Daily Bible Readings for Thursday December 08, 2011

Reading 1, Gn 3:9-15, 20

9 But Yahweh God called to the man. 'Where are you?' he asked.

10 'I heard the sound of you in the garden,' he replied. 'I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.'

11 'Who told you that you were naked?' he asked. 'Have you been eating from the tree I forbade you to eat?'

12 The man replied, 'It was the woman you put with me; she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.'

13 Then Yahweh God said to the woman, 'Why did you do that?' The woman replied, 'The snake tempted me and I ate.'

14 Then Yahweh God said to the snake, 'Because you have done this, Accursed be you of all animals wild and tame! On your belly you will go and on dust you will feed as long as you live.

15 I shall put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; it will bruise your head and you will strike its heel.'

20 The man named his wife 'Eve' because she was the mother of all those who live.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 98:1, 2-3, 3-4

1 [Psalm] Sing a new song to Yahweh, for he has performed wonders, his saving power is in his right hand and his holy arm.

2 Yahweh has made known his saving power, revealed his saving justice for the nations to see,

3 mindful of his faithful love and his constancy to the House of Israel. The whole wide world has seen the saving power of our God.

4 Acclaim Yahweh, all the earth, burst into shouts of joy!

Gospel, Lk 1:26-38

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,

27 to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

28 He went in and said to her, 'Rejoice, you who enjoy God's favour! The Lord is with you.'

29 She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean,

30 but the angel said to her, 'Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God's favour.

31 Look! You are to conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus.

32 He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David;

33 he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.'

34 Mary said to the angel, 'But how can this come about, since I have no knowledge of man?'

35 The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God.

36 And I tell you this too: your cousin Elizabeth also, in her old age, has conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month,

37 for nothing is impossible to God.'

38 Mary said, 'You see before you the Lord's servant, let it happen to me as you have said.' And the angel left her.

Reading 2, Eph 1:3-6, 11-12

3 Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ.

4 Thus he chose us in Christ before the world was made to be holy and faultless before him in love,

5 marking us out for himself beforehand, to be adopted sons, through Jesus Christ. Such was his purpose and good pleasure,

6 to the praise of the glory of his grace, his free gift to us in the Beloved,

11 And it is in him that we have received our heritage, marked out beforehand as we were, under the plan of the One who guides all things as he decides by his own will,

12 chosen to be, for the praise of his glory, the people who would put their hopes in Christ before he came. 

Daily Bible Readings for Friday June 17, 2011

Reading 1, 2 Cor 11:18, 21-30

18 So many people boast on merely human grounds that I shall too.

21 I say it to your shame; perhaps we have been too weak. Whatever bold claims anyone makes -- now I am talking as a fool -- I can make them too.

22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

23 Are they servants of Christ? I speak in utter folly -- I am too, and more than they are: I have done more work, I have been in prison more, I have been flogged more severely, many times exposed to death.

24 Five times I have been given the thirty-nine lashes by the Jews;

25 three times I have been beaten with sticks; once I was stoned; three times I have been shipwrecked, and once I have been in the open sea for a night and a day;

26 continually travelling, I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from brigands, in danger from my own people and in danger from the gentiles, in danger in the towns and in danger in the open country, in danger at sea and in danger from people masquerading as brothers;

27 I have worked with unsparing energy, for many nights without sleep; I have been hungry and thirsty, and often altogether without food or drink; I have been cold and lacked clothing.

28 And, besides all the external things, there is, day in day out, the pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

29 If anyone weakens, I am weakened as well; and when anyone is made to fall, I burn in agony myself.

30 If I have to boast, I will boast of all the ways in which I am weak.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

2 I will praise Yahweh from my heart; let the humble hear and rejoice.

3 Proclaim with me the greatness of Yahweh, let us acclaim his name together.

4 I seek Yahweh and he answers me, frees me from all my fears.

5 Fix your gaze on Yahweh and your face will grow bright, you will never hang your head in shame.

6 A pauper calls out and Yahweh hears, saves him from all his troubles.

7 The angel of Yahweh encamps around those who fear him, and rescues them.

Gospel, Mt 6:19-23

19 'Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moth and woodworm destroy them and thieves can break in and steal.

20 But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor woodworm destroys them and thieves cannot break in and steal.

21 For wherever your treasure is, there will your heart be too.

22 'The lamp of the body is the eye. It follows that if your eye is clear, your whole body will be filled with light.

23 But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be darkness. If then, the light inside you is darkened, what darkness that will be!

Daily Bible Readings for Monday May 23, 2011

Reading 1, Acts 14:5-18

5 but eventually with the connivance of the authorities a move was made by gentiles as well as Jews to make attacks on them and to stone them.

6 When they came to hear of this, they went off for safety to Lycaonia where, in the towns of Lystra and Derbe and in the surrounding country,

7 they preached the good news.

8 There was a man sitting there who had never walked in his life, because his feet were crippled from birth;

9 he was listening to Paul preaching, and Paul looked at him intently and saw that he had the faith to be cured.

10 Paul said in a loud voice, 'Get to your feet-stand up,' and the cripple jumped up and began to walk.

11 When the crowds saw what Paul had done they shouted in the language of Lycaonia, 'The gods have come down to us in human form.'

12 They addressed Barnabas as Zeus, and since Paul was the principal speaker they called him Hermes.

13 The priests of Zeus-outside-the-Gate, proposing that all the people should offer sacrifice with them, brought garlanded oxen to the gates.

14 When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening they tore their clothes, and rushed into the crowd, shouting,

15 'Friends, what do you think you are doing? We are only human beings, mortal like yourselves. We have come with good news to make you turn from these empty idols to the living God who made sky and earth and the sea and all that these hold.

16 In the past he allowed all the nations to go their own way;

17 but even then he did not leave you without evidence of himself in the good things he does for you: he sends you rain from heaven and seasons of fruitfulness; he fills you with food and your hearts with merriment.'

18 With this speech they just managed to prevent the crowd from offering them sacrifice.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 115:1-2, 3-4, 15-16

1 Not to us, Yahweh, not to us, but to your name give the glory, for your faithful love and your constancy!

2 Why should the nations ask, 'Where is their God?'

3 Our God is in heaven, he creates whatever he chooses.

4 They have idols of silver and gold, made by human hands.

15 May you be blessed by Yahweh, who made heaven and earth.

16 Heaven belongs to Yahweh, but earth he has given to the children of Adam.

Gospel, Jn 14:21-26

21 Whoever holds to my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me; and whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I shall love him and reveal myself to him.'

22 Judas -- not Judas Iscariot -- said to him, 'Lord, what has happened, that you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?'

23 Jesus replied: Anyone who loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him and make a home in him.

24 Anyone who does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not my own: it is the word of the Father who sent me.

25 I have said these things to you while still with you;

26 but the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you. 

Daily Bible Readings for Sunday May 15, 2011

Reading 1, Acts 2:14a, 36-41

14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven and addressed them in a loud voice: 'Men of Judaea, and all you who live in Jerusalem, make no mistake about this, but listen carefully to what I say.

36 'For this reason the whole House of Israel can be certain that the Lord and Christ whom God has made is this Jesus whom you crucified.'

37 Hearing this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, 'What are we to do, brothers?'

38 'You must repent,' Peter answered, 'and every one of you must be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

39 The promise that was made is for you and your children, and for all those who are far away, for all those whom the Lord our God is calling to himself.'

40 He spoke to them for a long time using many other arguments, and he urged them, 'Save yourselves from this perverse generation.'

41 They accepted what he said and were baptised. That very day about three thousand were added to their number.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6

1 [Psalm Of David] Yahweh is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

2 In grassy meadows he lets me lie. By tranquil streams he leads me

3 to restore my spirit. He guides me in paths of saving justice as befits his name.

4 Even were I to walk in a ravine as dark as death I should fear no danger, for you are at my side. Your staff and your crook are there to soothe me.

5 You prepare a table for me under the eyes of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup brims over.

6 Kindness and faithful love pursue me every day of my life. I make my home in the house of Yahweh for all time to come.

Gospel, Jn 10:1-10

1 'In all truth I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a bandit.

2 He who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock;

3 the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out.

4 When he has brought out all those that are his, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice.

5 They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him because they do not recognise the voice of strangers.'

6 Jesus told them this parable but they failed to understand what he was saying to them.

7 So Jesus spoke to them again: In all truth I tell you, I am the gate of the sheepfold.

8 All who have come before me are thieves and bandits, but the sheep took no notice of them.

9 I am the gate. Anyone who enters through me will be safe: such a one will go in and out and will find pasture.

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full.

Reading 2, 1 Pt 2:20b-25

20 but what glory is there in putting up with a beating after you have done something wrong? The merit in the sight of God is in putting up with it patiently when you are punished for doing your duty.

21 This, in fact, is what you were called to do, because Christ suffered for you and left an example for you to follow in his steps.

22 He had done nothing wrong, and had spoken no deceit.

23 He was insulted and did not retaliate with insults; when he was suffering he made no threats but put his trust in the upright judge.

24 He was bearing our sins in his own body on the cross, so that we might die to our sins and live for uprightness; through his bruises you have been healed.

25 You had gone astray like sheep but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

Daily Bible Readings for Wednesday May 04, 2011

Reading 1, Acts 5:17-26

17 Then the high priest intervened with all his supporters from the party of the Sadducees. Filled with jealousy,

18 they arrested the apostles and had them put in the public gaol.

19 But at night the angel of the Lord opened the prison gates and said as he led them out,

20 'Go and take up position in the Temple, and tell the people all about this new Life.'

21 They did as they were told; they went into the Temple at dawn and began to preach. When the high priest arrived, he and his supporters convened the Sanhedrin -- this was the full Senate of Israel -- and sent to the gaol for them to be brought.

22 But when the officials arrived at the prison they found they were not inside, so they went back and reported,

23 'We found the gaol securely locked and the warders on duty at the gates, but when we unlocked the door we found no one inside.'

24 When the captain of the Temple and the chief priests heard this news they wondered what could be happening.

25 Then a man arrived with fresh news. 'Look!' he said, 'the men you imprisoned are in the Temple. They are standing there preaching to the people.'

26 The captain went with his men and fetched them -- though not by force, for they were afraid that the people might stone them.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

2 I will praise Yahweh from my heart; let the humble hear and rejoice.

3 Proclaim with me the greatness of Yahweh, let us acclaim his name together.

4 I seek Yahweh and he answers me, frees me from all my fears.

5 Fix your gaze on Yahweh and your face will grow bright, you will never hang your head in shame.

6 A pauper calls out and Yahweh hears, saves him from all his troubles.

7 The angel of Yahweh encamps around those who fear him, and rescues them.

8 Taste and see that Yahweh is good. How blessed are those who take refuge in him.

9 Fear Yahweh, you his holy ones; those who fear him lack for nothing.

Gospel, Jn 3:16-21

16 For this is how God loved the world: he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

17 For God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but so that through him the world might be saved.

18 No one who believes in him will be judged; but whoever does not believe is judged already, because that person does not believe in the Name of God's only Son.

19 And the judgement is this: though the light has come into the world people have preferred darkness to the light because their deeds were evil.

20 And indeed, everybody who does wrong hates the light and avoids it, to prevent his actions from being shown up;

21 but whoever does the truth comes out into the light, so that what he is doing may plainly appear as done in God.'

Daily Bible Readings for Tuesday April 26, 2011

Reading 1, Acts 2:36-41

36 'For this reason the whole House of Israel can be certain that the Lord and Christ whom God has made is this Jesus whom you crucified.'

37 Hearing this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, 'What are we to do, brothers?'

38 'You must repent,' Peter answered, 'and every one of you must be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

39 The promise that was made is for you and your children, and for all those who are far away, for all those whom the Lord our God is calling to himself.'

40 He spoke to them for a long time using many other arguments, and he urged them, 'Save yourselves from this perverse generation.'

41 They accepted what he said and were baptised. That very day about three thousand were added to their number.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22

4 The word of Yahweh is straightforward, all he does springs from his constancy.

5 He loves uprightness and justice; the faithful love of Yahweh fills the earth.

18 But see how Yahweh watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his faithful love,

19 to rescue them from death and keep them alive in famine.

20 We are waiting for Yahweh; he is our help and our shield,

22 Yahweh, let your faithful love rest on us, as our hope has rested in you.

Gospel, Jn 20:11-18

11 But Mary was standing outside near the tomb, weeping. Then, as she wept, she stooped to look inside,

12 and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet.

13 They said, 'Woman, why are you weeping?' 'They have taken my Lord away,' she replied, 'and I don't know where they have put him.'

14 As she said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not realise that it was Jesus.

15 Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?' Supposing him to be the gardener, she said, 'Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him.'

16 Jesus said, 'Mary!' She turned round then and said to him in Hebrew, 'Rabbuni!' -- which means Master.

17 Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to the brothers, and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'

18 So Mary of Magdala told the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord,' and that he had said these things to her. 

Daily Bible Readings for Wednesday April 13, 2011

Reading 1, Dn 3:14-20, 91-92, 95

14 Nebuchadnezzar addressed them, 'Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, is it true that you do not serve my gods, and that you refuse to worship the golden statue I have set up?

15 When you hear the sound of horn, pipe, lyre, zither, harp, bagpipe and every other kind of instrument, are you prepared to prostrate yourselves and worship the statue I have made? If you refuse to worship it, you will be thrown forthwith into the burning fiery furnace; then which of the gods could save you from my power?'

16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar, 'Your question needs no answer from us:

17 if our God, the one we serve, is able to save us from the burning fiery furnace and from your power, Your Majesty, he will save us;

18 and even if he does not, then you must know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your god or worship the statue you have set up.'

19 This infuriated King Nebuchadnezzar; his expression was changed now as he looked at Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego. He gave orders for the furnace to be made seven times hotter than usual

20 and commanded certain stalwarts from his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego and throw them into the burning fiery furnace.

91 King Nebuchadnezzar sprang to his feet in amazement. He said to his advisers, 'Did we not have these three men thrown bound into the fire?' They answered the king, 'Certainly, Your Majesty'.

92 'But', he went on, 'I can see four men walking free in the heart of the fire and quite unharmed! And the fourth looks like a child of the gods!'

95 'Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego: he has sent his angel to rescue his servants who, putting their trust in him, defied the order of the king, and preferred to forfeit their bodies rather than serve or worship any god but their God.

Responsorial Psalm, Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56

52 May you be blessed, Lord, God of our ancestors, be praised and extolled for ever. Blessed be your glorious and holy name, praised and extolled for ever.

53 May you be blessed in the Temple of your sacred glory, exalted and glorified above all for ever:

54 blessed on the throne of your kingdom, exalted above all, glorified for ever:

55 blessed are you who fathom the abyss, enthroned on the winged creatures, praised and exalted above all for ever:

56 blessed in the expanse of the heavens, exalted and glorified for ever.

Gospel, Jn 8:31-42

31 To the Jews who believed in him Jesus said: If you make my word your home you will indeed be my disciples;

32 you will come to know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

33 They answered, 'We are descended from Abraham and we have never been the slaves of anyone; what do you mean, "You will be set free?" '

34 Jesus replied: In all truth I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave.

35 Now a slave has no permanent standing in the household, but a son belongs to it for ever.

36 So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free.

37 I know that you are descended from Abraham; but you want to kill me because my word finds no place in you.

38 What I speak of is what I have seen at my Father's side, and you too put into action the lessons you have learnt from your father.

39 They repeated, 'Our father is Abraham.' Jesus said to them: If you are Abraham's children, do as Abraham did.

40 As it is, you want to kill me, a man who has told you the truth as I have learnt it from God; that is not what Abraham did.

41 You are doing your father's work. They replied, 'We were not born illegitimate, the only father we have is God.'

42 Jesus answered: If God were your father, you would love me, since I have my origin in God and have come from him; I did not come of my own accord, but he sent me. 

Daily Bible Readings for Wednesday March 16, 2011

Reading 1, Jon 3:1-10

1 The word of Yahweh was addressed to Jonah a second time.

2 'Up!' he said, 'Go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach to it as I shall tell you.'

3 Jonah set out and went to Nineveh in obedience to the word of Yahweh. Now Nineveh was a city great beyond compare; to cross it took three days.

4 Jonah began by going a day's journey into the city and then proclaimed, 'Only forty days more and Nineveh will be overthrown.'

5 And the people of Nineveh believed in God; they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least.

6 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth and sat down in ashes.

7 He then had it proclaimed throughout Nineveh, by decree of the king and his nobles, as follows: 'No person or animal, herd or flock, may eat anything; they may not graze, they may not drink any water.

8 All must put on sackcloth and call on God with all their might; and let everyone renounce his evil ways and violent behaviour.

9 Who knows? Perhaps God will change his mind and relent and renounce his burning wrath, so that we shall not perish.'

10 God saw their efforts to renounce their evil ways. And God relented about the disaster which he had threatened to bring on them, and did not bring it.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19

3 For I am well aware of my offences, my sin is constantly in mind.

4 Against you, you alone, I have sinned, I have done what you see to be wrong, that you may show your saving justice when you pass sentence, and your victory may appear when you give judgement,

12 Give me back the joy of your salvation, sustain in me a generous spirit.

13 I shall teach the wicked your paths, and sinners will return to you.

18 In your graciousness do good to Zion, rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then you will delight in upright sacrifices,-burnt offerings and whole oblations -- and young bulls will be offered on your altar.

Gospel, Lk 11:29-32

29 The crowds got even bigger and he addressed them, 'This is an evil generation; it is asking for a sign. The only sign it will be given is the sign of Jonah.

30 For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of man be a sign to this generation.

31 On Judgement Day the Queen of the South will stand up against the people of this generation and be their condemnation, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, look, there is something greater than Solomon here.

32 On Judgement Day the men of Nineveh will appear against this generation and be its condemnation, because when Jonah preached they repented; and, look, there is something greater than Jonah here.