24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Date: September 13, 2015

First Reading (Isaiah 50: 5–9a)

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

The Lord God has opened my ear. I have not rebelled, nor have I withdrawn. I offered my back to those who strike me, my cheeks to those who pulled my beard; neither did I shield my face from blows, spittle and disgrace. I have not despaired, for the Lord God comes to my help. So, like a flint I set my face, knowing that I will not be disgraced. He who avenges me is near. Who then will accuse me? Let us confront each other. Who is now my accuser? Let him approach. If the Lord God is my help, who will condemn me?

Second Reading (James 2: 14–18)

A reading from the letter of Saint James.

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, to profess faith without showing works? Such faith has no power to save you. If a brother or sister is in need of clothes or food and one of you states, "May things go well for you; be warm and satisfied," without attending to their material needs, what good is that? So it is for faith without deeds: it is totally dead. Say to whoever challenges you, "You have faith and I have good deeds; show me your faith apart from actions and I, for my part, will show you my faith in the way I act."

Gospel (Mark 8: 27–35)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark.

Jesus set out with his disciples for the villages around Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?" And they told him, "Some say you are John the Baptist; others say you are Elijah or one of the prophets." Then Jesus asked them, "But you, who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Messiah." And he ordered them not to tell anyone about him. Jesus then began to teach them that the Son of Man had to suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. He would be killed and after three days rise again. Jesus stated all this quite openly, so that Peter took him aside and began to protest strongly. But Jesus turning around, and looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter saying, "Get behind me Satan! You are thinking not as God does, but as people do." Then Jesus called the people and his disciples and stated, "If you want to follow me, deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me. For if you choose to save your life, you will lose it; and if you lose your life for me sake and for the sake of the Gospel, you will save it."

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Date: September 6, 2015

First Reading (Isaiah 35: 4–7a)

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

So to those who are afraid: "Have courage, do not fear. See, your God comes, demanding justice. He is the God who rewards, the God who comes to save you." Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unsealed. Then will the lame leap as a hart and the tongue of the dumb sing and shout. For water will break out in the wilderness and streams gush forth from the desert. The thirsty ground will become a pool, the arid land springs of water.

Second Reading (James 2: 1–5)

A reading from the letter of Saint James.

My brothers and sisters, if you truly believe in our glorified Lord, Jesus Christ, you will not discriminate between persons. Suppose a person enters the synagogue where you are assembled, dressed magnificently and wearing a gold ring; at the same time, a poor person enters dressed in rags. If you focus your attention on the well-dressed and state, "Come and sit in the best seat," while to the poor one you state, "Stay standing or else sit down at my feet," have you not, in fact, made a distinction between the two? Have you not judged, using a double standard? Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters, did God not choose the poor of this world to receive the riches of faith and to inherit the kingdom which he has promise to those who love him?

Gospel (Mark 7: 31–37)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark.

Again Jesus set out; from the country of Tyre he passed through Sidon and skirting the sea of Galilee he came to the territory of Decapolis. There a deaf man who also had difficulty in speaking was brought to him. They asked Jesus to lay his hand upon him. Jesus took him apart from the crowd, put his fingers into the man's ears and touched his tongue with spittle. Then, looking up to heaven, he groaned and stated to him, "Ephphetha." that is, "Be opened." And his ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak clearly. Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone, but the more he insisted on this, the more they proclaimed it. The people were completely astonished and stated, "He has done all things well; he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak."

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Date: August 30, 2015

First Reading (Deuteronomy 4: 1–2 and 6–8)
A reading from the book of Deuteronomy.
Moses stated to the people: "Now, Israel, listen to the norms and laws which I teach that you may put them into practice. And you will live and enter and taken possession of the land which the Lord your God of your Fathers, gives you. Do not add anything to what I command you nor take anything away from it. But keep the commandments for the Lord your God, as I command you. If you observe and practice them, other people will regard you as wise and intelligent. When they come to know all those laws, they will say, 'There is no people as wise and as intelligent as this great nation.' For in truth, is there a nation as great as ours, whose gods are as near to it as the Lord, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? And is there a nation as great as ours whose norms and laws are as just as this Law which I give you today?"

Second Reading (James 1: 17–18, 21b–22 and 27)
A reading from the letter of Saint James.
Dearest brothers and sisters: Every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of Light, in whom there is no change or shadow of a change. By his own will, he gave us life through the Word of Truth, that we might be a kind of offering to him among his creatures. Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls. Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Gospel (Mark 7: 1–8, 14–15 and 21–23)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark.
One day the Pharisees gather around Jesus and with them were some teachers of the Law who had just come from Jerusalem. They noticed that some of his disciples were eating their meal with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. Now the Pharisees, and in fact, all the Jews, never eat without washing their hands for they follow the tradition received from their ancestors; nor do they eat anything when they come from the market without first washing themselves. And there are many other traditions they observe, for example, the ritual washing of cups, pots, and plates. So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law asked Jesus, "Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders, but eat with unclean hands?" Jesus answered, "You shallow people! How well Isaiah prophesied of you when he wrote: This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. The worship they offer me is worthless, for what they teach are only human rules. You even put aside the commandment of God to hold fast to human tradition." Jesus then called the people to him again and stated to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and try to understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can make that person unclean. It is what comes out from within that makes unclean." Jesus continues with this statement: "Within people, evil designs come out of the heart: theft, murder, adultery, jealousy, greed, maliciousness, deceit, indecency, slander, pride, and folly. All these evil things come from within and make a person unclean."

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Date: August 23, 2015

First Reading (Joshua 24: 1–2a, 15–17 and 18b)
A reading from the book of Joshua.
Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, summoning their elders, their leader, their judges, and their officers. Together they presented themselves before God. Addressing the people, Joshua stated to them: "If it does not please you to serve the Lord, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your father served beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." The people answered, "May God not permit that we ever abandon the Lord to serve other Gods! For it was he who brought us and our ancestors out of Egypt, the house of slavery. It was he who did those great wonders that we have seen; he protected us on the way and through all the land where we passed. Therefore, we shall also serve the Lord, for he is our God!"

Second Reading (Ephesians 5: 21–32)
A reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians.
Brothers and sisters: Let all kinds of submission to one another become obedience to Christ. So wives to their husbands: as to the Lord. The husband is the head of his wife, as Christ is the head of the Church, his body, of whom he is also the Savior. And as the Church submits to Christ, so let a wife submit in everything to her husband. As for you, husbands love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her. He washed her and made her holy by baptism in the Word. As he wanted a radiant Church without stain or wrinkle or any blemish, but holy and blameless, he himself had to prepare and present her to himself. In the same way, husbands should love their wives as they love their own bodies, he who love his wife loves himself. And no one has ever hated his body; he feeds and takes care of it. That is just what Christ does for the Church, because we are a part of his body. The Scripture states: Because of this, a man shall leave his father and mother to be united with his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a very great mystery, and I refer to Christ and the Church.

Gospel (John 6: 60–69)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.
After hearing what Jesus and stated before about the bread of life, plenty of Jesus' followers complained, "This language is very difficult; who can accept it?" Jesus was aware that his disciples were discussing and murmuring about this, so he states to them, "Does this offend you? Then how will react when you see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh cannot help. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. But among you there are some who do not believe." From the beginning, Jesus knew who would betray him. So he added, "As I have told you, nobody can come to me unless it is granted by the Father." After this, many disciples withdrew and no longer followed him. Jesus asked the Twelve, "Will you also go away?" Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We now believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Date: August 16, 2015

First Reading (Revelation 11:19a; 12:1–6a and 10 a & b)
A reading from the book of Revelation.
God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and on her head is a crowd with twelve stars. She was pregnant and wailed aloud in pain as she was looking forward to her time of delivery. Then another sign appeared: a huge, red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and wearing seven crowns on its heads. It had just swept along a third of the stars of heaven with its tail, throwing them down to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour the child as soon as it was born. The woman gave birth to a male child, the one who is to rule all the nations with an iron scepter; then her child was seized and taken up to God and to his throne; while the woman fled into the desert where God had prepared a place for her. Then I heard a loud voice from heaven: "Now have salvation and power come, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed One."

Second Reading (1 Corinthians 15: 20–27)
A reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians.
Brothers and sisters: Christ has been raised from the dead and he comes before all those who have fallen asleep. A human being brought death; a human being also brings resurrection of the dead. All die for being Adam's, and in Christ all will receive life. However, each one in his own time: first Christ, then Christ's people, when he visits them. Then the end will come, when Christ delivers the kingdom to God the Father, after having destroyed every rule, authority and power. For he must reign and put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed will be death. As the Scriptures states: God has subjected everything under his feet.

Gospel (Luke 1: 39–56)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke.
Mary set out for a town in the Hills of Judah. She enter the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leapt in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the holy spirit, and giving a loud cry, she states, "You are most blessed among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb! How is it that the mother of my Lord comes to me? The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby within me suddenly leapt for joy. Blessed are you who believed that the Lord's word would come true!" And Mary stated, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God my savior! He has looked upon his servant in her lowliness, and people forever will call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, Holy is his Name! From age to age his mercy extends to those who live in his presence. He has acted with power and done wonders and scattered the proud with their plans. He has put down the mighty from their thrones and lifted up those who are downtrodden. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He held out his hand to Israel, his servant, for he remembered his mercy, even as he promised our fathers, Abraham and his descendants forever." Mary remained with Elizabeth for approximately three months and then returned home.

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Date: August 9, 2015

First Reading (1 Kings 19: 4–8)
A reading from the first book of Kings.
Elijah entered the desert going on a day's journey. Then he sat down under a broom tree and prayed to die, "This is enough, O Lord; take away my life, for I am dying." He lay down and went to sleep under the broom tree. Then an angel touched him and stated, "Get up and eat." Elijah looked and saw on his head, a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. He ate, drank, and then drifted back to sleep. The angel came a second time to him, saying, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too long for you." He got up, ate, drank, and on the strength of that food, Elijah traveled for forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.

Second Reading (Ephesians 4:30 – 5:2)
A reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians.
Do not sadden the Holy Spirit of God which you were marked with. It will be your distinctive mark on the day of salvation. Do away with all quarreling, rage, anger, insults, and every kind of malice: be good and understanding, mutually forgiving one another as God forgave you in Christ. As most beloved children of God, strive to imitate him. Follow the ways of love, the example of Christ who loved you. He gave himself up for us and became the offering and sacrificial victim whose fragrance rises to God.

Gospel (John 6: 41–51)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.
The Jews discussed with themselves because Jesus stated, "I am the bread which comes from heaven." And they stated, "This man is the son of Joseph, is he not? We know his father and mother, but how can he say that he has come down from heaven?" Jesus answered them, "Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to me unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise him up on the last day. It has been written in the Prophets: They shall be taught by God.So whoever listens and learns from the Father comes to me. For no one has seen the Father except the One who comes from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, I say to you, whoever believes, has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Though your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, they died. But here you have the bread which comes from heaven so that you may eat it and not die. I am the living bread which has come from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever. The bread I shall give is my flesh and I will give it for the life of the world."

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Date: August 2, 2015

First Reading (Exodus 16: 2–4 and 12–15)
A reading from the book of Exodus.
In the desert, the whole Israelite community groaned against Moses and Aaron and stated to them, "If only we had died by the sand of the Lord in Egypt when we sat down to caldrons of meat and ate all the bread we wanted, whereas you have brought us to this desert to let the whole assembly die of starvation!" The Lord then stated to Moses, "Now I am going to rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to gather what is needed for that day. In this way I will test them to save if they will follow my Teaching or not. I have heard the complaints of Israel. Speak to them and say: Between the two evenings you will eat meat, and in the morning you will have bread to your heart's content; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God!" In the evening, quails came up and covered the camp. In the morning, dew had fallen around the camp. When the dew lifted, there was on the surface of the desert a thin crust like hoarfrost. The people of Israel upon seeing it starting asking each other, "What is that?" for they did not know what it was. Moses told them, "It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat."

Second Reading (Ephesians 4: 17 and 20–24)
A reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians.
Brothers and sisters: I say to you, then, and with insistence I advise you in the Lord: do not imitate the pagans who live an aimless kind of life. But it is not for this that you have followed Christ. For I suppose that you have heard of him and received his teaching which is seen in Jesus himself. You must give up your former way of living, the old self, whose deceitful desires bring self-destruction. Renew yourselves spiritually, from inside and put on the new self, or self-according to God, which is created in true righteousness and holiness.

Gospel (John 6: 24–35)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.
When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they embarked on boats and went to Capernaum searching for Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Master, when did you come here?" Jesus answered, "Truly, I say to you, you look for me, not because you have seen through the signs, but because you ate bread and were satisfied. Work then, not for perishable food, but for the lasting food which grants you eternal life. The Son of Man will give it to you, for he is the one the Father has marked." Then the Jews asked Jesus, "What should we do? What are the works that God anticipates us to do?" Jesus answered them, "The work God anticipates is this: that you believe in the One whom God has sent." They then stated, "Demonstrate us miraculous signs, that we may see and believe you. What sign do you perform? Well, our ancestors ate manna in the desert; as the Scripture states: They were given bread from heaven to eat." Jesus then replied to them, "Truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven. My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. The bread God gives is the One who comes from heaven and gives life to the world." the Jews replied to Jesus, "Give us this bread consistently." Jesus explained to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall never be hungry, and whoever believes in me shall never be thirsty."