Daily Mass Readings

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Mass Readings for Wednesday, July 20, 2011

FIRST READING: Exodus 16: 1 - 5, 9 - 15

1 They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt.

2 And the whole congregation of the people of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness,

3 and said to them, "Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."

4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law or not.

5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily."

9 And Moses said to Aaron, "Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, `Come near before the LORD, for he has heard your murmurings.'"

10 And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.

11 And the LORD said to Moses,

12 "I have heard the murmurings of the people of Israel; say to them, `At twilight you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'"

13 In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning dew lay round about the camp.

14 And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as hoarfrost on the ground.

15 When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "It is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat.

PSALM: Psalms 78: 18 - 19, 23 - 28

18 They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved.

19 They spoke against God, saying, "Can God spread a table in the wilderness?

23 Yet he commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven;

24 and he rained down upon them manna to eat, and gave them the grain of heaven.

25 Man ate of the bread of the angels; he sent them food in abundance.

26 He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power he led out the south wind;

27 he rained flesh upon them like dust, winged birds like the sand of the seas;

28 he let them fall in the midst of their camp, all around their habitations.

GOSPEL: Matthew 13: 1 - 9

1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea.

2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat there; and the whole crowd stood on the beach.

3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow.

4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.

5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil,

6 but when the sun rose they were scorched; and since they had no root they withered away.

7 Other seeds fell upon thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.

8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

9 He who has ears, let him hear."

Mass Readings for Tuesday, July 19, 2011

FIRST READING: Exodus 14: 21 - 31 -- 15: 1

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

22 And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

23 The Egyptians pursued, and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

24 And in the morning watch the LORD in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down upon the host of the Egyptians, and discomfited the host of the Egyptians,

25 clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily; and the Egyptians said, "Let us flee from before Israel; for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians."

26 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen."

27 So Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its wonted flow when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled into it, and the LORD routed the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.

28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen and all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not so much as one of them remained.

29 But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore.

31 And Israel saw the great work which the LORD did against the Egyptians, and the people feared the LORD; and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.

1 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying, "I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.

PSALM: Exodus 15: 8 - 10, 12, 17

8 At the blast of thy nostrils the waters piled up, the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.

9 The enemy said, `I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.'

10 Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them; they sank as lead in the mighty waters.

12 Thou didst stretch out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.

17 Thou wilt bring them in, and plant them on thy own mountain, the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thy abode, the sanctuary, LORD, which thy hands have established.

GOSPEL: Matthew 12: 46 - 50

46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.

48 But he replied to the man who told him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?"

49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!

50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother."

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Mass Readings for Sunday, July 17, 2011

"The Enemy Who Sows" - James Tissot

FIRST READING: Wisdom 12: 13, 16 - 19

13 For neither is there any god besides thee, whose care is for all men, to whom thou shouldst prove that thou hast not judged unjustly;

16 For thy strength is the source of righteousness, and thy sovereignty over all causes thee to spare all.

17 For thou dost show thy strength when men doubt the completeness of thy power, and dost rebuke any insolence among those who know it.

18 Thou who art sovereign in strength dost judge with mildness, and with great forbearance thou dost govern us; for thou hast power to act whenever thou dost choose.

19 Through such works thou has taught thy people that the righteous man must be kind, and thou hast filled thy sons with good hope, because thou givest repentance for sins.

PSALM: Psalms 86: 5 - 6, 9 - 10, 15 - 16

5 For thou, O Lord, art good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call on thee.

6 Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; hearken to my cry of supplication.

9 All the nations thou hast made shall come and bow down before thee, O Lord, and shall glorify thy name.

10 For thou art great and doest wondrous things, thou alone art God.

15 But thou, O Lord, art a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

16 Turn to me and take pity on me; give thy strength to thy servant, and save the son of thy handmaid.

SECOND READING: Romans 8: 26 - 27

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.

27 And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

GOSPEL: Matthew 13: 24 - 43 Or 13: 24 - 30

24 Another parable he put before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field;

25 but while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.

26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.

27 And the servants of the householder came and said to him, `Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then has it weeds?'

28 He said to them, `An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, `Then do you want us to go and gather them?'

29 But he said, `No; lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.

30 Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"

31 Another parable he put before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field;

32 it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."

33 He told them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened."

34 All this Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed he said nothing to them without a parable.

35 This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world."

36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field."

37 He answered, "He who sows the good seed is the Son of man;

38 the field is the world, and the good seed means the sons of the kingdom; the weeds are the sons of the evil one,

39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels.

40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age.

41 The Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers,

42 and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.

43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

24 Another parable he put before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field;

25 but while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.

26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.

27 And the servants of the householder came and said to him, `Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then has it weeds?'

28 He said to them, `An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, `Then do you want us to go and gather them?'

29 But he said, `No; lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.

30 Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"

Friday, July 08, 2011

Mass Readings for Saturday, July 09, 2011

FIRST READING: Genesis 49: 29 - 32 ; 50: 15 - 26

29 Then he charged them, and said to them, "I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,

30 in the cave that is in the field at Mach-pe'lah, to the east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place.

31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah --

32 the field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the Hittites."

15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil which we did to him."

16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, "Your father gave this command before he died,

17 `Say to Joseph, Forgive, I pray you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.' And now, we pray you, forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father." Joseph wept when they spoke to him.

18 His brothers also came and fell down before him, and said, "Behold, we are your servants."

19 But Joseph said to them, "Fear not, for am I in the place of God?

20 As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

21 So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones." Thus he reassured them and comforted them.

22 So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father's house; and Joseph lived a hundred and ten years.

23 And Joseph saw E'phraim's children of the third generation; the children also of Machir the son of Manas'seh were born upon Joseph's knees.

24 And Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die; but God will visit you, and bring you up out of this land to the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob."

25 Then Joseph took an oath of the sons of Israel, saying, "God will visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here."

26 So Joseph died, being a hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

PSALM: Psalms 105: 1 - 4, 6 - 7

1 O give thanks to the LORD, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples!

2 Sing to him, sing praises to him, tell of all his wonderful works!

3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!

4 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his presence continually!

6 O offspring of Abraham his servant, sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!

7 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.

GOSPEL: Matthew 10: 24 - 33

24 "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master;

25 it is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Be-el'zebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.

26 "So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.

27 What I tell you in the dark, utter in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim upon the housetops.

28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's will.

30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.

31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

32 So every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven;

33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.