Universal Roman Catholic Faith and Traditions

4th Sunday of Lent First Reading: Joshua 5: 9 - 12 Psalm 34 Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5: 17 - 21 Gospel: Luke 15: 1 - 3, 11 - 32 Holy Gospel According to Saint Luke: Meanwhile tax collectors and sinners were seeking the company of Jesus, all of them eager to hear what he had to say. But the Pharisees and the scribes frowned at this, muttering. “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So Jesus told them this parable: Jesus continued, “There was a man with two sons. The younger said to his father: ‘Give me my share of the estate.’ So the father divided his property between them. Some days later, the younger son gathered all his belongings and started off for a distant land where he squandered his wealth in loose living. Having spent everything, he was hard pressed when a severe famine broke out in that land. So he hired himself out to a well-to-do citizen of that place and was sent to work on a pig farm. So famished was he that he longed to fill his stomach even ...

First Reading: Hosea 6: 1 - 6 Psalm 51 Gospel: Luke 18: 9 - 14 Holy Gospel According to Saint Luke: Jesus told another parable to some persons fully convinced of their own righteousness, who looked down on others, “Two men went up to the Temple to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and said: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people, grasping, crooked, adulterous, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give the tenth of all my income to the Temple.’ In the meantime the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast saying: ‘O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’ I tell you, when this man went down to his house, he had been set right with God, but not the other. For whoever makes himself out to be great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be raised.” First Reading: Come, let us return to Yahweh.  He who shattered us to pieces, w...

Abstinence First Reading: Hosea 14: 2 - 10 Psalm 81 Gospel: Mark 12: 28 - 34 Holy Gospel According to Saint Mark: A teacher of the Law had been listening to this discussion and admired how Jesus answered them. So he came up and asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is: Hear, Israel! The Lord, our God, is One Lord; and you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. And after this comes another one: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these two.” The teacher of the Law said to him, “Well spoken, Master; you are right when you say that he is one and there is no other. To love him with all our heart, with all our understanding and with all our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves is more important than any burnt offering or sacrifice.” Jesus approved this answer and said, “You are not far from the kingdom o...

First Reading: Jeremiah 7: 23 - 28 Psalm 95 Gospel: Luke 11: 14 - 23 Holy Gospel According to Saint Luke: One day Jesus was driving out a dumb demon. When the demon had been driven out, the mute person could speak, and the people were amazed. Yet some of them said, “He drives out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the chief of the demons.” So others wanted to put him to the test by asking him for a heavenly sign. But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every nation divided by civil war is on the road to ruin, and will fall. 18 If Satan also is divided, his empire is coming to an end. How can you say that I drive out demons by calling upon Beelzebul? If I drive them out by Beelzebul, by whom do your fellow members drive out demons? They will be your judge, then. But suppose I drive out demons by the finger of God; would not this mean that the kingdom of God has come upon you? As long as the strong and armed man guards his house, his goods are safe. But when a stronger ...

First Reading: Deuteronomy 4: 1, 5 - 9 Psalm 147 Gospel: Matthew 5: 17 - 19 Holy Gospel According to Saint Matthew: Do not think that I have come to remove the Law and the Prophets. I have not come to remove but to fulfill them. I tell you this: as long as heaven and earth last, not the smallest letter or stroke of the Law will change until all is fulfilled. So then, whoever breaks the least important of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be the least in the kingdom of heaven. On the other hand, whoever obeys them and teaches others to do the same will be great in the kingdom of heaven. First Reading: And 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 take possession of the land which Yahweh, the God of your fathers, gives you. See, as Yahweh, my God, ordered me, I am teaching you the norms and the laws that you may put them into practice in the land you are going to...

First Reading: Daniel 3: 25, 34 - 43 Psalm 25 Gospel: Matthew 18: 21 - 35 Holy Gospel According to Saint Matthew: Then Peter asked him, “Lord, how many times must I forgive the offenses of my brother or sister? Seven times?” Jesus answered, “No, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. This story throws light on the kingdom of heaven. A king decided to settle the accounts of his servants. Among the first was one who owed him ten thousand gold ingots. As the man could not repay the debt, the king commanded that he be sold as a slave with his wife, children and all his goods in payment. The official threw himself at the feet of the king and said, ‘Give me time, and I will pay you back everything.’ The king took pity on him and not only set him free but even canceled his debt. This official then left the king’s presence and he met one of his companions who owed him a hundred pieces of silver. He grabbed him by the neck and almost strangled him, shouting, ‘Pay me what you owe...

The Annunciation of the Lord First Reading: Isaiah  7: 10 - 14 Psalm 40 Second Reading: Hebrews 10: 4 - 10 Gospel: Luke 1: 26 - 38 Holy Gospel According to Saint Luke: In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth. He was sent to a young virgin who was betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the family of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. The angel came to her and said, “Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” Mary was troubled at these words, wondering what this greeting could mean. But the angel said, “Do not fear, Mary, for God has looked kindly on you. You shall conceive and bear a son and you shall call him Jesus. He will be great and shall rightly be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the kingdom of David, his ancestor; he will rule over the people of Jacob forever and his reign shall have no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be if I am a virgin?”  And the ange...

3rd Sunday of Lent First Reading: Exodus 17: 3 - 8, 13 - 15 Psalm 103 Second Reading: Romans 5: 1 - 2, 5 - 8 Gospel: John 4: 5 - 42 Holy Gospel According to Saint John: He came to a Samaritan town called Sychar, near the land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well is there. Tired from his journey, Jesus sat down by the well; it was about noon. Now a Samaritan woman came to draw water and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” His disciples had just gone into town to buy some food. The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan and a woman, for a drink?” (For Jews, in fact, have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus replied, “If you only knew the Gift of God! If you knew who it is that asks you for a drink, you yourself would have asked me and I would have given you living water.” The woman answered, “Sir, you have no bucket and this well is deep; where is your living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us t...

First Reading:  Micah 7: 14 - 15, 18 - 20 Psalm 103 Gospel: Luke 15: 1 - 3, 11 - 32 Holy Gospel According to Saint Luke: Meanwhile tax collectors and sinners were seeking the company of Jesus, all of them eager to hear what he had to say. But the Pharisees and the scribes frowned at this, muttering. “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So Jesus told them this parable Jesus continued, “There was a man with two sons. The younger said to his father: ‘Give me my share of the estate.’ So the father divided his property between them. Some days later, the younger son gathered all his belongings and started off for a distant land where he squandered his wealth in loose living. Having spent everything, he was hard pressed when a severe famine broke out in that land. So he hired himself out to a well-to-do citizen of that place and was sent to work on a pig farm. So famished was he that he longed to fill his stomach even with the food given to the pigs, but no one ...

Abstinence First Reading: Genesis 37: 3 - 4, 12 - 13, 17 - 28 Psalm 105 Gospel: Matthew 21: 33 - 43, 45 - 46 Holy Gospel According to Saint Matthew: Listen to another example: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a hole for the winepress, built a watchtower, leased the vineyard to tenants and then went to a distant country. When harvest time came, the landowner sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the harvest. But the tenants seized his servants, beat one, killed another and stoned another. Again the owner sent more servants, but they were treated in the same way. Finally, he sent his son, thinking: ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they thought: ‘This is the one who is to inherit the vineyard. Let us kill him and his inheritance will be ours.’ So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Now, what will the owner of the vineyard do with the tenants when he comes?”...

Jeremiah 17: 5 - 10 Psalm 1 Luke 16: 19 - 31 Holy Gospel According to Saint Luke: Once there was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and feasted every day. At his gate lay Lazarus, a poor man covered with sores, who longed to eat just the scraps falling from the rich man’s table. Even dogs used to come and lick his sores. It happened that the poor man died and angels carried him to take his place with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. From hell where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham afar off, and with him Lazarus at rest. He called out: ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus with the tip of his finger dipped in water to cool my tongue, for I suffer so much in this fire.’ Abraham replied: ‘My son, remember that in your lifetime you were well-off while the lot of Lazarus was misfortune. Now he is in comfort and you are in agony. But that is not all. Between your place and ours a great chasm has been fixed, so that no one can ...

First Reading: Jeremiah 18: 18 - 20 Psalm 31 Gospel: Matthew 20: 17 - 28 Holy Gospel According to Saint Matthew: When Jesus was going to Jerusalem, he took the Twelve aside and said to them on the way, “See, we are going to Jerusalem. There the Son of Man will be given over to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law who will condemn him to death. They will hand him over to the foreigners who will mock him, scourge him and crucify him. But he will be raised to life on the third day.” Then the mother of James and John came to Jesus with her sons, and she knelt down to ask a favor. Jesus said to her, “What do you want?” And she answered, “Here you have my two sons. Grant that they may sit, one at your right and one at your left, when you are in your kingdom.” Jesus said to the brothers, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They answered, “We can.” Jesus replied, “You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right or at m...

Saint Joseph, Husband of Mary First Reading: 2 Samuel 7: 4 -5, 12 - 14, 16 Psalm 89 Second Reading: Romans 4: 13, 16 - 18, 22 Gospel: Matthew 1: 16, 18 - 21, 24 Holy Gospel According to Saint Matthew: Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and from her came Jesus who is called the Christ ­– the Messiah. This is how Jesus Christ was born. Mary his mother had been given to Joseph in marriage but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her husband, made plans to divorce her in all secrecy. He was an upright man, and in no way did he want to discredit her. While he was pondering over this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She has conceived by the Holy Spirit, and now she will bear a son. You shall call him ‘Jesus’ for he will save his people from their sins.” When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel ...

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop First Reading: Daniel 9: 4 - 10 Psalm 79 Gospel: Luke 6: 36 - 38 Holy Gospel According to Saint Luke: Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Don’t be a judge of others and you will not be judged; do not condemn and you will not be condemned; forgive and you will be forgiven; give and it will be given to you, and you will receive in your sack good measure, pressed down, full and running over. For the measure you give will be the measure you receive back. First Reading: I prayed to Yahweh, my God, and made this confession: “Lord God, great and to be feared, you keep your Covenant and love for those who love you and observe your commandments. We have sinned, we have not been just, we have been rebels, and have turned away from your commandments and laws. We have not listened to your servants, the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, leaders, fathers and to all the people of the land. Lord, justice is yours, but ours is a...

2nd Sunday of Lent First Reading: Genesis 15: 5 - 12, 17 - 18 Psalm 27 Second Reading: Philippians 3: 17 - 4: 1 Gospel: Luke 9: 28 - 36 Holy Gospel According to Saint Luke: About eight days after Jesus had said all this, he took Peter, John and James and went up the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the aspect of his face was changed and his clothing became dazzling white. Two men were talking with Jesus: Moses and Elijah. They had just appeared in heavenly glory and were telling him about his departure that had to take place in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions had fallen asleep, but they awoke suddenly and saw Jesus’ Glory and the two men standing with him. As Moses and Elijah were about to leave, Peter said to him, “Master, how good it is for us to be here for we can make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” For Peter didn’t know what to say. And no sooner had he spoken than a cloud appeared and covered them; and the disciples were afr...

First Reading: Deuteronomy 26: 16 - 19 Psalm 119 Gospel: Matthew 5: 43 - 48 Holy Gospel According to Saint Matthew: You have heard that it was said: Love your neighbor and do not do good to your enemy. But this I tell you: Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in Heaven. For he makes his sun rise on both the wicked and the good, and he gives rain to both the just and the unjust. If you love those who love you, what is special about that? Do not even tax collectors do as much And if you are friendly only to your friends, what is so exceptional about that? Do not even the pagans do as much? For your part you shall be righteous and perfect in the way your heavenly Father is righteous and perfect. First Reading: On this day, Yahweh, your God, commands you to fulfill these norms and these commandments. Obey them now and put them into practice with all your heart and with all your soul. Today Yahweh has declar...

(Abstinence) First Reading: Ezekiel 18: 21 - 28 Psalm 130 Gospel: Matthew 5: 20 - 26 Holy Gospel According to Saint Matthew: I tell you, then, that if you are not righteous in a much broader way than the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to our people in the past: Do not commit murder; anyone who does kill will have to face trial. But now I tell you: whoever gets angry with a brother or sister will have to face trial. Whoever insults a brother or sister deserves to be brought before the council; whoever calls a brother or a sister “Fool” deserves to be thrown into the fire of hell. So, if you are about to offer your gift at the altar and you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar, go at once and make peace with him, and then come back and offer your gift to God. Don’t forget this: be reconciled with your opponent quickly when you are toget...

First Reading: Esther 12: 14 - 16, 23 - 25 Psalm 138 Gospel: Matthew 7: 7 - 12 Holy Gospel According to Saint Matthew: Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives; whoever seeks, finds; and the door will be opened to him who knocks. Would any of you give a stone to your son when he asks for bread? Or give him a snake, when he asks for a fish As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! So, do to others whatever you would that others do to you: there you have the Law and the Prophets. First Reading: Save us by your hand; help me who am alone and have none but you, O Lord. You know everything; you know how I hate honor if from the impious, how I loathe the bed of the uncircumcised and of any foreigner. You know I am here under constraint, that I loathe the diadem about my brow when I...

First Reading: Jonah 3: 1 - 10 Psalm 51 Gospel: Luke 11: 29 - 32 Holy Gospel According to Saint Luke: As the crowd increased, Jesus began to speak in this way, “People of the present time are evil people. They ask for a sign, but no sign will be given to them except the sign of Jonah.  As Jonah became a sign for the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be a sign for this generation. The Queen of the South will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and here there is greater than Solomon. The people of Nineveh will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for Jonah’s preaching made them turn from their sins, and here there is greater than Jonah. First Reading: The word of Yahweh came to Jonah a second time: “Go to Nineveh, the great city, and announce to them the message I give you.” In obedience to the word of Yahweh, Jonah we...

First Reading: Isaiah 55: 10 - 11 Psalm 34 Gospel: Matthew 6: 7 - 15 Holy Gospel According to Saint Matthew: When you pray, do not use a lot of words, as the pagans do, for they hold that the more they say, the more chance they have of being heard. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need, even before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, holy be your name, your kingdom come and your will be done,  on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts  just as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us. Do not bring us to the test but deliver us from the evil one. If you forgive others their wrongs, your Father in heaven will also forgive yours. If you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive you either. First Reading: As the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return  till they have watered the earth, making it yield seed for the sowe...

First Reading: Leviticus 19: 1 - 2, 11 - 18 Psalm 19 Gospel: Matthew 25: 31 - 46 Holy Gospel According to Saint Matthew: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory with all his angels, he will sit on the throne of his Glory. All the nations will be brought before him, and as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, so will he do with them, placing the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. The King will say to those on his right: ‘Come, blessed of my Father! Take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. For I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me into your house. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to see me.’ Then the good people will ask him: ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food; thirsty and give you drink, or a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in pris...

First Sunday of Lent First Reading: Deuteronomy 26: 4 - 10 Psalm 91 Second Reading: Romans 10: 8 - 13 Gospel: Luke 4: 1 - 13 Holy Gospel According to Saint Luke: Jesus was now full of Holy Spirit. As he returned from the Jordan, the Spirit led him into the desert where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. He did not eat anything during that time, and in the end he was hungry. The devil then said to him, “If you are son of God, tell this stone to turn into bread.” But Jesus answered, “Scripture says: People cannot live on bread alone.” Then the devil took him up to a high place and showed him in a flash all the nations of the world. And he said to Jesus, “I can give you power over all the nations and their wealth will be yours, for power and wealth have been delivered to me and I give them to whom I wish. All this will be yours provided you worship me.” But Jesus replied, “Scripture says: You shall worship the Lord your God and serve him alone.” Then the devil took...

First Reading: Isaiah 58: 9 - 14 Psalm 86 Gospel: Luke 5: 27 - 32 Holy Gospel According to Saint Luke: After this Jesus went out, and as he noticed a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax-office, he said to him, “Follow me.” So Levi, leaving everything, got up and followed Jesus. Levi gave a great feast for Jesus, and many tax collectors came to his house and took their place at table with the other people. Then the Pharisees and their fellow teachers complained to Jesus’ disciples, “How is it that you eat and drink with tax collectors and other sinners?” But Jesus spoke up, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do. I have come to call to repentance; I call sinners, not the righteous.” First Reading: If you remove from your midst the yoke, the clenched fist and the wicked word, if you share your food with the hungry and give relief to the oppressed,  then your light will rise in the dark, your night will be like noon. Yahweh will ...

Saint John of God, Religious First Reading: Isaiah 58: 1 - 9 Psalm 51 Gospel: Matthew 9: 14 - 15 Holy Gospel According to Saint Matthew: Then the disciples of John came to him with the question, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast on many occasions, but not your disciples?” Jesus answered them, “How can you expect wedding guests to mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? Time will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, then they will fast. First Reading: Cry out aloud for all you are worth; raise your voice like a trumpet blast; tell my people of their offenses, Jacob’s family of their sins. Is it true that they seek me day after day, longing to know my ways, as a people that does what is right and has not forsaken the word of its God? They want to know the just laws and not to drift away from their God. “Why are we fasting,” they complain, “and you do not even see it? We are doing penance and you never notic...

First Reading: Deuteronomy 30: 15 - 20 Psalm 1 Luke 9: 22 - 25 Holy Gospel According to Saint Luke: And he added, “The Son of Man must suffer many things. He will be rejected by the elders and chief priests and teachers of the Law, and put to death. Then after three days he will be raised to life.” Jesus also said to all the people, “If you wish to be a follower of mine, deny yourself and take up your cross each day, and follow me. For if you choose to save your life, you will lose it, and if you lose your life for my sake, you will save it. What does it profit you to gain the whole world while you destroy or damage yourself? First Reading: See, I set before you on this day life and good, evil and death. I command you to love Yahweh, your God and follow his ways. Observe his commandments, his norms and his laws, and you will live and increase, and Yahweh will give you his blessing in the land you are going to possess. But if your heart turns away and does not listen, if y...

Ash Wednesday (Fast and Abstinence) First Reading: Joel 2: 12 - 18 Psalm 51 Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5: 20 - 6: 2 Gospel: Matthew 6: 1 - 6, 16 - 18 Holy Gospel According to Saint Matthew: Be careful not to make a show of your righteousness before people. If you do so, you do not gain anything from your Father in heaven. When you give something to the poor, do not have it trumpeted before you, as do those who want to be seen in the synagogues and in the streets in order to be praised by the people. I assure you, they have been already paid in full. If you give something to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your gift remains really secret. Your Father who sees what is kept secret, will reward you. When you pray, do not be like those who want to be seen. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues or on street corners to be seen by everyone. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. When you pray, go into your roo...

First Reading: Sirach 35: 1 - 12 Psalm 50 Gospel: Mark 10: 28 - 31 Holy Gospel According to Saint Mark: Peter spoke up and said, “We have given up everything to follow you.” Jesus answered, “Truly, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters, or father or mother, or children, or lands for my sake and for the Gospel, who will not receive his reward. I say to you: even in the midst of persecution he will receive a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and lands in the present time and in the world to come eternal life. Do pay attention: Many who now are first will be last, and the last, first.” First Reading: Keeping the Law is worth  many offerings. Being faithful to the commandments is like a peace offering. Returning kindness is an offering of fine flour; giving alms is a sacrifice of praise. Renouncing sin pleases the Lord, and shunning injustice is a sacrifice of atonement. Do not appear before the Lord with empty han...

First Reading: Sirach 17: 20 - 24 Psalm 32 Gospel: Mark 10: 17 - 27 Holy Gospel According to Saint Mark: Just as Jesus was setting out on his journey again, a man ran up, knelt before him and asked, “Good Master, what must I do to have eternal life?” Jesus answered, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: Do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not cheat, honor your father and mother.” The man replied, “I have obeyed all these commandments since my childhood.” Then Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him and he said, “For you, one thing is lacking. Go, sell what you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come and follow me.” On hearing these words, his face fell and he went away sorrowful for he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” The discip...

8th Sunday in Ordinary Time First Reading: Sirach 27: 4 - 7 Psalm 103 Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15: 54 - 58 Gospel: Luke 6: 39 - 45 The Holy Gospel According to Saint Luke: And Jesus offered this example, “Can a blind person lead another blind person? Surely both will fall into a ditch. A disciple is not above the master; but when fully trained, he will be like the master. So why do you pay attention to the speck in your brother’s eye while you have a log in your eye and are not conscious of it? How can you say to your neighbor: ‘Friend, let me take this speck out of your eye,’ when you can’t remove the log in your own? You hypocrite! First remove the log from your own eye and then you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your neighbor’s eye. No healthy tree bears bad fruit, no poor tree bears good fruit. And each tree is known by the fruit it bears: you don’t gather figs from thorns, or grapes from brambles. Similarly the good person draws good things from ...

First Saturday of March 2019 First Reading: Sirach 17: 1 - 5 Psalm 103 Gospel: Mark 10: 13 - 16 Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark: People were bringing their little children to him to have him touch them, and the disciples rebuked them for this. When Jesus noticed it, he was very angry and said, “Let the children come to me and don’t stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” Then he took the children in his arms and laying his hands on them, blessed them. First Reading: The Lord created man from the earth and let him return to earth. He settled a fixed time for them and a set number of days, giving them power over everything on earth. He endowed them with a strength like his own, making them in his own image. He put the fear of them in all living things, thus they had mastery over the animals and birds. He endowed them with knowledge; he gave t...

First Friday of March 2019 First Reading: Sirach 6: 5 - 17 Psalm 119 Gospel: Mark 10: 1 - 12 Holy Gospel: Jesus then left that place and went to the province of Judea, beyond the Jordan River. Once more crowds gathered around him and once more he taught them, as he always did. Some (Pharisees came and) put him to the test with this question, “Is it right for a husband to divorce his wife?” He replied, “What law did Moses give you?” They answered, “Moses allowed us to write a certificate of dismissal in order to divorce.” Then Jesus said to them, “Moses wrote this law for you, because you are stubborn. But in the beginning of creation God made them male and female, and because of this, man has to leave father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one body. So they are no longer two but one body. Therefore let no one separate what God has joined.” When they were indoors at home, the disciples again asked him about this and he told them, “Whoever divo...