Reading 1 Jas 1:1-11 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, greetings.Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters,when you encounter various trials,for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.And let perseverance be perfect,so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.But if any of you lacks wisdom,he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly,and he will be given it.But he should ask in faith, not doubting,for the one who doubts is like a wave of the seathat is driven and tossed about by the wind.For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways.The brother in lowly circumstances should take pride in high standing,and the rich one in his lowliness, for he will pass away "like the flower of the field."For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass,its flower droops, and the beauty of its appearance vanishes.So will the rich person fade away in the midst of his pursuits. Responsorial Psalm Ps 119:67, 68, 71, 72, 75, 76 R. (77a) Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.Before I was afflicted I went astray,but now I hold to your promise. R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.You are good and bountiful;teach me your statutes. R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.It is good for me that I have been afflicted,that I may learn your statutes. R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.The law of your mouth is to me more preciousthan thousands of gold and silver pieces. R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.I know, O LORD, that your ordinances are just,and in your faithfulness you have afflicted me. R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.Let your kindness comfort meaccording to your promise to your servants. R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live. Alleluia Jn 14:6 R. Alleluia, alleluia.I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;no one comes to the Father except through me.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 8:11-13 The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus,seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said,"Why does this generation seek a sign?Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation."Then he left them, got into the boat again,and went off to the other shore. - - -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 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.