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July 1, 2014Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 Am 3:1-8; 4:11-12 Hear this word, O children of Israel, that the LORD pronounces over you,over the whole family that I brought up from the land of Egypt: You alone have I favored, more than all the families of the earth;Therefore I will punish youfor all your crimes. Do two walk togetherunless they have agreed?Does a lion roar in the forestwhen it has no prey?Does a young lion cry out from its denunless it has seized something?Is a bird brought to earth by a snarewhen there...

June 30, 2014Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 Am 2:6-10, 13-16 Thus says the LORD:For three crimes of Israel, and for four,I will not revoke my word;Because they sell the just man for silver,and the poor man for a pair of sandals.They trample the heads of the weakinto the dust of the earth,and force the lowly out of the way.Son and father go to the same prostitute,profaning my holy name.Upon garments taken in pledgethey recline beside any altar;And the wine of those who have been finedthey drink in the house of their god. Yet...

June 29, 2014Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles, Mass during the Day    Reading 1 Acts 12:1-11 In those days, King Herod laid hands upon some members of the Church to harm them.He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword,and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jewshe proceeded to arrest Peter also.–It was the feast of Unleavened Bread.–He had him taken into custody and put in prisonunder the guard of four squads of four soldiers each.He intended to bring him before the people after Passover.Peter thus was being kept in prison,but prayer...

June 29, 2014Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles, Vigil Mass    Reading 1 Acts 3:1-10 Peter and John were going up to the temple areafor the three o’clock hour of prayer. And a man crippled from birth was carriedand placed at the gate of the temple called “the Beautiful Gate”every day to beg for alms from the people who entered the temple.When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple,he asked for alms.But Peter looked intently at him, as did John,and said, “Look at us.”He paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them.Peter...

June 28, 2014Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary    Reading 1 Lam 2:2, 10-14, 18-19 The Lord has consumed without pityall the dwellings of Jacob;He has torn down in his angerthe fortresses of daughter Judah;He has brought to the ground in dishonorher king and her princes. On the ground in silence sitthe old men of daughter Zion;They strew dust on their headsand gird themselves with sackcloth;The maidens of Jerusalembow their heads to the ground. Worn out from weeping are my eyes,within me all is in ferment;My gall is poured out on the groundbecause of the...

June 27, 2014Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus    Reading 1 Dt 7:6-11 Moses said to the people:"You are a people sacred to the LORD, your God;he has chosen you from all the nations on the face of the earthto be a people peculiarly his own.It was not because you are the largest of all nationsthat the LORD set his heart on you and chose you,for you are really the smallest of all nations.It was because the LORD loved youand because of his fidelity to the oath he had sworn your fathers,that he brought you out with his...

June 26, 2014Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 2 Kgs 24:8-17 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign,and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta,daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.He did evil in the sight of the LORD,just as his forebears had done. At that time the officials of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,attacked Jerusalem, and the city came under siege.Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,himself arrived at the citywhile his servants were besieging it.Then Jehoiachin, king of Judah, together with his mother,his ministers, officers, and functionaries,surrendered to the king of...

June 25, 2014Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 2 Kgs 22:8-13; 23:1-3 The high priest Hilkiah informed the scribe Shaphan,“I have found the book of the law in the temple of the LORD.”Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who read it.Then the scribe Shaphan went to the king and reported,“Your servants have smelted down the metals available in the templeand have consigned them to the master workmenin the temple of the LORD.”The scribe Shaphan also informed the kingthat the priest Hilkiah had given him a book,and then read it aloud to the king.When the...

June 24, 2014Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, Mass during the Day    Reading 1 Is 49:1-6 Hear me, O coastlands,listen, O distant peoples.The LORD called me from birth,from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.He made of me a sharp-edged swordand concealed me in the shadow of his arm.He made me a polished arrow,in his quiver he hid me.You are my servant, he said to me,Israel, through whom I show my glory. Though I thought I had toiled in vain,and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength,yet my reward is with the LORD,my recompense is...

June 24, 2014Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, Vigil Mass    Reading 1 Jer 1:4-10 In the days of King Josiah, the word of the LORD came to me, saying: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,before you were born I dedicated you,a prophet to the nations I appointed you. “Ah, Lord GOD!” I said,“I know not how to speak; I am too young.”But the LORD answered me,Say not, “I am too young.”To whomever I send you, you shall go;whatever I command you, you shall speak.Have no fear before them,because I am with...

June 23, 2014Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 2 Kgs 17:5-8, 13-15a, 18 Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, occupied the whole landand attacked Samaria, which he besieged for three years.In the ninth year of Hoshea, king of Israelthe king of Assyria took Samaria,and deported the children of Israel to Assyria,setting them in Halah, at the Habor, a river of Gozan,and the cities of the Medes. This came about because the children of Israel sinned against the LORD,their God, who had brought them up from the land of Egypt,from under the domination of Pharaoh, king of...

June 22, 2014Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)    Reading 1 Dt 8:2-3, 14b-16a Moses said to the people:"Remember how for forty years now the LORD, your God,has directed all your journeying in the desert,so as to test you by afflictionand find out whether or not it was your intentionto keep his commandments. He therefore let you be afflicted with hunger,and then fed you with manna,a food unknown to you and your fathers,in order to show you that not by bread alone does one live,but by every word that comes forth from the...

June 20, 2014Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 2 Kgs 11:1-4, 9-18, 20 When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah,saw that her son was dead,she began to kill off the whole royal family.But Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah,took Joash, his son, and spirited him away, along with his nurse,from the bedroom where the princes were about to be slain.She concealed him from Athaliah, and so he did not die.For six years he remained hidden in the temple of the LORD,while Athaliah ruled the land. But in the seventh year,Jehoiada summoned the...

June 19, 2014Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 Sir 48:1-14 Like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijahwhose words were as a flaming furnace.Their staff of bread he shattered,in his zeal he reduced them to straits;By the Lord’s word he shut up the heavensand three times brought down fire.How awesome are you, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds!Whose glory is equal to yours?You brought a dead man back to lifefrom the nether world, by the will of the LORD.You sent kings down to destruction,and easily broke their power into pieces.You brought down nobles, from their...

June 18, 2014Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 2 Kgs 2:1, 6-14 When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind,he and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here;the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan.”“As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live,I will not leave you,” Elisha replied.And so the two went on together.Fifty of the guild prophets followed andwhen the two stopped at the Jordan,they stood facing them at a distance.Elijah took his mantle, rolled it upand struck the...

June 17, 2014Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 1 Kgs 21:17-29 After the death of Naboth the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite:“Start down to meet Ahab, king of Israel,who rules in Samaria.He will be in the vineyard of Naboth,of which he has come to take possession.This is what you shall tell him,‘The LORD says: After murdering, do you also take possession?For this, the LORD says:In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth,the dogs shall lick up your blood, too.’”Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me out, my enemy?”“Yes,”...

June 16, 2014Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 1 Kgs 21:1-16 Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreelnext to the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria.Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to be my vegetable garden,since it is close by, next to my house.I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or,if you prefer, I will give you its value in money.”Naboth answered him, “The LORD forbidthat I should give you my ancestral heritage.”Ahab went home disturbed and angry at the answerNaboth the Jezreelite had made to him:“I will not...

June 15, 2014The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity  Reading 1 Ex 34:4b-6, 8-9 Early in the morning Moses went up Mount Sinaias the LORD had commanded him,taking along the two stone tablets. Having come down in a cloud, the LORD stood with Moses thereand proclaimed his name, "LORD."Thus the LORD passed before him and cried out,"The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God,slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity."Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship.Then he said, "If I find favor with you, O Lord,do come along in our company.This is indeed...

June 14, 2014Saturday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 1 Kgs 19:19-21 Elijah set out, and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat,as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen;he was following the twelfth.Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak over him.Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said,“Please, let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,and I will follow you.”Elijah answered, “Go back! Have I done anything to you?”Elisha left him and, taking the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them;he used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh,and gave it...

June 13, 2014Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church  Reading 1 1 Kgs 19:9a, 11-16 At the mountain of God, Horeb,Elijah came to a cave, where he took shelter.But the word of the LORD came to him,“Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD;the LORD will be passing by.”A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountainsand crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind.After the wind there was an earthquake— but the LORD was not in the earthquake.After the earthquake there was fire—but the LORD was not...