Let no man, when he is tempted, say that he is tempted by God. For God is not a tempter of evils, and he tempteth no man.
14 But every man is tempted by his own concupiscence, being drawn away and allured.
15 Then when concupiscence hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin. But sin, when it is completed, begetteth death.
16 Do not err, therefore, my dearest brethren.
17 Every best gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor shadow of alteration.
18 For of his own will hath he begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be some beginning of his creatures.

PSALM: Psalms 94:12-15, 18-19

12 Blessed is the man whom thou shalt instruct, O Lord: and shalt teach him out of thy law.
13 That thou mayst give him rest from the evil days: till a pit be dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not cast off his people: neither will he forsake his own inheritance.
15 Until justice be turned into judgment: and they that are near it are all the upright in heart.
18 If I said: My foot is moved: thy mercy, O Lord, assisted me.
19 According to the multitude of my sorrows in my heart, thy comforts have given joy to my soul.

GOSPEL: Mark 8:14-21

14 And they forgot to take bread; and they had but one loaf with them in the ship.
15 And he charged them, saying: Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.
16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying: Because we have no bread.
17 Which Jesus knowing, saith to them: Why do you reason, because you have no bread? do you not yet know nor understand? have you still your heart blinded?
18 Having eyes, see you not? and having ears, hear you not? neither do you remember.
19 When I broke the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took you up? They say to him, Twelve.
20 When also the seven loaves among four thousand, how many baskets of fragments took you up? And they say to him, Seven.
21 And he said to them: How do you not yet understand?




Sunday, February 11, 2018

Daily Mass Readings for Monday, February 12, 2018


"The Pharisees and the Saduccees Come to Tempt Jesus" -- by James Tissot- PD-Art-1923


FIRST READING: James 1:1-11

1 James the servant of God, and of our Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
2 My brethren, count it all joy, when you shall fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 And patience hath a perfect work; that you may be perfect and entire, failing in nothing.
5 But if any of you want wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men abundantly, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, which is moved and carried about by the wind.
7 Therefore let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is inconstant in all his ways.
9 But let the brother of low condition glory in his exaltation:
10 And the rich, in his being low; because as the flower of the grass shall he pass away.
11 For the sun rose with a burning heat, and parched the grass, and the flower thereof fell off, and the beauty of the shape thereof perished: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

PSALM: Psalms 119:67-68, 71-72, 75-76

67 Before I was humbled I offended; therefore have I kept thy word.
68 Thou art good; and in thy goodness teach me thy justifications.
71 It is good for me that thou hast humbled me, that I may learn thy justifications.
72 The law of thy mouth is good to me, above thousands of gold and silver.
75 I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are equity: and in thy truth thou hast humbled me.
76 O! let thy mercy be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.

GOSPEL: Mark 8:11-13

11 And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, asking him a sign from heaven, tempting him.
12 And sighing deeply in spirit, he saith: Why doth this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, a sign shall not be given to this generation.
13 And leaving them, he went up again into the ship, and passed to the other side of the water.