Daily Bible Readings for Wednesday November 30, 2011

Reading 1, Rom 10:9-18

Daily Readings for Wednesday November 30, 2011

Reading 1, Rom 10:9-18

9 that if you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and if you believe with your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved.

10 It is by believing with the heart that you are justified, and by making the declaration with your lips that you are saved.

11 When scripture says: No one who relies on this will be brought to disgrace,

12 it makes no distinction between Jew and Greek: the same Lord is the Lord of all, and his generosity is offered to all who appeal to him,

13 for all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.

14 How then are they to call on him if they have not come to believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard of him? And how will they hear of him unless there is a preacher for them?

15 And how will there be preachers if they are not sent? As scripture says: How beautiful are the feet of the messenger of good news.

16 But in fact they have not all responded to the good news. As Isaiah says: Lord, who has given credence to what they have heard from us?

17 But it is in that way faith comes, from hearing, and that means hearing the word of Christ.

18 Well then, I say, is it possible that they have not heard? Indeed they have: in the entire earth their voice stands out, their message reaches the whole world.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 19:2-3, 4-5

2 day discourses of it to day, night to night hands on the knowledge.

3 No utterance at all, no speech, not a sound to be heard,

4 but from the entire earth the design stands out, this message reaches the whole world. High above, he pitched a tent for the sun,

5 who comes forth from his pavilion like a bridegroom, delights like a champion in the course to be run.

Gospel, Mt 4:18-22

18 As he was walking by the Lake of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast into the lake with their net, for they were fishermen.

19 And he said to them, 'Come after me and I will make you fishers of people.'

20 And at once they left their nets and followed him.

21 Going on from there he saw another pair of brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they were in their boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them.

22 And at once, leaving the boat and their father, they followed him. 

Daily bible Readings for Sunday November 27, 2011

Reading 1, Is 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7

16 After all, you are our Father. If Abraham will not own us, if Israel will not acknowledge us, you, Yahweh, are our Father, 'Our Redeemer' is your name from of old.

17 Why, Yahweh, do you let us wander from your ways and let our hearts grow too hard to fear you? Return, for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage.

19 We have long been like those you do not rule, people who do not bear your name. Oh, that you would tear the heavens open and come down -- in your presence the mountains would quake,

2 at the unexpected miracles you would do. (Oh, that you would come down, in your presence the mountains would quake!)

3 Never has anyone heard, no ear has heard, no eye has seen any god but you act like this for the sake of those who trust him.

4 You come to meet those who are happy to act uprightly; keeping your ways reminds them of you. Yes, you have been angry and we have been sinners; now we persist in your ways and we shall be saved.

5 We have all been like unclean things and our upright deeds like filthy rags. We wither, all of us, like leaves, and all our misdeeds carry us off like the wind.

6 There is no one to invoke your name, to rouse himself to hold fast to you, for you have hidden your face from us and given us up to the power of our misdeeds.

7 And yet, Yahweh, you are our Father; we the clay and you our potter, all of us are the work of your hands.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19

2 over Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh; rouse your valour and come to our help.

3 God, bring us back, let your face shine on us and we shall be safe.

15 protect what your own hand has planted.

16 They have thrown it on the fire like dung, the frown of your rebuke will destroy them.

18 Never again will we turn away from you, give us life and we will call upon your name.

19 God Sabaoth, bring us back, let your face shine on us and we shall be safe.

Gospel, Mk 13:33-37

33 'Be on your guard, stay awake, because you never know when the time will come.

34 It is like a man travelling abroad: he has gone from his home, and left his servants in charge, each with his own work to do; and he has told the doorkeeper to stay awake.

35 So stay awake, because you do not know when the master of the house is coming, evening, midnight, cockcrow or dawn;

36 if he comes unexpectedly, he must not find you asleep.

37 And what I am saying to you I say to all: Stay awake!'

Reading 2, 1 Cor 1:3-9

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I am continually thanking God about you, for the grace of God which you have been given in Christ Jesus;

5 in him you have been richly endowed in every kind of utterance and knowledge;

6 so firmly has witness to Christ taken root in you.

7 And so you are not lacking in any gift as you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed;

8 he will continue to give you strength till the very end, so that you will be irreproachable on the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 You can rely on God, who has called you to be partners with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Cardinal Arinze predicts lasting heritage for Pope's Benin trip

Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze says Pope Benedict’s upcoming visit to Benin will leave at the back a positive and lasting legacy for all Africans.

“Catholics, other Christians in Africa and, indeed, those who are not Christian are all worried in this visit,” the cardinal told Vatican Radio on Nov. 17.

Cardinal Arinze, 79, will accompany Pope Benedict on his three day visit to the small West African state which starts tomorrow. The Cardinal served as Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship until 2008 when he retired.

The primary reason for the Pope’s visit is to permit the pontiff to sign the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation from 2009's synod of African bishops in Rome. The document—which is the Pope’s own response to that meeting—aims to help chart a path for the prospect of the Church in Africa. 

Daily Bible Readings for Thursday November 17, 2011

Reading 1, 1 Mc 2:15-29

15 The king's commissioners who were enforcing the apostasy came to the town of Modein for the sacrifices.

16 Many Israelites gathered round them, but Mattathias and his sons drew apart.

17 The king's commissioners then addressed Mattathias as follows, 'You are a respected leader, a great man in this town; you have sons and brothers to support you.

18 Be the first to step forward and conform to the king's decree, as all the nations have done, and the leaders of Judah and the survivors in Jerusalem; you and your sons shall be reckoned among the Friends of the King, you and your sons will be honoured with gold and silver and many presents.'

19 Raising his voice, Mattathias retorted, 'Even if every nation living in the king's dominions obeys him, each forsaking its ancestral religion to conform to his decrees,

20 I, my sons and my brothers will still follow the covenant of our ancestors.

21 May Heaven preserve us from forsaking the Law and its observances.

22 As for the king's orders, we will not follow them: we shall not swerve from our own religion either to right or to left.'

23 As he finished speaking, a Jew came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice on the altar in Modein as the royal edict required.

24 When Mattathias saw this, he was fired with zeal; stirred to the depth of his being, he gave vent to his legitimate anger, threw himself on the man and slaughtered him on the altar.

25 At the same time he killed the king's commissioner who was there to enforce the sacrifice, and tore down the altar.

26 In his zeal for the Law he acted as Phinehas had against Zimri son of Salu.

27 Then Mattathias went through the town, shouting at the top of his voice, 'Let everyone who has any zeal for the Law and takes his stand on the covenant come out and follow me.'

28 Then he fled with his sons into the hills, leaving all their possessions behind in the town.

29 Many people who were concerned for virtue and justice went down to the desert and stayed there,

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 50:1-2, 5-6, 14-15

1 [Psalm Of Asaph] The God of gods, Yahweh, is speaking, from east to west he summons the earth.

2 From Zion, perfection of beauty, he shines forth;

5 'Gather to me my faithful, who sealed my covenant by sacrifice.'

6 The heavens proclaim his saving justice, 'God himself is judge.'Pause

14 'Let thanksgiving be your sacrifice to God, fulfil the vows you make to the Most High;

15 then if you call to me in time of trouble I will rescue you and you will honour me.'

Gospel, Lk 19:41-44

41 As he drew near and came in sight of the city he shed tears over it

42 and said, 'If you too had only recognised on this day the way to peace! But in fact it is hidden from your eyes!

43 Yes, a time is coming when your enemies will raise fortifications all round you, when they will encircle you and hem you in on every side;

44 they will dash you and the children inside your walls to the ground; they will leave not one stone standing on another within you, because you did not recognise the moment of your visitation.'

Daily Readings for Wednesday November 16, 2011

Reading 1, 2 Mc 7:1, 20-31

1 It also happened that seven brothers were arrested with their mother. The king tried to force them to taste some pork, which the Law forbids, by torturing them with whips and scourges.

20 But the mother was especially admirable and worthy of honourable remembrance, for she watched the death of seven sons in the course of a single day, and bravely endured it because of her hopes in the Lord.

21 Indeed she encouraged each of them in their ancestral tongue; filled with noble conviction, she reinforced her womanly argument with manly courage, saying to them,

22 'I do not know how you appeared in my womb; it was not I who endowed you with breath and life, I had not the shaping of your every part.

23 And hence, the Creator of the world, who made everyone and ordained the origin of all things, will in his mercy give you back breath and life, since for the sake of his laws you have no concern for yourselves.'

24 Antiochus thought he was being ridiculed, suspecting insult in the tone of her voice; and as the youngest was still alive he appealed to him not with mere words but with promises on oath to make him both rich and happy if he would abandon the traditions of his ancestors; he would make him his Friend and entrust him with public office.

25 The young man took no notice at all, and so the king then appealed to the mother, urging her to advise the youth to save his life.

26 After a great deal of urging on his part she agreed to try persuasion on her son.

27 Bending over him, she fooled the cruel tyrant with these words, uttered in their ancestral tongue, 'My son, have pity on me; I carried you nine months in my womb and suckled you three years, fed you and reared you to the age you are now, and provided for you.

28 I implore you, my child, look at the earth and sky and everything in them, and consider how God made them out of what did not exist, and that human beings come into being in the same way.

29 Do not fear this executioner, but prove yourself worthy of your brothers and accept death, so that I may receive you back with them in the day of mercy.'

30 She had hardly finished, when the young man said, 'What are you all waiting for? I will not comply with the king's ordinance; I obey the ordinance of the Law given to our ancestors through Moses.

31 As for you, who have contrived every kind of evil against the Hebrews, you will certainly not escape the hands of God.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 17:1, 5-6, 8, 15

1 [Prayer Of David] Listen, Yahweh, to an upright cause, pay attention to my cry, lend an ear to my prayer, my lips free from deceit.

5 my steps never stray from the paths you lay down, from your tracks; so my feet never stumble.

6 I call upon you, God, for you answer me; turn your ear to me, hear what I say.

8 Guard me as the pupil of an eye, shelter me in the shadow of your wings

15 But I in my uprightness will see your face, and when I awake I shall be filled with the vision of you.

Gospel, Lk 19:11-28

11 While the people were listening to this he went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and they thought that the kingdom of God was going to show itself then and there.

12 Accordingly he said, 'A man of noble birth went to a distant country to be appointed king and then return.

13 He summoned ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds, telling them, "Trade with these, until I get back."

14 But his compatriots detested him and sent a delegation to follow him with this message, "We do not want this man to be our king."

15 'Now it happened that on his return, having received his appointment as king, he sent for those servants to whom he had given the money, to find out what profit each had made by trading.

16 The first came in, "Sir," he said, "your one pound has brought in ten."

17 He replied, "Well done, my good servant! Since you have proved yourself trustworthy in a very small thing, you shall have the government of ten cities."

18 Then came the second, "Sir," he said, "your one pound has made five."

19 To this one also he said, "And you shall be in charge of five cities."

20 Next came the other, "Sir," he said, "here is your pound. I put it away safely wrapped up in a cloth

21 because I was afraid of you; for you are an exacting man: you gather in what you have not laid out and reap what you have not sown."

22 He said to him, "You wicked servant! Out of your own mouth I condemn you. So you knew that I was an exacting man, gathering in what I have not laid out and reaping what I have not sown?

23 Then why did you not put my money in the bank? On my return I could have drawn it out with interest."

24 And he said to those standing by, "Take the pound from him and give it to the man who has ten pounds."

25 And they said to him, "But, sir, he has ten pounds . . ."

26 "I tell you, to everyone who has will be given more; but anyone who has not will be deprived even of what he has.

27 "As for my enemies who did not want me for their king, bring them here and execute them in my presence." '

28 When he had said this he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

Daily Bible Readings for Monday November 14, 2011

Reading 1, 1 Mc 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-63

10 From these there grew a wicked offshoot, Antiochus Epiphanes son of King Antiochus; once a hostage in Rome, he became king in the 107th year of the kingdom of the Greeks.

11 It was then that there emerged from Israel a set of renegades who led many people astray. 'Come,' they said, 'let us ally ourselves with the gentiles surrounding us, for since we separated ourselves from them many misfortunes have overtaken us.'

12 This proposal proved acceptable,

13 and a number of the people eagerly approached the king, who authorised them to practise the gentiles' observances.

14 So they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, such as the gentiles have,

15 disguised their circumcision, and abandoned the holy covenant, submitting to gentile rule as willing slaves of impiety.

41 The king then issued a proclamation to his whole kingdom that all were to become a single people, each nation renouncing its particular customs.

42 All the gentiles conformed to the king's decree,

43 and many Israelites chose to accept his religion, sacrificing to idols and profaning the Sabbath.

54 On the fifteenth day of Chislev in the year 145 the king built the appalling abomination on top of the altar of burnt offering; and altars were built in the surrounding towns of Judah

55 and incense offered at the doors of houses and in the streets.

56 Any books of the Law that came to light were torn up and burned.

57 Whenever anyone was discovered possessing a copy of the covenant or practising the Law, the king's decree sentenced him to death.

62 Yet there were many in Israel who stood firm and found the courage to refuse unclean food.

63 They chose death rather than contamination by such fare or profanation of the holy covenant, and they were executed.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 119:53, 61, 134, 150, 155, 158

53 Fury grips me when I see the wicked who abandon your Law.

61 Though caught in the snares of the wicked, I do not forget your Law.

134 Rescue me from human oppression, and I will observe your precepts.

150 My pursuers are coming closer to their wicked designs, and further from your Law.

155 Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek your will.

158 The sight of these renegades appals me; they do not observe your promise.

Gospel, Lk 18:35-43

35 Now it happened that as he drew near to Jericho there was a blind man sitting at the side of the road begging.

36 When he heard the crowd going past he asked what it was all about,

37 and they told him that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by.

38 So he called out, 'Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.'

39 The people in front scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he only shouted all the louder, 'Son of David, have pity on me.'

40 Jesus stopped and ordered them to bring the man to him, and when he came up, asked him,

41 'What do you want me to do for you?' 'Sir,' he replied, 'let me see again.'

42 Jesus said to him, 'Receive your sight. Your faith has saved you.'

43 And instantly his sight returned and he followed him praising God, and all the people who saw it gave praise to God.

Daily Bible Readings for Sunday November 13, 2011

Reading 1, Prv 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31

10 The truly capable woman -- who can find her? She is far beyond the price of pearls.

11 Her husband's heart has confidence in her, from her he will derive no little profit.

12 Advantage and not hurt she brings him all the days of her life.

13 She selects wool and flax, she does her work with eager hands.

19 She sets her hands to the distaff, her fingers grasp the spindle.

20 She holds out her hands to the poor, she opens her arms to the needy.

30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty empty; the woman who fears Yahweh is the one to praise.

31 Give her a share in what her hands have worked for, and let her works tell her praises at the city gates.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

1 [Song of Ascents] How blessed are all who fear Yahweh, who walk in his ways!

2 Your own labours will yield you a living, happy and prosperous will you be.

3 Your wife a fruitful vine in the inner places of your house. Your children round your table like shoots of an olive tree.

4 Such are the blessings that fall on those who fear Yahweh.

5 May Yahweh bless you from Zion! May you see Jerusalem prosper all the days of your life,

Gospel, Mt 25:14-30

14 'It is like a man about to go abroad who summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them.

15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to a third one, each in proportion to his ability. Then he set out on his journey.

16 The man who had received the five talents promptly went and traded with them and made five more.

17 The man who had received two made two more in the same way.

18 But the man who had received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.

19 Now a long time afterwards, the master of those servants came back and went through his accounts with them.

20 The man who had received the five talents came forward bringing five more. "Sir," he said, "you entrusted me with five talents; here are five more that I have made."

21 His master said to him, "Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have shown you are trustworthy in small things; I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master's happiness."

22 Next the man with the two talents came forward. "Sir," he said, "you entrusted me with two talents; here are two more that I have made."

23 His master said to him, "Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have shown you are trustworthy in small things; I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master's happiness."

24 Last came forward the man who had the single talent. "Sir," said he, "I had heard you were a hard man, reaping where you had not sown and gathering where you had not scattered;

25 so I was afraid, and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here it is; it was yours, you have it back."

26 But his master answered him, "You wicked and lazy servant! So you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered?

27 Well then, you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have got my money back with interest.

28 So now, take the talent from him and give it to the man who has the ten talents.

29 For to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but anyone who has not, will be deprived even of what he has.

30 As for this good-for-nothing servant, throw him into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth."

Reading 2, 1 Thes 5:1-6

1 About times and dates, brothers, there is no need to write to you

2 for you are well aware in any case that the Day of the Lord is going to come like a thief in the night.

3 It is when people are saying, 'How quiet and peaceful it is' that sudden destruction falls on them, as suddenly as labour pains come on a pregnant woman; and there is no escape.

4 But you, brothers, do not live in the dark, that the Day should take you unawares like a thief.

5 No, you are all children of light and children of the day: we do not belong to the night or to darkness,

6 so we should not go on sleeping, as everyone else does, but stay wide awake and sober.

Daily Bible Readings for Tuesday November 01, 2011

Reading 1, Rv 7:2-4, 9-14

2 Then I saw another angel rising where the sun rises, carrying the seal of the living God; he called in a powerful voice to the four angels whose duty was to devastate land and sea,

3 'Wait before you do any damage on land or at sea or to the trees, until we have put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.'

4 And I heard how many had been sealed: a hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel.

9 After that I saw that there was a huge number, impossible for anyone to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. They shouted in a loud voice,

10 'Salvation to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!'

11 And all the angels who were standing in a circle round the throne, surrounding the elders and the four living creatures, prostrated themselves before the throne, and touched the ground with their foreheads, worshipping God

12 with these words: Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honour and power and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen.

13 One of the elders then spoke and asked me, 'Who are these people, dressed in white robes, and where have they come from?'

14 I answered him, 'You can tell me, sir.' Then he said, 'These are the people who have been through the great trial; they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

1 [Psalm Of David] To Yahweh belong the earth and all it contains, the world and all who live there;

2 it is he who laid its foundations on the seas, on the flowing waters fixed it firm.

3 Who shall go up to the mountain of Yahweh? Who shall take a stand in his holy place?

4 The clean of hands and pure of heart, whose heart is not set on vanities, who does not swear an oath in order to deceive.

5 Such a one will receive blessing from Yahweh, saving justice from the God of his salvation.

6 Such is the people that seeks him, that seeks your presence, God of Jacob.Pause

Gospel, Mt 5:1-12a

1 Seeing the crowds, he went onto the mountain. And when he was seated his disciples came to him.

2 Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:

3 How blessed are the poor in spirit: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

4 Blessed are the gentle: they shall have the earth as inheritance.

5 Blessed are those who mourn: they shall be comforted.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for uprightness: they shall have their fill.

7 Blessed are the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart: they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers: they shall be recognised as children of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of uprightness: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

11 'Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you falsely on my account.

12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.

Reading 2, 1 Jn 3:1-3

1 You must see what great love the Father has lavished on us by letting us be called God's children -- which is what we are! The reason why the world does not acknowledge us is that it did not acknowledge him.

2 My dear friends, we are already God's children, but what we shall be in the future has not yet been revealed. We are well aware that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he really is.

3 Whoever treasures this hope of him purifies himself, to be as pure as he is.