Sunday, July 28, 2013

First Reading 

Genesis 18:20-32

In those days, the LORD said: "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great,

and their sin so grave,

that I must go down and see whether or not their actions

fully correspond to the cry against them that comes to me. 

I mean to find out."

While Abraham's visitors walked on farther toward Sodom,

the LORD remained standing before Abraham. 

Then Abraham drew nearer and said:

"Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty? 

Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city;

would you wipe out the place, rather than spare it

for the sake of the fifty innocent people within it? 

Far be it from you to do such a thing,

to make the innocent die with the guilty

so that the innocent and the guilty would be treated alike! 

Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?" 

The LORD replied,

"If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom,

I will spare the whole place for their sake." 

Abraham spoke up again:

"See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord,

though I am but dust and ashes! 

What if there are five less than fifty innocent people? 

Will you destroy the whole city because of those five?" 

He answered, "I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there."

But Abraham persisted, saying "What if only forty are found there?" 

He replied, "I will forbear doing it for the sake of the forty." 

Then Abraham said, "Let not my Lord grow impatient if I go on. 

What if only thirty are found there?" 

He replied, "I will forbear doing it if I can find but thirty there." 

Still Abraham went on,

"Since I have thus dared to speak to my Lord,

what if there are no more than twenty?" 

The LORD answered, "I will not destroy it, for the sake of the twenty."

But he still persisted:

"Please, let not my Lord grow angry if I speak up this last time. 

What if there are at least ten there?" 

He replied, "For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it."

Responsorial Psalm 

Psalm 138:1-3, 6-8

R. (3a) Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,

for you have heard the words of my mouth;

in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;

I will worship at your holy temple

and give thanks to your name.

R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

Because of your kindness and your truth;

for you have made great above all things

your name and your promise.

When I called you answered me;

you built up strength within me.

R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

The LORD is exalted, yet the lowly he sees,

and the proud he knows from afar.

Though I walk amid distress, you preserve me;

against the anger of my enemies you raise your hand.

R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

Your right hand saves me.

The LORD will complete what he has done for me;

your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;

forsake not the work of your hands.

R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

Second Reading 

Colossians 2:12-14

Brothers and sisters:

You were buried with him in baptism,

in which you were also raised with him

through faith in the power of God,

who raised him from the dead. 

And even when you were dead

in transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh,

he brought you to life along with him,

having forgiven us all our transgressions;

obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims,

which was opposed to us,

he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross.

Gospel 

Luke 11:1-13

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished,

one of his disciples said to him,

"Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples." 

He said to them, "When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread

and forgive us our sins

for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,

and do not subject us to the final test."

And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend

to whom he goes at midnight and says,

'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,

for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey

and I have nothing to offer him,'

and he says in reply from within,

'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked

and my children and I are already in bed. 

I cannot get up to give you anything.'

I tell you,

if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves

because of their friendship,

he will get up to give him whatever he needs

because of his persistence.

"And I tell you, ask and you will receive;

seek and you will find;

knock and the door will be opened to you. 

For everyone who asks, receives;

and the one who seeks, finds;

and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 

What father among you would hand his son a snake

when he asks for a fish? 

Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? 

If you then, who are wicked,

know how to give good gifts to your children,

how much more will the Father in heaven

give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"

Sunday, July 21, 2013

First Reading

Genesis 18:1-10

 

The LORD appeared to Abraham by the terebinth of Mamre,

as he sat in the entrance of his tent,

while the day was growing hot.

Looking up, Abraham saw three men standing nearby.

When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them;

and bowing to the ground, he said:

"Sir, if I may ask you this favor,

please do not go on past your servant.

Let some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet,

and then rest yourselves under the tree.

Now that you have come this close to your servant,

let me bring you a little food, that you may refresh yourselves;

and afterward you may go on your way."

The men replied, "Very well, do as you have said."

 

Abraham hastened into the tent and told Sarah,

"Quick, three measures of fine flour! Knead it and make rolls."

He ran to the herd, picked out a tender, choice steer,

and gave it to a servant, who quickly prepared it.

Then Abraham got some curds and milk,

as well as the steer that had been prepared,

and set these before the three men;

and he waited on them under the tree while they ate.

 

They asked Abraham, "Where is your wife Sarah?"

He replied, "There in the tent."

One of them said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year,

and Sarah will then have a son."

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 15:2-5

 

R. (1a) He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

One who walks blamelessly and does justice;

who thinks the truth in his heart

and slanders not with his tongue.

 

R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

 

Who harms not his fellow man,

nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;

by whom the reprobate is despised,

while he honors those who fear the LORD.

 

R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

 

Who lends not his money at usury

and accepts no bribe against the innocent.

One who does these things

shall never be disturbed.

 

R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

 

Second Reading

Colossians 1:24-28

 

Brothers and sisters:

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake,

and in my flesh I am filling up

what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ

on behalf of his body, which is the church,

of which I am a minister

in accordance with God's stewardship given to me

to bring to completion for you the word of God,

the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past.

But now it has been manifested to his holy ones,

to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory

of this mystery among the Gentiles;

it is Christ in you, the hope for glory.

It is he whom we proclaim,

admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom,

that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.

 

Gospel

Luke 10:38-42

 

Jesus entered a village

where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.

She had a sister named Mary

who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.

Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,

"Lord, do you not care

that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?

Tell her to help me."

The Lord said to her in reply,

"Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.

There is need of only one thing.

Mary has chosen the better part

and it will not be taken from her."

Sunday, July 7, 2013

First Reading

Isaiah 66:10-14

 

Thus says the LORD:

Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her,

all you who love her;

exult, exult with her,

all you who were mourning over her!

Oh, that you may suck fully

of the milk of her comfort,

that you may nurse with delight

at her abundant breasts!

For thus says the LORD:

Lo, I will spread prosperity over Jerusalem like a river,

and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing torrent.

As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms,

and fondled in her lap;

as a mother comforts her child,

so will I comfort you;

in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort.

 

When you see this, your heart shall rejoice

and your bodies flourish like the grass;

the LORD's power shall be known to his servants.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 66:1-7, 16, 20

 

R. (1) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

 

Shout joyfully to God, all the earth,

sing praise to the glory of his name;

proclaim his glorious praise.

Say to God, "How tremendous are your deeds!"

 

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

 

"Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you,

sing praise to your name!"

Come and see the works of God,

his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.

 

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

 

He has changed the sea into dry land;

through the river they passed on foot;

therefore let us rejoice in him.

He rules by his might forever.

 

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

 

Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare

what he has done for me.

Blessed be God who refused me not

my prayer or his kindness!

 

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy

 

Second Reading

Galatians 6:14-18

 

Brothers and sisters:

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,

through which the world has been crucified to me,

and I to the world.

For neither does circumcision mean anything, nor does uncircumcision,

but only a new creation.

Peace and mercy be to all who follow this rule

and to the Israel of God.

 

From now on, let no one make troubles for me;

for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body.

 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit,

brothers and sisters. Amen.

Gospel

Luke 10:1-12, 17-20

 

At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others

whom he sent ahead of him in pairs

to every town and place he intended to visit.

He said to them,

"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;

so ask the master of the harvest

to send out laborers for his harvest.

Go on your way;

behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.

Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;

and greet no one along the way.

Into whatever house you enter, first say,

'Peace to this household.'

If a peaceful person lives there,

your peace will rest on him;

but if not, it will return to you.

Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,

for the laborer deserves his payment.

Do not move about from one house to another.

Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,

eat what is set before you,

cure the sick in it and say to them,

'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'

Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,

go out into the streets and say,

'The dust of your town that clings to our feet,

even that we shake off against you.'

Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand.

I tell you,

it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town."

 

The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said,

"Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name."

Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.

Behold, I have given you the power to 'tread upon serpents' and scorpions

and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,

but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."