MT 20:17-28   Jesus said in reply, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?" They said to him, "We can." He replied, "My chalice you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." When the ten heard this, they became annoyed with the two brothers. But Jesus summoned them and said, "You know that the leaders of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Gospel MT 23:1-12 Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their braids. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation 'Rabbi.' As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.' You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called 'Master'; you have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts themselves will be humbled; but whoever humbles themselves will be exalted."

Gospel MK 9:2-10 Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain separately by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no chemical on earth could whiten them. Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents:  one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice,  "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him." Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them.  As they were coming down from the mountain, he commanded them not to tell what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant.

MT 5:20-26 Jesus said to his disciples:  "I tell you, therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother or sister has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your adversary quickly while on the way to court. Otherwise your adversary will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny."

MT 16:13-19     When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, "Who do the people say that the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not triumph against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you free on earth shall be freed in heaven."

2/17/2018222*   Saturday after Ash Wed. Isa 58:9b-14 Ps 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 Ezek 33:11 Luke 5:27-32             

Gospel MT 25:31-46  Jesus said to his disciples: And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.' Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.' Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or unclothed or ill or in prison, and not attend to your needs?' He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.' And these will go off to eternal reprimand, but the virtuous to eternal life."

LK 11:29-32   While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, “This generation is an sinful generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.  Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be a sign to this generation. At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the people of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the Wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here.  At the judgment the people of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented.  There is something greater than Jonah here.” 

ASH    WEDNESDAY          1^ST DAY OF LENT 2018

337         Week 6 - Wed   Jas 1:19-27          Ps 15:2-3a, 3bc-4ab, 5     See Eph 1:17-18    Mark 8:22-26

Gospel LK 5:27-32 Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were at table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus said to them in reply, "Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the honest to atonement but sinners." 

Gospel LK 9:22-25 

Jesus said to his disciples: "The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised."  Then he said to all, "If anyone wishes to come after me, they must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit themselves? 

Gospel MT 6:1-6, 16-18 Jesus said to his disciples: "Take care not to perform virtuous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no reward from your heavenly Father. When you give donations, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give donations, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your donations may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.  But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.  "When you fast, do not look depressed like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."

                Week 5 - Sat       1 Kgs 12:26-32; 13:33-34               Ps 106:6-7ab, 19-20, 21-22           Matt 4:4b            Mark 8:1-10                10-Feb-18           

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 days and 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 bread to nourish 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 them and 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 disciples and came to the region of Dalmanutha.

Week 5 - Thurs 1 Kgs 11:4-13 Ps 106:3-4, 35-36, 37+40   James 1:21bc Mark 7:24-30 8-Feb-18
Gospel MK 7:31-37 Jesus left the district of Tyre and 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 impediment and 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 ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and cried out, and said to him, "Ephphatha!" (that is, "Be opened!") And immediately the man's ears were opened, his speech impairment was removed, and he spoke naturally.  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."

331 Week 5 - Wed 1 Kgs 10:1-10 Ps 37:5-6, 30-31, 39-40 See John 17:17b, 17a Mark 7:14-23 7-Feb-18
Gospel MK 7:14-23 Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can contaminate that person; but the things that come out from within are what contaminate.” When he got home away from the crowd his disciples questioned him about the parable. He said to them, “Are even you not able to understand? Do you not realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot contaminate, since it enters not the heart but the stomach and passes out into the toilet?” (So he declared all foods clean.) “But what comes out of the person, which is what contaminates. From within the person, from their heart, comes evil thoughts, sexual corruption, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malevolence, deceit, immorality, envy, profanity, arrogance, stupidity. All these evils come from within and they contaminate.”

331         Week 5 - Wed   1 Kgs 10:1-10      Ps 37:5-6, 30-31, 39-40   See John 17:17b, 17a      Mark 7:14-23      7-Feb-18

Gospel MK 7:14-23   Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can contaminate that person; but the things that come out from within are what contaminate.”   When he got home away from the crowd his disciples questioned him about the parable. He said to them, “Are even you not able to understand? Do you not realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot contaminate, since it enters not the heart but the stomach and passes out into the toilet?” (So he declared all foods clean.) “But what comes out of the person, which is what contaminates. From within the person, from their heart, comes evil thoughts, sexual corruption, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malevolence, deceit, immorality, envy, profanity, arrogance, stupidity. All these evils come from within and they contaminate.”

2/4/18 74 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time - B Job 7:1-4, 6-7 Ps 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23 Matt 8:17 Mark 1:29-39 

Gospel MK 1:29-39  On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them.  When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him.  Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, "Everyone is looking for you." He told them, "Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose I have come." So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.

LK 2:22-40 OR 2:22-32    When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.   Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.  He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:  “Now, Master, you may let your servant go  in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”