August 6, 2024

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Reading 1 DN 7:9-10, 13-14 As I watched: Thrones were set up and the Ancient One took his throne. His clothing was bright as snow, and the hair on his head as white as wool; his throne was flames of fire, with wheels of burning fire. A surging stream of fire flowed out from where he sat; Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him, and myriads upon myriads attended him. The court was convened and the books were opened. As the visions during the night continued, I saw: One like a Son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven; When he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, The one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship; all peoples, nations, and languages serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed. Responsorial Psalm PS 97:1-2, 5-6, 9 R. (1a and 9a) The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;let the many islands be glad.Clouds and darkness are round about him,justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,before the LORD of all the earth.The heavens proclaim his justice,and all peoples see his glory.R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.Because you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth,exalted far above all gods. R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.   Reading II 2 PT 1:16-19 Beloved:We did not follow cleverly devised mythswhen we made known to youthe power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.For he received honor and glory from God the Fatherwhen that unique declaration came to him from the majestic glory,“This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”We ourselves heard this voice come from heavenwhile we were with him on the holy mountain.Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable.You will do well to be attentive to it,as to a lamp shining in a dark place,until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.  Alleluia MT 17:5 R. Alleluia, alleluia.This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;listen to him.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 9:2-10 Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them,  and his clothes became dazzling white,  such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.  Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses,  and they were conversing with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,  “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents:  one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them;  from the cloud came a voice,  “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them. As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves,  questioning what rising from the dead meant. - - -Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
August 5, 2024

Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Jer 28:1-17 In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, the prophet Hananiah, son of Azzur, from Gibeon, said to me in the house of the LORD in the presence of the priests and all the people: “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two years I will restore to this place all the vessels of the temple of the LORD which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, took away from this place to Babylon.  And I will bring back to this place Jeconiah, son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles of Judah who went to Babylon,’ says the LORD, ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’” The prophet Jeremiah answered the prophet Hananiah  in the presence of the priests and all the people assembled in the house of the LORD, and said: Amen! thus may the LORD do! May he fulfill the things you have prophesied by bringing the vessels of the house of the LORD and all the exiles back from Babylon to this place! But now, listen to what I am about to state in your hearing and the hearing of all the people. From of old, the prophets who were before you and me prophesied war, woe, and pestilence against many lands and mighty kingdoms. But the prophet who prophesies peace is recognized as truly sent by the LORD only when his prophetic prediction is fulfilled. Thereupon the prophet Hananiah took the yoke from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it, and said in the presence of all the people: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Even so, within two years I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, from off the neck of all the nations.’” At that, the prophet Jeremiah went away. Some time after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: Go tell Hananiah this:   Thus says the LORD: By breaking a wooden yoke, you forge an iron yoke! For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: A yoke of iron I will place on the necks of all these nations serving Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and they shall serve him; even the beasts of the field I give him. To the prophet Hananiah the prophet Jeremiah said: Hear this, Hananiah! The LORD has not sent you, and you have raised false confidence in this people. For this, says the LORD, I will dispatch you from the face of the earth; this very year you shall die, because you have preached rebellion against the LORD. That same year, in the seventh month, Hananiah the prophet died. Responsorial Psalm PS 119:29, 43, 79, 80, 95, 102 R. (68b) Lord, teach me your statutes. Remove from me the way of falsehood, and favor me with your law. R. Lord, teach me your statutes. Take not the word of truth from my mouth, for in your ordinances is my hope. R. Lord, teach me your statutes. Let those turn to me who fear you and acknowledge your decrees. R. Lord, teach me your statutes. Let my heart be perfect in your statutes, that I be not put to shame. R. Lord, teach me your statutes. Sinners wait to destroy me, but I pay heed to your decrees. R. Lord, teach me your statutes. From your ordinances I turn not away, for you have instructed me. R. Lord, teach me your statutes. Alleluia Mt 4:4 R. Alleluia, alleluia.One does not live on bread alone,but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 14:13-21 When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, "This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves." He said to them, "There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves." But they said to him, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have here." Then he said, "Bring them here to me," and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over– twelve wicker baskets full. Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children. Readings for the Optional Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome - - -Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
August 4, 2024

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings for the Memorial of Saint John Vianney, Priest Reading 1  Ex 16:2-4, 12-15 The whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.The Israelites said to them,"Would that we had died at the LORD's hand in the land of Egypt,as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread!But you had to lead us into this desertto make the whole community die of famine!"Then the LORD said to Moses,"I will now rain down bread from heaven for you.Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion;thus will I test them,to see whether they follow my instructions or not."I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites.Tell them: In the evening twilight you shall eat flesh,and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread,so that you may know that I, the LORD, am your God."In the evening quail came up and covered the camp.In the morning a dew lay all about the camp,and when the dew evaporated, there on the surface of the desertwere fine flakes like hoarfrost on the ground.On seeing it, the Israelites asked one another, "What is this?"for they did not know what it was.But Moses told them,"This is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat." Responsorial Psalm  Ps 78:3-4, 23-24, 25, 54 R. (24b) The Lord gave them bread from heaven.What we have heard and know, and what our fathers have declared to us,We will declare to the generation to come the glorious deeds of the LORD and his strength and the wonders that he wrought.R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.He commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven;he rained manna upon them for food and gave them heavenly bread.R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.Man ate the bread of angels, food he sent them in abundance.And he brought them to his holy land, to the mountains his right hand had won.R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven. Reading 2  Eph 4:17, 20-24 Brothers and sisters:I declare and testify in the Lordthat you must no longer live as the Gentiles do,in the futility of their minds;that is not how you learned Christ,assuming that you have heard of him and were taught in him,as truth is in Jesus,that you should put away the old self of your former way of life,corrupted through deceitful desires,and be renewed in the spirit of your minds,and put on the new self,created in God's way in righteousness and holiness of truth. Alleluia Mt 4:4b R. Alleluia, alleluia. One does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel  Jn 6:24-35 When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there,they themselves got into boatsand came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.And when they found him across the sea they said to him,"Rabbi, when did you get here?"Jesus answered them and said,"Amen, amen, I say to you,you are looking for me not because you saw signsbut because you ate the loaves and were filled.Do not work for food that perishesbut for the food that endures for eternal life,which the Son of Man will give you.For on him the Father, God, has set his seal."So they said to him,"What can we do to accomplish the works of God?"Jesus answered and said to them,"This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent."So they said to him,"What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?What can you do?Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written:He gave them bread from heaven to eat."So Jesus said to them,"Amen, amen, I say to you,it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven;my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.For the bread of God is that which comes down from heavenand gives life to the world."So they said to him,"Sir, give us this bread always."Jesus said to them,"I am the bread of life;whoever comes to me will never hunger,and whoever believes in me will never thirst." - - - Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
August 3, 2024

Saturday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Jer 26:11-16, 24 The priests and prophets said to the princes and to all the people, “This man deserves death; he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.” Jeremiah gave this answer to the princes and all the people: “It was the LORD who sent me to prophesy against this house and city all that you have heard. Now, therefore, reform your ways and your deeds; listen to the voice of the LORD your God, so that the LORD will repent of the evil with which he threatens you. As for me, I am in your hands;  do with me what you think good and right. But mark well: if you put me to death, it is innocent blood you bring on yourselves, on this city and its citizens. For in truth it was the LORD who sent me to you, to speak all these things for you to hear.” Thereupon the princes and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man does not deserve death; it is in the name of the LORD, our God, that he speaks to us.”  So Ahikam, son of Shaphan, protected Jeremiah, so that he was not handed over to the people to be put to death. Responsorial Psalm PS 69:15-16, 30-31, 33-34 R.(14c)  Lord, in your great love, answer me. Rescue me out of the mire; may I not sink! may I be rescued from my foes, and from the watery depths. Let not the flood-waters overwhelm me, nor the abyss swallow me up, nor the pit close its mouth over me. R. Lord, in your great love, answer me. But I am afflicted and in pain; let your saving help, O God, protect me. I will praise the name of God in song, and I will glorify him with thanksgiving. R. Lord, in your great love, answer me. “See, you lowly ones, and be glad; you who seek God, may your hearts revive! For the LORD hears the poor, and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.” R. Lord, in your great love, answer me. Alleluia Mt 5:10 R. Alleluia, alleluia.Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousnessfor theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 14:1-12 Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesusand said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist.He has been raised from the dead;that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”Now Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prisonon account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip,for John had said to him,“It is not lawful for you to have her.”Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people,for they regarded him as a prophet.But at a birthday celebration for Herod,the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guestsand delighted Herod so muchthat he swore to give her whatever she might ask for.Prompted by her mother, she said,“Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests who were present,he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison.His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl,who took it to her mother.His disciples came and took away the corpseand buried him; and they went and told Jesus. - - -Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.