Catholic Mass Readings For Thursday, August 07, 2014

FIRST READING: Jeremiah 31: 31 - 34

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31 Behold the days shall come, saith the Lord, and I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Juda:

32 Not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt: the covenant which they made void, and I had dominion over them, saith the Lord.

33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days, saith the Lord: I will give my law in their bowels, and I will write it in their heart: and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying: Know the Lord: for all shall know me from the least of them even to the greatest, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

PSALM: Psalms 51: 12 - 15, 18 - 19

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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.

15 I will teach the unjust thy ways: and the wicked shall be converted to thee.

18 For if thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would indeed have given it: with burnt offerings thou wilt not be delighted.

19 A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit: a contrite and humbled heart, O God, thou wilt not despise..

GOSPEL: Matthew 16: 13 - 23

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13 And Jesus came into the quarters of Caesarea Philippi: and he asked his disciples, saying: Whom do men say that the Son of man is?

14 But they said: Some John the Baptist, and other some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

15 Jesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am?

16 Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.

17 And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven.

18 And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

19 And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.

20 Then he commanded his disciples, that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ.

21 From that time Jesus began to shew to his disciples, that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the ancients and scribes and chief priests, and be put to death, and the third day rise again.

22 And Peter taking him, began to rebuke him, saying: Lord, be it far from thee, this shall not be unto thee.

23 Who turning, said to Peter: Go behind me, Satan, thou art a scandal unto me: because thou savourest not the things that are of God, but the things that are of men.

Catholic Mass Readings For Wednesday, August 06, 2014

"The Transfiguration" -- by James Tissot

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

FIRST READING: Daniel 7: 9 - 10, 13 - 14

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9 I beheld till thrones were placed, and the Ancient of days sat: his garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like clean wool: his throne like flames of fire: the wheels of it like a burning fire.

10 A swift stream of fire issued forth from before him: thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before him: the judgment sat, and the books were opened.

13 I beheld therefore in the vision of the night, and lo, one like the son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and he came even to the Ancient of days: and they presented him before him.

14 And he gave him power, and glory, and a kingdom: and all peoples, tribes and tongues shall serve him: his power is an everlasting power that shall not be taken away: and his kingdom that shall not be destroyed.

PSALM: Psalms 97: 1 - 2, 5 - 6, 9

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1 The Lord hath reigned, let the earth rejoice: let many islands be glad.

2 Clouds and darkness are round about him: justice and judgment are the establishment of his throne.

5 The mountains melted like wax, at the presence of the Lord: at the presence of the Lord of all the earth.

6 The heavens declared his justice: and all people saw his glory.

9 For thou art the most high Lord over all the earth: thou art exalted exceedingly above all gods.

SECOND READING: 2 Peter 1: 16 - 19

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16 For we have not by following artificial fables, made known to you the power, and presence of our Lord Jesus Christ; but we were eyewitnesses of his greatness.

17 For he received from God the Father, honour and glory: this voice coming down to him from the excellent glory: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

18 And this voice we heard brought from heaven, when we were with him in the holy mount.

19 And we have the more firm prophetical word: whereunto you do well to attend, as to a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.

GOSPEL: Matthew 17: 1 - 9

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1 And after six days Jesus taketh unto him Peter and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart:

2 And he was transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the sun: and his garments became white as snow.

3 And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with him.

4 And Peter answering, said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

5 And as he was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them. And lo, a voice out of the cloud, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear ye him.

6 And the disciples hearing, fell upon their face, and were very much afraid.

7 And Jesus came and touched them: and said to them, Arise, and fear not.

8 And they lifting up their eyes saw no one but only Jesus.

9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying: Tell the vision to no man, till the Son of man be risen from the dead.

Catholic Mass Readings For Tuesday, August 05, 2014

"The Blind in the Ditch" -- by James Tissot

Optional Memorial of the Dedication of Saint Mary Major

FIRST READING: Jeremiah 30: 1 - 2, 12 - 15, 18 - 22

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1 This is another word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh:

2 Yahweh, God of Israel says, "Write in a book all that I have communicated to you,

12 Yahweh says, "Your wound is incurable, your injury is grievous.

13 There is no one to plead your cause. There is a remedy for an ulcer but no healing for you!

14 All your lovers have forgotten you; they care nothing for you. For I struck you as an enemy does, with a cruel punishment, because of your great guilt and the wickedness of your sin.

15 Why cry out now that you are hurt? Is there no cure for your pain? Because of your great crime and grievous sin I have done this to you.

18 Yahweh says, "I will restore my people into Jacob's tents and have pity on his dwellings. The city will be rebuilt over its ruins and the palace restored on its proper place.

19 From them will come songs of praise and the sound of merrymaking. I will multiply them and they shall not be few. I will bestow honor on them and they shall not be despised.

20 Their children will be as before and their community will be established before me. I will ask their oppressors to account.

21 Their leader will be one of themselves, their ruler shall emerge from their midst. I will bring him close to me for who would dare to approach me?

22 You shall be my people and I shall be your God."

PSALM: Psalms 102: 16 - 21, 29, 22 - 23

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16 O Lord, the nations will revere your name, and the kings of the earth your glory,

17 when the Lord will rebuild Zion and appear in all his splendor.

18 For he will answer the prayer of the needy and will not despise their plea.

19 Let this be written for future ages, "the Lord will be praised by a people he will form."

20 From his holy height in heaven, the Lord has looked on the earth

21 to hear the groaning of the prisoners, and free those condemned to death.

29 Your servants' children will dwell secure; their posterity will endure without fail.

22 Then the name of the Lord will be declared in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem,

23 when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship him

GOSPEL: Matthew 14: 22 - 36 OR Matthew 15: 1 - 2, 10 - 14

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22 Immediately Jesus obliged his disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he sent the crowd away.

23 And having sent the people away, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. At nightfall, he was there alone.

24 Meanwhile, the boat was very far from land, dangerously rocked by the waves for the wind was against it.

25 At daybreak, Jesus came to them walking on the lake.

26 When they saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, thinking that it was a ghost. And they cried out in fear.

27 But at once Jesus said to them, "Courage! Don't be afraid. It's me!"

28 Peter answered, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you walking on the water."

29 Jesus said to him, "Come." And Peter got out of the boat, walking on the water to go to Jesus.

30 But, in face of the strong wind, he was afraid and began to sink. So he cried out, "Lord, save me!"

31 Jesus immediately stretched out his hand and took hold of him, saying, "Man of little faith, why did you doubt?"

32 As they got into the boat, the wind dropped.

33 Then those in the boat bowed down before Jesus saying, "Truly, you are the Son of God!"

34 They came ashore at Gennesareth.

35 The local people recognized Jesus and spread the news throughout the region. So they brought all the sick to him,

36 begging him to let them touch just the fringe of his cloak. All who touched it became perfectly well.

OR

1 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the Law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus. And they said to him,

2 "Why don't your disciples follow the tradition of the elders? In fact, they don't wash their hands before eating."

10 Jesus then called the people near him and said to them, "Listen and understand:

11 what enters into the mouth does not make a person unclean, what defiles one is what comes out of his mouth."

12 After a while the disciples gathered around Jesus and said, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended by what you said?"

13 Jesus answered, "Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted shall be uprooted.

14 Pay no attention to them! They are blind leading the blind. When a blind person leads another, the two will fall into a pit."