Mass Readings For Tuesday, June 04, 2013

"The Tribute Money" -- by James Tissot

FIRST READING: Tobit 2: 9 - 14

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9 On the same night I returned from burying him, and because I was defiled I slept by the wall of the courtyard, and my face was uncovered.

10 I did not know that there were sparrows on the wall and their fresh droppings fell into my open eyes and white films formed on my eyes. I went to physicians, but they did not help me. Ahikar, however, took care of me until he went to Elymais.

11 Then my wife Anna earned money at women's work.

12 She used to send the product to the owners. Once when they paid her wages, they also gave her a kid;

13 and when she returned to me it began to bleat. So I said to her, "Where did you get the kid? It is not stolen, is it? Return it to the owners; for it is not right to eat what is stolen."

14 And she said, "It was given to me as a gift in addition to my wages." But I did not believe her, and told her to return it to the owners; and I blushed for her. Then she replied to me, "Where are your charities and your righteous deeds? You seem to know everything!"

PSALM: Psalms 112: 1 - 2, 7 - 9

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1 Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord: he shall delight exceedingly in his commandments.

2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the righteous shall be blessed.

7 The just shall be in everlasting remembrance: he shall not hear the evil hearing. His heart is ready to hope in the Lord:

8 His heart is strengthened, he shall not be moved until he look over his enemies.

9 He hath distributed, he hath given to the poor: his justice remaineth for ever and ever: his horn shall be exalted in glory.

GOSPEL: Mark 12: 13 - 17

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13 And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and of the Herodians; that they should catch him in his words.

14 Who coming, say to him: Master, we know that thou art a true speaker, and carest not for any man; for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar; or shall we not give it?

15 Who knowing their wiliness, saith to them: Why tempt you me? bring me a penny that I may see it.

16 And they brought it him. And he saith to them: Whose is this image and inscription? They say to him, Caesar's.

17 And Jesus answering, said to them: Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him.

Mass Readings For Monday, June 03, 2013

"The Corner Stone" -- by James Tissot

Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs

FIRST READING: Tobit 1: 3; 2: 1 - 8

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3 I, Tobit, walked in the ways of truth and righteousness all the days of my life, and I performed many acts of charity to my brethren and countrymen who went with me into the land of the Assyrians, to Nineveh.

1 When I arrived home and my wife Anna and my son Tobias were restored to me, at the feast of Pentecost, which is the sacred festival of the seven weeks, a good dinner was prepared for me and I sat down to eat.

2 Upon seeing the abundance of food I said to my son, "Go and bring whatever poor man of our brethren you may find who is mindful of the Lord, and I will wait for you."

3 But he came back and said, "Father, one of our people has been strangled and thrown into the market place."

4 So before I tasted anything I sprang up and removed the body to a place of shelter until sunset.

5 And when I returned I washed myself and ate my food in sorrow.

6 Then I remembered the prophecy of Amos, how he said, "Your feasts shall be turned into mourning, and all your festivities into lamentation." And I wept.

7 When the sun had set I went and dug a grave and buried the body.

8 And my neighbors laughed at me and said, "He is no longer afraid that he will be put to death for doing this; he once ran away, and here he is burying the dead again!"

PSALM: Psalms 112: 1 - 6

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1 Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments!

2 His descendants will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.

3 Wealth and riches are in his house; and his righteousness endures for ever.

4 Light rises in the darkness for the upright; the LORD is gracious, merciful, and righteous.

5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice.

6 For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered for ever.

GOSPEL: Mark 12: 1 - 12

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1 And he began to speak to them in parables. "A man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a pit for the wine press, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country.

2 When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.

3 And they took him and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.

4 Again he sent to them another servant, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully.

5 And he sent another, and him they killed; and so with many others, some they beat and some they killed.

6 He had still one other, a beloved son; finally he sent him to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'

7 But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'

8 And they took him and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.

9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants, and give the vineyard to others.

10 Have you not read this scripture: 'The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner;

11 this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?"

12 And they tried to arrest him, but feared the multitude, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them; so they left him and went away.

Sunday Mass Readings For June 02, 2013

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

FIRST READING: Genesis 14: 18 - 20

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18 But Melchisedech the king of Salem, bringing forth bread and wine, for he was the priest of the most high God,

19 Blessed him, and said: Blessed be Abram by the most high God, who created heaven and earth.

20 And blessed be the most high God, by whose protection the enemies are in thy hands. And he gave him the tithes of all.

PSALM: Psalms 110: 1 - 4

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1 The Lord said to my Lord: Sit thou at my right hand: Until I make thy enemies thy footstool.

2 The Lord will send forth the sceptre of thy power out of Sion: rule thou in the midst of thy enemies.

3 With thee is the principality in the day of thy strength: in the brightness of the saints: from the womb before the day star I begot thee.

4 The Lord hath sworn, and he will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech.

SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 11: 23 - 26

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23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread.

24 And giving thanks, broke, and said: Take ye, and eat: this is my body, which shall be delivered for you: this do for the commemoration of me.

25 In like manner also the chalice, after he had supped, saying: This chalice is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as often as you shall drink, for the commemoration of me.

26 For as often as you shall eat this bread, and drink the chalice, you shall shew the death of the Lord, until he come.

GOSPEL: Luke 9: 11 - 17

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11 Which when the people knew, they followed him; and he received them, and spoke to them of the kingdom of God, and healed them who had need of healing.

12 Now the day began to decline. And the twelve came and said to him: Send away the multitude, that going into the towns and villages round about, they may lodge and get victuals; for we are here in a desert place.

13 But he said to them: Give you them to eat. And they said: We have no more than five loaves and two fishes; unless perhaps we should go and buy food for all this multitude.

14 Now there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples: Make them sit down by fifties in a company.

15 And they did so; and made them all sit down.

16 And taking the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed them; and he broke, and distributed to his disciples, to set before the multitude.

17 And they did all eat, and were filled. And there were taken up of fragments that remained to them, twelve baskets.