Daily Mass Readings

Thursday, February 09, 2012

Daily Mass Readings for Friday, February 10, 2012

Memorial of Saint Scholastica, Virgin

FIRST READING: 1 Kings 11: 29 - 32; 12: 19

29 And at that time, when Jerobo'am went out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahi'jah the Shi'lonite found him on the road. Now Ahi'jah had clad himself with a new garment; and the two of them were alone in the open country.

30 Then Ahi'jah laid hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it into twelve pieces.

31 And he said to Jerobo'am, "Take for yourself ten pieces; for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, `Behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon, and will give you ten tribes

32 (but he shall have one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel),

19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

PSALM: Psalms 81: 10 - 15

10 I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

11 "But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would have none of me.

12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.

13 O that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways!

14 I would soon subdue their enemies, and turn my hand against their foes.

15 Those who hate the LORD would cringe toward him, and their fate would last for ever.

GOSPEL: Mark 7: 31 - 37

31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of the Decap'olis.

32 And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech; and they besought him to lay his hand upon him.

33 And taking him aside from the multitude privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue;

34 and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, "Eph'phatha," that is, "Be opened."

35 And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.

36 And he charged them to tell no one; but the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.

37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well; he even makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak."

Steve Smith

I am a 68 year old single man from the mountains of Western North Carolina.

Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Daily Mass Readings for Thursday, February 09, 2012

FIRST READING: 1 Kings 11: 4 - 13

4 For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

5 For Solomon went after Ash'toreth the goddess of the Sido'nians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

6 So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not wholly follow the LORD, as David his father had done.

7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem.

8 And so he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice,

10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the LORD commanded.

11 Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, "Since this has been your mind and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant.

12 Yet for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son.

13 However I will not tear away all the kingdom; but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen."

PSALM: Psalms 106: 3 - 4, 35 - 37, 40

3 Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!

4 Remember me, O LORD, when thou showest favor to thy people; help me when thou deliverest them;

35 but they mingled with the nations and learned to do as they did.

36 They served their idols, which became a snare to them.

37 They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons;

40 Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage.

GOSPEL: Mark 7: 24 - 30

24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house, and would not have any one know it; yet he could not be hid.

25 But immediately a woman, whose little daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell down at his feet.

26 Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoeni'cian by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter.

27 And he said to her, "Let the children first be fed, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

28 But she answered him, "Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."

29 And he said to her, "For this saying you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter."

30 And she went home, and found the child lying in bed, and the demon gone.

Steve Smith

I am a 68 year old single man from the mountains of Western North Carolina.

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Daily Mass Readings for Wednesday, February 08, 2012

FIRST READING: 1 Kings 10: 1 - 10

1 Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions.

2 She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices, and very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind.

3 And Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king which he could not explain to her.

4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built,

5 the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, their clothing, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings which he offered at the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her.

6 And she said to the king, "The report was true which I heard in my own land of your affairs and of your wisdom,

7 but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it; and, behold, the half was not told me; your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report which I heard.

8 Happy are your wives! Happy are these your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom!

9 Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the LORD loved Israel for ever, he has made you king, that you may execute justice and righteousness."

10 Then she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones; never again came such an abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

PSALM: Psalms 37: 5 - 6, 30 - 31, 39 - 40

5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.

6 He will bring forth your vindication as the light, and your right as the noonday.

30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.

31 The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.

39 The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; he is their refuge in the time of trouble.

40 The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked, and saves them, because they take refuge in him.

GOSPEL: Mark 7: 14 - 23

14 And he called the people to him again, and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand:

15 there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him."

17 And when he had entered the house, and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable.

18 And he said to them, "Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a man from outside cannot defile him,