Daily Readings

In those days, like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijah whose words were as a flaming furnace. Their staff of bread he shattered, in his zeal he reduced them to straits; By the Lord's word he shut up the heavens and three times brought down fire. How awesome are you, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! Whose glory is equal to yours? You were taken aloft in a whirlwind of fire, in a chariot with fiery horses. You were destined, it is written, in time to come to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD, To turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons, and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob. Blessed is he who shall have seen you and who falls asleep in your friendship.

R. (4) Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved. O shepherd of Israel, hearken, From your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth. Rouse your power. R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved. Once again, O LORD of hosts, look down from heaven, and see; Take care of this vine, and protect what your right hand has planted the son of man whom you yourself made strong. R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved. May your help be with the man of your right hand, with the son of man whom you yourself made strong. Then we will no more withdraw from you; give us new life, and we will call upon your name. R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

R. Alleluia, alleluia. Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths: All flesh shall see the salvation of God. R. Alleluia, alleluia.

As they were coming down from the mountain, the disciples asked Jesus, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" He said in reply, "Elijah will indeed come and restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased. So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands." Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion!  See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD. Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day, and they shall be his people, and he will dwell among you, and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. The LORD will possess Judah as his portion in the holy land, and he will again choose Jerusalem. Silence, all mankind, in the presence of the LORD! For he stirs forth from his holy dwelling.

or

Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab

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 under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth.   She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne. The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed.”

R. (15:9d)  You are the highest honor of our race. Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God, above all the women on earth; and blessed be the LORD God,  the creator of heaven and earth. R. You are the highest honor of our race. Your deed of hope will never be forgotten by those who tell of the might of God. R. You are the highest honor of our race.

R. Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise; from you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God. R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

or

Luke 1:39-47

Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

And Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”

I am the LORD, your God,     who grasp your right hand; It is I who say to you, “Fear not,     I will help you.” Fear not, O worm Jacob,     O maggot Israel; I will help you, says the LORD;     your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. I will make of you a threshing sledge,     sharp, new, and double-edged, To thresh the mountains and crush them,     to make the hills like chaff. When you winnow them, the wind shall carry them off     and the storm shall scatter them. But you shall rejoice in the LORD,     and glory in the Holy One of Israel.

The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain,     their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them;     I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open up rivers on the bare heights,     and fountains in the broad valleys; I will turn the desert into a marshland,     and the dry ground into springs of water. I will plant in the desert the cedar,     acacia, myrtle, and olive; I will set in the wasteland the cypress,     together with the plane tree and the pine, That all may see and know,     observe and understand, That the hand of the LORD has done this,     the Holy One of Israel has created it.

R.    (8)  The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness. I will extol you, O my God and King,     and I will bless your name forever and ever. The LORD is good to all     and compassionate toward all his works. R.    The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness. Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,     and let your faithful ones bless you. Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom     and speak of your might. R.    The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness. Let them make known to men your might     and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,     and your dominion endures through all generations. R.    The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.

R. Alleluia, alleluia. Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior. R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus said to the crowds: “Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force.  All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John.  And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, the one who is to come.  Whoever has ears ought to hear.”