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January 24, 2018 Memorial of Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Reading 1 2 Sm 7:4-17 That night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said:"Go, tell my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD:Should you build me a house to dwell in?I have not dwelt in a house from the day on which I led the children of Israel 319out of Egypt to the present, but I have been going about in a tent under cloth.In all my wanderings everywhere among the children of Israel, did I ever utter a word to any one of the...

January 23, 2018 Tuesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 2 Sm 6:12b-15, 17-19 David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the City of David amid festivities.As soon as the bearers of the ark of the LORD had advanced six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.Then David, girt with a linen apron, came dancing before the LORD with abandon, as he and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the LORDwith shouts of joy and to the sound of the horn.The ark of...

January 22, 2018 Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children Reading 1 2 Sm 5:1-7, 10 All the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said:"Here we are, your bone and your flesh.In days past, when Saul was our king, it was you who led the children of Israel out and brought them back.And the LORD said to you, 'You shall shepherd my people Israel and shall be commander of Israel.'"When all the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron, King David made an agreement with them there before the LORD, and they...

January 21, 2018 Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Jon 3:1-5, 10 The word of the LORD came to Jonah, saying:"Set out for the great city of Nineveh,and announce to it the message that I will tell you."So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh,according to the LORD'S bidding.Now Nineveh was an enormously large city;it took three days to go through it.Jonah began his journey through the city,and had gone but a single day's walk announcing,"Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed, "when the people of Nineveh believed God;they proclaimed a fastand all of them, great and...

January 19, 2018 Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 1 Sm 24:3-21 Saul took three thousand picked men from all Israel and went in search of David and his men in the direction of the wild goat crags.When he came to the sheepfolds along the way, he found a cave, which he entered to relieve himself.David and his men were occupying the inmost recesses of the cave. David's servants said to him, "This is the day of which the LORD said to you, 'I will deliver your enemy into your grasp; do with him as...

January 18, 2018 Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 1 Sm 18:6-9; 19:1-7 When David and Saul approached(on David's return after slaying the Philistine), women came out from each of the cities of Israel to meet King Saul,singing and dancing, with tambourines, joyful songs, and sistrums.The women played and sang: "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands." Saul was very angry and resentful of the song, for he thought:"They give David ten thousands, but only thousands to me.All that remains for him is the kingship."And from that day on, Saul was jealous...

January 17, 2018 Memorial of Saint Anthony, Abbot Reading 1 1 Sm 17:32-33, 37, 40-51 David spoke to Saul:"Let your majesty not lose courage.I am at your service to go and fight this Philistine."But Saul answered David,"You cannot go up against this Philistine and fight with him,for you are only a youth, while he has been a warrior from his youth." David continued:"The LORD, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear,will also keep me safe from the clutches of this Philistine."Saul answered David, "Go! the LORD will be with you." Then, staff in hand,...

January 16, 2018 Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 1 Sm 16:1-13 The LORD said to Samuel:"How long will you grieve for Saul,whom I have rejected as king of Israel?Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way.I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem,for I have chosen my king from among his sons."But Samuel replied:"How can I go?Saul will hear of it and kill me."To this the LORD answered:"Take a heifer along and say,'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.'Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I myself will tell you what to...

January 15, 2018 Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 1 Sm 15:16-23 Samuel said to Saul:"Stop! Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night."Saul replied, "Speak!" Samuel then said: "Though little in your own esteem,are you not leader of the tribes of Israel?The LORD anointed you king of Israel and sent you on a mission, saying,'Go and put the sinful Amalekites under a ban of destruction.Fight against them until you have exterminated them.'Why then have you disobeyed the LORD?You have pounced on the spoil, thus displeasing the LORD."Saul answered Samuel: "I...

January 14, 2018 Second Sunday of Ordinary Time Reading 1 1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19 Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORDwhere the ark of God was.The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, "Here I am."Samuel ran to Eli and said, "Here I am. You called me.""I did not call you, " Eli said. "Go back to sleep."So he went back to sleep.Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli."Here I am, " he said. "You called me."But Eli answered, "I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep." At that time Samuel...

January 13, 2018 Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 1 Sm 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1 There was a stalwart man from Benjamin named Kish,who was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror,son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite.He had a son named Saul, who was a handsome young man.There was no other child of Israel more handsome than Saul;he stood head and shoulders above the people. Now the asses of Saul's father, Kish, had wandered off.Kish said to his son Saul, "Take one of the servants with youand go out and hunt for the asses."Accordingly...

January 12, 2018 Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 1 Sm 8:4-7, 10-22a All the elders of Israel came in a body to Samuel at Ramahand said to him, "Now that you are old,and your sons do not follow your example,appoint a king over us, as other nations have, to judge us." Samuel was displeased when they asked for a king to judge them.He prayed to the LORD, however, who said in answer:"Grant the people's every request.It is not you they reject, they are rejecting me as their king." Samuel delivered the message of the...

January 11, 2018 Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 1 Sm 4:1-11 The Philistines gathered for an attack on Israel.Israel went out to engage them in battle and camped at Ebenezer,while the Philistines camped at Aphek.The Philistines then drew up in battle formation against Israel.After a fierce struggle Israel was defeated by the Philistines,who slew about four thousand men on the battlefield.When the troops retired to the camp, the elders of Israel said,"Why has the LORD permitted us to be defeated todayby the Philistines?Let us fetch the ark of the LORD from Shilohthat it may...

January 10, 2018 Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 1 Sm 3:1-10, 19-20 During the time young Samuel was minister to the LORD under Eli,a revelation of the LORD was uncommon and vision infrequent.One day Eli was asleep in his usual place.His eyes had lately grown so weak that he could not see.The lamp of God was not yet extinguished,and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORDwhere the ark of God was.The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, "Here I am." Samuel ran to Eli and said, "Here I am. You called me.""I...

January 9, 2018 Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 1 Sm 1:9-20 Hannah rose after a meal at Shiloh,and presented herself before the LORD;at the time, Eli the priest was sitting on a chairnear the doorpost of the LORD's temple.In her bitterness she prayed to the LORD, weeping copiously,and she made a vow, promising: "O LORD of hosts,if you look with pity on the misery of your handmaid,if you remember me and do not forget me,if you give your handmaid a male child,I will give him to the LORD for as long as he lives;neither...

January 8, 2018 The Baptism of the Lord Reading 1 Is 42:1-4, 6-7 Thus says the LORD:Here is my servant whom I uphold,my chosen one with whom I am pleased,upon whom I have put my spirit;he shall bring forth justice to the nations,not crying out, not shouting,not making his voice heard in the street.a bruised reed he shall not break,and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,until he establishes justice on the earth;the coastlands will wait for his teaching. I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice,I have grasped you by the hand;I formed you, and...

December 2, 2017 Saturday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Dn 7:15-27 I, Daniel, found my spirit anguished within its covering of flesh,and I was terrified by the visions of my mind.I approached one of those presentand asked him what all this meant in truth;in answer, he made known to me the meaning of the things:"These four great beasts stand for four kingdomswhich shall arise on the earth.But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingship,to possess it forever and ever." But I wished to make certain about the fourth beast,so very terrible...

December 1, 2017 Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Dn 7:2-14 In a vision I, Daniel, saw during the night,the four winds of heaven stirred up the great sea,from which emerged four immense beasts,each different from the others.The first was like a lion, but with eagle's wings.While I watched, the wings were plucked;it was raised from the ground to stand on two feetlike a man, and given a human mind. The second was like a bear; it was raised up on one side,and among the teeth in its mouth were three tusks.It was given the...

November 30, 2017 Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle Reading 1 Rom 10:9-18 Brothers and sisters:If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lordand believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,you will be saved.For one believes with the heart and so is justified,and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.The Scripture says,No one who believes in him will be put to shame.There is no distinction between Jew and Greek;the same Lord is Lord of all,enriching all who call upon him.For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But...

November 29, 2017 Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Dn 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28 King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his lords,with whom he drank.Under the influence of the wine,he ordered the gold and silver vesselswhich Nebuchadnezzar, his father,had taken from the temple in Jerusalem,to be brought in so that the king, his lords,his wives and his entertainers might drink from them.When the gold and silver vesselstaken from the house of God in Jerusalem had been brought in,and while the king, his lords, his wives and his entertainerswere drinking wine from...