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 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 September 27, 2011

Reading 1, Zec 8:20-23

20 'Yahweh Sabaoth says this, "In the future, peoples and citizens of many cities will come;

21 and citizens of one city will go to the next and say: We must certainly go to entreat Yahweh's favour and seek out Yahweh Sabaoth; I am going myself.

22 Yes, many peoples and great nations will seek out Yahweh Sabaoth in Jerusalem and entreat Yahweh's favour."

23 'Yahweh Sabaoth says this, "In those days, ten men from nations of every language will take a Jew by the sleeve and say: We want to go with you, since we have learnt that God is with you." '

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 87:1-3, 4-5, 6-7

1 [Of the sons of Korah Psalm Song] With its foundations on the holy mountains,

2 Yahweh loves his city, he prefers the gates of Zion to any dwelling-place in Jacob.

3 He speaks of glory for you, city of God,Pause

4 'I number Rahab and Babylon among those that acknowledge me; look at Tyre, Philistia, Ethiopia, so and so was born there.'

5 But of Zion it will be said, 'Every one was born there,' her guarantee is the Most High.

6 Yahweh in his register of peoples will note against each, 'Born there',Pause

7 princes no less than native-born; all make their home in you.

Gospel, Lk 9:51-56

51 Now it happened that as the time drew near for him to be taken up, he resolutely turned his face towards Jerusalem

52 and sent messengers ahead of him. These set out, and they went into a Samaritan village to make preparations for him,

53 but the people would not receive him because he was making for Jerusalem.

54 Seeing this, the disciples James and John said, 'Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to burn them up?'

55 But he turned and rebuked them,

56 and they went on to another village.