Reading I Lv 13:1-2, 44-46 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “If someone has on his skin a scab or pustule or blotch which appears to be the sore of leprosy, he shall be brought to Aaron, the priest, or to one of the priests among his descendants. If the man is leprous and unclean, the priest shall declare him unclean by reason of the sore on his head. “The one who bears the sore of leprosy shall keep his garments rent and his head bare, and shall muffle his beard; he shall cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’ As long as the sore is on him he shall declare himself unclean, since he is in fact unclean. He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp.” Responsorial Psalm Ps 32:1-2, 5, 11 R. (7) I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation. Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,     whose sin is covered. Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,     in whose spirit there is no guile.R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation. Then I acknowledged my sin to you,     my guilt I covered not. I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,”     and you took away the guilt of my sin.R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation. Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you just;     exult, all you upright of heart.R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation. Reading II 1 Cor 10:31—11:1 Brothers and sisters, Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. Avoid giving offense, whether to the Jews or Greeks or  the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in every way, not seeking my own benefit but that of the many, that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. Alleluia Lk 7:16 R. Alleluia, alleluia. A great prophet has arisen in our midst, God has visited his people.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 1:40-45 A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,  touched him, and said to him,  “I do will it. Be made clean.” The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once.  He said to him, “See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest  and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere. - - - 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.

Readings for the Memorial of Saint Scholastica, virgin Reading 1 1 Kgs 12:26-32; 13:33-34 Jeroboam thought to himself:"The kingdom will return to David's house.If now this people go up to offer sacrificesin the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem,the hearts of this people will return to their master,Rehoboam, king of Judah,and they will kill me."After taking counsel, the king made two calves of goldand said to the people:"You have been going up to Jerusalem long enough.Here is your God, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt."And he put one in Bethel, the other in Dan.This led to sin, because the people frequented those calvesin Bethel and in Dan.He also built temples on the high placesand made priests from among the people who were not Levites.Jeroboam established a feast in the eighth monthon the fifteenth day of the monthto duplicate in Bethel the pilgrimage feast of Judah,with sacrifices to the calves he had made;and he stationed in Bethel priests of the high places he had built.Jeroboam did not give up his evil ways after this,but again made priests for the high placesfrom among the common people.Whoever desired it was consecratedand became a priest of the high places.This was a sin on the part of the house of Jeroboamfor which it was to be cut off and destroyed from the earth. Responsorial Psalm  PS 106:6-7ab, 19-20, 21-22 R. (4a) Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.We have sinned, we and our fathers;we have committed crimes; we have done wrong.Our fathers in Egyptconsidered not your wonders. R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.They made a calf in Horeband adored a molten image;They exchanged their gloryfor the image of a grass-eating bullock. R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.They forgot the God who had saved them,who had done great deeds in Egypt,Wondrous deeds in the land of Ham,terrible things at the Red Sea.R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people. Alleluia Mt 4:4b 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 Mk 8:1-10 In those days when there again was a great crowd without anything to eat,Jesus summoned the disciples and said,“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,because they have been with me now for three daysand have nothing to eat.If I send them away hungry to their homes,they will collapse on the way,and some of them have come a great distance.”His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough breadto satisfy them here in this deserted place?”Still he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?”They replied, “Seven.”He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them,and gave them to his disciples to distribute,and they distributed them to the crowd.They also had a few fish.He said the blessing over themand ordered them distributed also.They ate and were satisfied.They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets.There were about four thousand people.He dismissed the crowd and got into the boat with his disciplesand came to the region of Dalmanutha. - - - 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.

Reading 1 1 kgs 11:29-32; 12:19 Jeroboam left Jerusalem,and the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the road.The two were alone in the area,and the prophet was wearing a new cloak.Ahijah took off his new cloak,tore it into twelve pieces, and said to Jeroboam:“Take ten pieces for yourself;the LORD, the God of Israel, says:‘I will tear away the kingdom from Solomon’s graspand will give you ten of the tribes.One tribe shall remain to him for the sake of David my servant,and of Jerusalem,the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.’”Israel went into rebellion against David’s house to this day. Responsorial Psalm PS 81:10-11ab, 12-13, 14-15 R. (11a and 9a) I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice."There shall be no strange god among younor shall you worship any alien god.I, the LORD, am your Godwho led you forth from the land of Egypt."R. I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice."My people heard not my voice,and Israel obeyed me not;So I gave them up to the hardness of their hearts;they walked according to their own counsels."R. I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice."If only my people would hear me,and Israel walk in my ways,Quickly would I humble their enemies;against their foes I would turn my hand."R. I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice. Alleluia See Acts 16:14b R. Alleluia, alleluia.Open our hearts, O Lord,to listen to the words of your Son.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 7:31-37 Jesus left the district of Tyreand went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,into the district of the Decapolis. And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impedimentand begged him to lay his hand on him.He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man's earsand, spitting, touched his tongue;then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,"Ephphatha!" (that is, "Be opened!")And immediately the man's ears were opened,his speech impediment was removed,and he spoke plainly. He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to,the more they proclaimed it. They were exceedingly astonished and they said,"He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak." - - -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.

Reading 1 1 Kgs 11:4-13 When Solomon was old his wives had turned his heart to strange gods,and his heart was not entirely with the LORD, his God,as the heart of his father David had been.By adoring Astarte, the goddess of the Sidonians,and Milcom, the idol of the Ammonites,Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD;he did not follow him unreservedly as his father David had done.Solomon then built a high place to Chemosh, the idol of Moab,and to Molech, the idol of the Ammonites,on the hill opposite Jerusalem.He did the same for all his foreign wiveswho burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.The LORD, therefore, became angry with Solomon,because his heart was turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel,who had appeared to him twice(for though the LORD had forbidden him this very act of following strange gods,Solomon had not obeyed him).So the LORD said to Solomon: "Since this is what you want,and you have not kept my covenant and my statuteswhich I enjoined on you,I will deprive you of the kingdom and give it to your servant.I will not do this during your lifetime, however,for the sake of your father David;it is your son whom I will deprive.Nor will I take away the whole kingdom.I will leave your son one tribe for the sake of my servant Davidand of Jerusalem, which I have chosen." Responsorial Psalm PS 106:3-4, 35-36, 37 and 40 R. (4a) Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.Blessed are they who observe what is right,who do always what is just.Remember us, O LORD, as you favor your people;visit us with your saving help. R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.But they mingled with the nationsand learned their works.They served their idols,which became a snare for them. R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.They sacrificed their sonsand their daughters to demons.And the LORD grew angry with his people,and abhorred his inheritance. R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people. Alleluia Jas 1:21bc R. Alleluia, alleluia.Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in youand is able to save your souls.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 7:24-30 Jesus went to the district of Tyre.He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it,but he could not escape notice.Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him.She came and fell at his feet.The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth,and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.He said to her, “Let the children be fed first.For it is not right to take the food of the childrenand throw it to the dogs.”She replied and said to him,“Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.”Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go.The demon has gone out of your daughter.”When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bedand the demon gone. Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Jerome Emiliani, priestReadings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Josephine Bakhita, Virgin - - -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.