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 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 Wednesday June 15, 2011

Reading 1, 2 Cor 9:6-11

6 But remember: anyone who sows sparsely will reap sparsely as well -- and anyone who sows generously will reap generously as well.

7 Each one should give as much as he has decided on his own initiative, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

8 God is perfectly able to enrich you with every grace, so that you always have enough for every conceivable need, and your resources overflow in all kinds of good work.

9 As scripture says: To the needy he gave without stint, his uprightness stands firm for ever.

10 The one who so freely provides seed for the sower and food to eat will provide you with ample store of seed for sowing and make the harvest of your uprightness a bigger one:

11 you will be rich enough in every way for every kind of generosity that makes people thank God for what we have done.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 112:1-2, 3-4, 9

1 Alleluia! How blessed is anyone who fears Yahweh, who delights in his commandments!

2 His descendants shall be powerful on earth, the race of the honest shall receive blessings:

3 Riches and wealth for his family; his uprightness stands firm for ever.

4 For the honest he shines as a lamp in the dark, generous, tender-hearted, and upright.

9 To the needy he gives without stint, his uprightness stands firm for ever; his reputation is founded on strength.

Gospel, Mt 6:1-6, 16-18

1 'Be careful not to parade your uprightness in public to attract attention; otherwise you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven.

2 So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win human admiration. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward.

3 But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing;

4 your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

5 'And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward.

6 But when you pray, go to your private room, shut yourself in, and so pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

16 'When you are fasting, do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they go about looking unsightly to let people know they are fasting. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward.

17 But when you fast, put scent on your head and wash your face,

18 so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

Daily Bible Readings for Sunday June 12, 2011

Reading 1, Acts 2:1-11

1 When Pentecost day came round, they had all met together,

2 when suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of a violent wind which filled the entire house in which they were sitting;

3 and there appeared to them tongues as of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them.

4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak different languages as the Spirit gave them power to express themselves.

5 Now there were devout men living in Jerusalem from every nation under heaven,

6 and at this sound they all assembled, and each one was bewildered to hear these men speaking his own language.

7 They were amazed and astonished. 'Surely,' they said, 'all these men speaking are Galileans?

8 How does it happen that each of us hears them in his own native language?

9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; people from Mesopotamia, Judaea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya round Cyrene; residents of Rome-

11 Jews and proselytes alike -- Cretans and Arabs, we hear them preaching in our own language about the marvels of God.'

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34

1 Bless Yahweh, my soul, Yahweh, my God, how great you are! Clothed in majesty and splendour,

24 How countless are your works, Yahweh, all of them made so wisely! The earth is full of your creatures.

29 Turn away your face and they panic; take back their breath and they die and revert to dust.

30 Send out your breath and life begins; you renew the face of the earth.

31 Glory to Yahweh for ever! May Yahweh find joy in his creatures!

34 May my musings be pleasing to him, for Yahweh gives me joy.

Gospel, Jn 20:19-23

19 In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, 'Peace be with you,'

20 and, after saying this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord,

21 and he said to them again, 'Peace be with you. 'As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.'

22 After saying this he breathed on them and said: Receive the Holy Spirit.

23 If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone's sins, they are retained.

Reading 2, 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13

3 Because of that, I want to make it quite clear to you that no one who says 'A curse on Jesus' can be speaking in the Spirit of God, and nobody is able to say, 'Jesus is Lord' except in the Holy Spirit.

4 There are many different gifts, but it is always the same Spirit;

5 there are many different ways of serving, but it is always the same Lord.

6 There are many different forms of activity, but in everybody it is the same God who is at work in them all.

7 The particular manifestation of the Spirit granted to each one is to be used for the general good.

12 For as with the human body which is a unity although it has many parts -- all the parts of the body, though many, still making up one single body -- so it is with Christ.

13 We were baptised into one body in a single Spirit, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as free men, and we were all given the same Spirit to drink. 

Daily Readings for Wednesday February 02, 2011

Reading 1, Mal 3:1-4

1 'Look, I shall send my messenger to clear a way before me. And suddenly the Lord whom you seek will come to his Temple; yes, the angel of the covenant, for whom you long, is on his way, says Yahweh Sabaoth.

2 Who will be able to resist the day of his coming? Who will remain standing when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire, like fullers' alkali.

3 He will take his seat as refiner and purifier; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they can make the offering to Yahweh with uprightness.

4 The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will then be acceptable to Yahweh as in former days, as in the years of old.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 24:7, 8, 9, 10

7 Gates, lift high your heads, raise high the ancient gateways, and the king of glory shall enter!

8 Who is he, this king of glory? It is Yahweh, strong and valiant, Yahweh valiant in battle.

9 Gates, lift high your heads, raise high the ancient gateways, and the king of glory shall enter!

10 Who is he, this king of glory? Yahweh Sabaoth, he is the king of glory.Pause

Gospel, Lk 2:22-40

22 And when the day came for them to be purified in keeping with the Law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord-

23 observing what is written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male must be consecrated to the Lord-

24 and also to offer in sacrifice, in accordance with what is prescribed in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.

25 Now in Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was an upright and devout man; he looked forward to the restoration of Israel and the Holy Spirit rested on him.

26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord.

27 Prompted by the Spirit he came to the Temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law required,

28 he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he said:

29 Now, Master, you are letting your servant go in peace as you promised;

30 for my eyes have seen the salvation

31 which you have made ready in the sight of the nations;

32 a light of revelation for the gentiles and glory for your people Israel.

33 As the child's father and mother were wondering at the things that were being said about him,

34 Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, 'Look, he is destined for the fall and for the rise of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is opposed-

35 and a sword will pierce your soul too -- so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.'

36 There was a prophetess, too, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. Her days of girlhood over, she had been married for seven years

37 before becoming a widow. She was now eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayer.

38 She came up just at that moment and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.

39 When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.

40 And as the child grew to maturity, he was filled with wisdom; and God's favour was with him.

Reading 2, Heb 2:14-18

14 Since all the children share the same human nature, he too shared equally in it, so that by his death he could set aside him who held the power of death, namely the devil,

15 and set free all those who had been held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death.

16 For it was not the angels that he took to himself; he took to himself the line of Abraham.

17 It was essential that he should in this way be made completely like his brothers so that he could become a compassionate and trustworthy high priest for their relationship to God, able to expiate the sins of the people.

18 For the suffering he himself passed through while being put to the test enables him to help others when they are being put to the test. 

Daily Bible Readings for Sunday January 16, 2011

Reading 1, Is 49:3, 5-6

3 He said to me, 'Israel, you are my servant, through whom I shall manifest my glory.'

5 And now Yahweh has spoken, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him and to re-unite Israel to him;-I shall be honoured in Yahweh's eyes, and my God has been my strength.-

6 He said, 'It is not enough for you to be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel; I shall make you a light to the nations so that my salvation may reach the remotest parts of earth.'

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10

2 He pulled me up from the seething chasm, from the mud of the mire. He set my feet on rock, and made my footsteps firm.

4 How blessed are those who put their trust in Yahweh, who have not sided with rebels and those who have gone astray in falsehood.

7 then I said, 'Here I am, I am coming.' In the scroll of the book it is written of me,

8 my delight is to do your will; your law, my God, is deep in my heart.

9 I proclaimed the saving justice of Yahweh in the great assembly. See, I will not hold my tongue, as you well know.

10 I have not kept your saving justice locked in the depths of my heart, but have spoken of your constancy and saving help. I have made no secret of your faithful and steadfast love, in the great assembly.

Gospel, Jn 1:29-34

29 The next day, he saw Jesus coming towards him and said, 'Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.

30 It was of him that I said, "Behind me comes one who has passed ahead of me because he existed before me."

31 I did not know him myself, and yet my purpose in coming to baptise with water was so that he might be revealed to Israel.'

32 And John declared, 'I saw the Spirit come down on him like a dove from heaven and rest on him.

33 I did not know him myself, but he who sent me to baptise with water had said to me, "The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is to baptise with the Holy Spirit."

34 I have seen and I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.'

Reading 2, 1 Cor 1:1-3

1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and Sosthenes, our brother,

2 to the church of God in Corinth, to those who have been consecrated in Christ Jesus and called to be God's holy people, with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord as well as ours.

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

Daily Readings for Wednesday January 05, 2011

Reading 1, 1 Jn 4:11-18

11 My dear friends, if God loved us so much, we too should love one another.

12 No one has ever seen God, but as long as we love one another God remains in us and his love comes to its perfection in us.

13 This is the proof that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us a share in his Spirit.

14 We ourselves have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as Saviour of the world.

15 Anyone who acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God.

16 We have recognised for ourselves, and put our faith in, the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.

17 Love comes to its perfection in us when we can face the Day of Judgement fearlessly, because even in this world we have become as he is.

18 In love there is no room for fear, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear implies punishment and no one who is afraid has come to perfection in love.

Gospel, Mk 6:45-52

45 And at once he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side near Bethsaida, while he himself sent the crowd away.

46 After saying goodbye to them he went off into the hills to pray.

47 When evening came, the boat was far out on the sea, and he was alone on the land.

48 He could see that they were hard pressed in their rowing, for the wind was against them; and about the fourth watch of the night he came towards them, walking on the sea. He was going to pass them by,

49 but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost and cried out;

50 for they had all seen him and were terrified. But at once he spoke to them and said, 'Courage! It's me! Don't be afraid.'

51 Then he got into the boat with them and the wind dropped. They were utterly and completely dumbfounded,

52 because they had not seen what the miracle of the loaves meant; their minds were closed.

Daily Readings for Tuesday January 04, 2011

Reading 1, 1 Jn 4:7-10

7 My dear friends, let us love one another, since love is from God and everyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.

8 Whoever fails to love does not know God, because God is love.

9 This is the revelation of God's love for us, that God sent his only Son into the world that we might have life through him.

10 Love consists in this: it is not we who loved God, but God loved us and sent his Son to expiate our sins.

Gospel, Mk 6:34-44

34 So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.

35 By now it was getting very late, and his disciples came up to him and said, 'This is a lonely place and it is getting very late,

36 so send them away, and they can go to the farms and villages round about, to buy themselves something to eat.'

37 He replied, 'Give them something to eat yourselves.' They answered, 'Are we to go and spend two hundred denarii on bread for them to eat?'

38 He asked, 'How many loaves have you? Go and see.' And when they had found out they said, 'Five, and two fish.'

39 Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass,

40 and they sat down on the ground in squares of hundreds and fifties.

41 Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven and said the blessing; then he broke the loaves and began handing them to his disciples to distribute among the people. He also shared out the two fish among them all.

42 They all ate as much as they wanted.

43 They collected twelve basketfuls of scraps of bread and pieces of fish.

44 Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.

Daily Readings for Monday December 27, 2010

Reading 1, 1 Jn 1:1-4

1 Something which has existed since the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have watched and touched with our own hands, the Word of life -- this is our theme.

2 That life was made visible; we saw it and are giving our testimony, declaring to you the eternal life, which was present to the Father and has been revealed to us.

3 We are declaring to you what we have seen and heard, so that you too may share our life. Our life is shared with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

4 We are writing this to you so that our joy may be complete.

Gospel, Jn 20:1a, 2-8

1 It was very early on the first day of the week and still dark, when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb. She saw that the stone had been moved away from the tomb

2 and came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. 'They have taken the Lord out of the tomb,' she said, 'and we don't know where they have put him.'

3 So Peter set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb.

4 They ran together, but the other disciple, running faster than Peter, reached the tomb first;

5 he bent down and saw the linen cloths lying on the ground, but did not go in.

6 Simon Peter, following him, also came up, went into the tomb, saw the linen cloths lying on the ground

7 and also the cloth that had been over his head; this was not with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself.

8 Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in; he saw and he believed.

Daily Readings for Tuesday December 21, 2010

Reading 1, Sg 2:8-14

8 BELOVED: I hear my love. See how he comes leaping on the mountains, bounding over the hills.

9 My love is like a gazelle, like a young stag. See where he stands behind our wall. He looks in at the window, he peers through the opening.

10 My love lifts up his voice, he says to me, 'Come then, my beloved, my lovely one, come.

11 For see, winter is past, the rains are over and gone.

12 'Flowers are appearing on the earth. The season of glad songs has come, the cooing of the turtledove is heard in our land.

13 The fig tree is forming its first figs and the blossoming vines give out their fragrance. Come then, my beloved, my lovely one, come.

14 'My dove, hiding in the clefts of the rock, in the coverts of the cliff, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet and your face is lovely.'

Gospel, Lk 1:39-45

39 Mary set out at that time and went as quickly as she could into the hill country to a town in Judah.

40 She went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth.

41 Now it happened that as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

42 She gave a loud cry and said, 'Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

43 Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?

44 Look, the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy.

45 Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.'

Daily Catholic Bible Readings for Wednesday December 08, 2010

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.

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 Readings for Friday December 03, 2010

Reading 1, Is 29:17-24

17 Is it not true that in a very short time the Lebanon will become productive ground, so productive you might take it for a forest?

18 That day the deaf will hear the words of the book and, delivered from shadow and darkness, the eyes of the blind will see.

19 The lowly will find ever more joy in Yahweh and the poorest of people will delight in the Holy One of Israel;

20 for the tyrant will be no more, the scoffer has vanished and all those on the look-out for evil have been destroyed:

21 those who incriminate others by their words, those who lay traps for the arbitrator at the gate and groundlessly deprive the upright of fair judgement.

22 That is why Yahweh, God of the House of Jacob, Abraham's redeemer, says this, 'No longer shall Jacob be disappointed, no more shall his face grow pale,

23 for when he sees his children, my creatures, home again with him, he will acknowledge my name as holy, he will acknowledge the Holy One of Jacob to be holy and will hold the God of Israel in awe.

24 Erring spirits will learn to understand and murmurers accept instruction.'

Gospel, Mt 9:27-31

27 As Jesus went on his way two blind men followed him shouting, 'Take pity on us, son of David.'

28 And when Jesus reached the house the blind men came up to him and he said to them, 'Do you believe I can do this?' They said, 'Lord, we do.'

29 Then he touched their eyes saying, 'According to your faith, let it be done to you.'

30 And their sight returned. Then Jesus sternly warned them, 'Take care that no one learns about this.'

31 But when they had gone away, they talked about him all over the countryside.

35 Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing all kinds of disease and all kinds of illness.

36 And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.

37 Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers to his harvest.'

1 He summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to drive them out and to cure all kinds of disease and all kinds of illness.

Daily Readings for Tuesday November 30, 2010

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.

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 Readings for Friday November 26, 2010

Reading 1, Rv 20:1-4, 11—21:2

1 Then I saw an angel come down from heaven with the key of the Abyss in his hand and an enormous chain.

2 He overpowered the dragon, that primeval serpent which is the devil and Satan, and chained him up for a thousand years.

3 He hurled him into the Abyss and shut the entrance and sealed it over him, to make sure he would not lead the nations astray again until the thousand years had passed. At the end of that time he must be released, but only for a short while.

4 Then I saw thrones, where they took their seats, and on them was conferred the power to give judgement. I saw the souls of all who had been beheaded for having witnessed for Jesus and for having preached God's word, and those who refused to worship the beast or his statue and would not accept the brandmark on their foreheads or hands; they came to life, and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

11 Then I saw a great white throne and the One who was sitting on it. In his presence, earth and sky vanished, leaving no trace.

12 I saw the dead, great and small alike, standing in front of his throne while the books lay open. And another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged from what was written in the books, as their deeds deserved.

13 The sea gave up all the dead who were in it;

14 Death and Hades were emptied of the dead that were in them; and every one was judged as his deeds deserved. Then Death and Hades were hurled into the burning lake. This burning lake is the second death;

15 and anybody whose name could not be found written in the book of life was hurled into the burning lake.

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer any sea.

2 I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride dressed for her husband.

Gospel, Lk 21:29-33

29 And he told them a parable, 'Look at the fig tree and indeed every tree.

30 As soon as you see them bud, you can see for yourselves that summer is now near.

31 So with you when you see these things happening: know that the kingdom of God is near.

32 In truth I tell you, before this generation has passed away all will have taken place.

33 Sky and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Daily Readings for Thursday November 18, 2010

Reading 1, Rv 5:1-10

1 I saw that in the right hand of the One sitting on the throne there was a scroll that was written on back and front and was sealed with seven seals.

2 Then I saw a powerful angel who called with a loud voice, 'Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?'

3 But there was no one, in heaven or on the earth or under the earth, who was able to open the scroll and read it.

4 I wept bitterly because nobody could be found to open the scroll and read it,

5 but one of the elders said to me, 'Do not weep. Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed, and so he will open the scroll and its seven seals.'

6 Then I saw, in the middle of the throne with its four living creatures and the circle of the elders, a Lamb standing that seemed to have been sacrificed; it had seven horns, and it had seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits that God has sent out over the whole world.

7 The Lamb came forward to take the scroll from the right hand of the One sitting on the throne,

8 and when he took it, the four living creatures prostrated themselves before him and with them the twenty-four elders; each one of them was holding a harp and had a golden bowl full of incense which are the prayers of the saints.

9 They sang a new hymn: You are worthy to take the scroll and to break its seals, because you were sacrificed, and with your blood you bought people for God of every race, language, people and nation

10 and made them a line of kings and priests for God, to rule the world.

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 catholic bible Readings for Friday November 12, 2010

Reading 1, 2 Jn 4-9

4 It has given me great joy to find that children of yours have been living the life of truth as we were commanded by the Father.

5 And now I am asking you -- dear lady, not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but only the one which we have had from the beginning -- that we should love one another.

6 To love is to live according to his commandments: this is the commandment which you have heard since the beginning, to live a life of love.

7 There are many deceivers at large in the world, refusing to acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in human nature. They are the Deceiver; they are the Antichrist.

8 Watch yourselves, or all our work will be lost and you will forfeit your full reward.

9 If anybody does not remain in the teaching of Christ but goes beyond it, he does not have God with him: only those who remain in what he taught can have the Father and the Son with them.

Gospel, Lk 17:26-37

26 'As it was in Noah's day, so will it also be in the days of the Son of man.

27 People were eating and drinking, marrying wives and husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, and the Flood came and destroyed them all.

28 It will be the same as it was in Lot's day: people were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building,

29 but the day Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and it destroyed them all.

30 It will be the same when the day comes for the Son of man to be revealed.

31 'When that Day comes, no one on the housetop, with his possessions in the house, must come down to collect them, nor must anyone in the fields turn back.

32 Remember Lot's wife.

33 Anyone who tries to preserve his life will lose it; and anyone who loses it will keep it safe.

34 I tell you, on that night, when two are in one bed, one will be taken, the other left;

35 when two women are grinding corn together, one will be taken, the other left.'

36 The disciples spoke up and asked, 'Where, Lord?' He said, 'Where the body is, there too will the vultures gather.'

Daily Catholic bible Readings for Wednesday November 10, 2010

Reading 1, Ti 3:1-7

1 Remind them to be obedient to the officials in authority; to be ready to do good at every opportunity;

2 not to go slandering other people but to be peaceable and gentle, and always polite to people of all kinds.

3 There was a time when we too were ignorant, disobedient and misled and enslaved by different passions and dissipations; we lived then in wickedness and malice, hating each other and hateful ourselves.

4 But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour for humanity were revealed,

5 it was not because of any upright actions we had done ourselves; it was for no reason except his own faithful love that he saved us, by means of the cleansing water of rebirth and renewal in the Holy Spirit

6 which he has so generously poured over us through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

7 so that, justified by his grace, we should become heirs in hope of eternal life.

Gospel, Lk 17:11-19

11 Now it happened that on the way to Jerusalem he was travelling in the borderlands of Samaria and Galilee.

12 As he entered one of the villages, ten men suffering from a virulent skin-disease came to meet him. They stood some way off

13 and called to him, 'Jesus! Master! Take pity on us.'

14 When he saw them he said, 'Go and show yourselves to the priests.' Now as they were going away they were cleansed.

15 Finding himself cured, one of them turned back praising God at the top of his voice

16 and threw himself prostrate at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was a Samaritan.

17 This led Jesus to say, 'Were not all ten made clean? The other nine, where are they?

18 It seems that no one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner.'

19 And he said to the man, 'Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.'

Daily Readings for Tuesday November 09, 2010

Reading 1, Ez 47:1-2, 8-9, 12

1 He brought me back to the entrance of the Temple, where a stream flowed eastwards from under the Temple threshold, for the Temple faced east. The water flowed from under the right side of the Temple, south of the altar.

2 He took me out by the north gate and led me right round outside as far as the outer east gate where the water flowed out on the right-hand side.

8 He said, 'This water flows east down to the Arabah and to the sea; and flowing into the sea it makes its waters wholesome.

9 Wherever the river flows, all living creatures teeming in it will live. Fish will be very plentiful, for wherever the water goes it brings health, and life teems wherever the river flows.

12 Along the river, on either bank, will grow every kind of fruit tree with leaves that never wither and fruit that never fails; they will bear new fruit every month, because this water comes from the sanctuary. And their fruit will be good to eat and the leaves medicinal.'

Gospel, Jn 2:13-22

13 When the time of the Jewish Passover was near Jesus went up to Jerusalem,

14 and in the Temple he found people selling cattle and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting there.

15 Making a whip out of cord, he drove them all out of the Temple, sheep and cattle as well, scattered the money changers' coins, knocked their tables over

16 and said to the dove sellers, 'Take all this out of here and stop using my Father's house as a market.'

17 Then his disciples remembered the words of scripture: I am eaten up with zeal for your house.

18 The Jews intervened and said, 'What sign can you show us that you should act like this?'

19 Jesus answered, 'Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up.'

20 The Jews replied, 'It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple: are you going to raise it up again in three days?'

21 But he was speaking of the Temple that was his body,

22 and when Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and what he had said.

Reading 2, 1 Cor 3:9c-11, 16-17

9 After all, we do share in God's work; you are God's farm, God's building.

10 By the grace of God which was given to me, I laid the foundations like a trained master-builder, and someone else is building on them. Now each one must be careful how he does the building.

11 For nobody can lay down any other foundation than the one which is there already, namely Jesus Christ.

16 Do you not realise that you are a temple of God with the Spirit of God living in you?

17 If anybody should destroy the temple of God, God will destroy that person, because God's temple is holy; and you are that temple.

Daily Readings for Monday November 08, 2010

Reading 1, Ti 1:1-9

1 From Paul, servant of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ to bring those whom God has chosen to faith and to the knowledge of the truth that leads to true religion,

2 and to give them the hope of the eternal life that was promised so long ago by God. He does not lie

3 and so, in due time, he made known his message by a proclamation which was entrusted to me by the command of God our Saviour.

4 To Titus, true child of mine in the faith that we share. Grace and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Saviour.

5 The reason I left you behind in Crete was for you to organise everything that still had to be done and appoint elders in every town, in the way that I told you,

6 that is, each of them must be a man of irreproachable character, husband of one wife, and his children must be believers and not liable to be charged with disorderly conduct or insubordination.

7 The presiding elder has to be irreproachable since he is God's representative: never arrogant or hot-tempered, nor a heavy drinker or violent, nor avaricious;

8 but hospitable and a lover of goodness; sensible, upright, devout and self-controlled;

9 and he must have a firm grasp of the unchanging message of the tradition, so that he can be counted on both for giving encouragement in sound doctrine and for refuting those who argue against it.

Gospel, Lk 17:1-6

1 He said to his disciples, 'Causes of falling are sure to come, but alas for the one through whom they occur!

2 It would be better for such a person to be thrown into the sea with a millstone round the neck than to be the downfall of a single one of these little ones.

3 Keep watch on yourselves! 'If your brother does something wrong, rebuke him and, if he is sorry, forgive him.

4 And if he wrongs you seven times a day and seven times comes back to you and says, "I am sorry," you must forgive him.'

5 The apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith.'

6 The Lord replied, 'If you had faith like a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, "Be uprooted and planted in the sea," and it would obey you.

Daily Readings for Wednesday November 03, 2010

Reading 1, Phil 2:12-18

12 So, my dear friends, you have always been obedient; your obedience must not be limited to times when I am present. Now that I am absent it must be more in evidence, so work out your salvation in fear and trembling.

13 It is God who, for his own generous purpose, gives you the intention and the powers to act.

14 Let your behaviour be free of murmuring and complaining

15 so that you remain faultless and pure, unspoilt children of God surrounded by a deceitful and underhand brood, shining out among them like bright stars in the world,

16 proffering to it the Word of life. Then I shall have reason to be proud on the Day of Christ, for it will not be for nothing that I have run the race and toiled so hard.

17 Indeed, even if my blood has to be poured as a libation over your sacrifice and the offering of your faith, then I shall be glad and join in your rejoicing-

18 and in the same way, you must be glad and join in my rejoicing.

Gospel, Lk 14:25-33

25 Great crowds accompanied him on his way and he turned and spoke to them.

26 'Anyone who comes to me without hating father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes and his own life too, cannot be my disciple.

27 No one who does not carry his cross and come after me can be my disciple.

28 'And indeed, which of you here, intending to build a tower, would not first sit down and work out the cost to see if he had enough to complete it?

29 Otherwise, if he laid the foundation and then found himself unable to finish the work, anyone who saw it would start making fun of him and saying,

30 "Here is someone who started to build and was unable to finish."

31 Or again, what king marching to war against another king would not first sit down and consider whether with ten thousand men he could stand up to the other who was advancing against him with twenty thousand?

32 If not, then while the other king was still a long way off, he would send envoys to sue for peace.

33 So in the same way, none of you can be my disciple without giving up all that he owns.