Daily Readings

Solomon stood before the altar of the LORDin the presence of the whole community of Israel,and stretching forth his hands toward heaven,he said, “LORD, God of Israel,there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below;you keep your covenant of mercy with your servantswho are faithful to you with their whole heart.“Can it indeed be that God dwells on earth?If the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain you,how much less this temple which I have built! Look kindly on the prayer and petition of your servant, O LORD, my God,and listen to the cry of supplication which I, your servant,utter before you this day.May your eyes watch night and day over this temple,the place where you have decreed you shall be honored;may you heed the prayer which I, your servant, offer in this place.Listen to the petitions of your servant and of your people Israelwhich they offer in this place.Listen from your heavenly dwelling and grant pardon.” 

R. (2) How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the LORD.My heart and my fleshcry out for the living God. R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!Even the sparrow finds a home,and the swallow a nestin which she puts her young—Your altars, O LORD of hosts,my king and my God!R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!Blessed they who dwell in your house!continually they praise you.O God, behold our shield,and look upon the face of your anointed.R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!I had rather one day in your courtsthan a thousand elsewhere;I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my Godthan dwell in the tents of the wicked.R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God! 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees;and favor me with your law.R. Alleluia, alleluia. 

When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalemgathered around Jesus,they observed that some of his disciples ate their mealswith unclean, that is, unwashed, hands.(For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews,do not eat without carefully washing their hands,keeping the tradition of the elders.And on coming from the marketplacethey do not eat without purifying themselves.And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed,the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.)So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him,"Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the eldersbut instead eat a meal with unclean hands?" He responded,"Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites,as it is written:This people honors me with their lips,but their hearts are far from me;In vain do they worship me,teaching as doctrines human precepts.You disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition."He went on to say,"How well you have set aside the commandment of Godin order to uphold your tradition!For Moses said,Honor your father and your mother,and Whoever curses father or mother shall die.Yet you say,'If someone says to father or mother,"Any support you might have had from me is qorban"'(meaning, dedicated to God),you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother.You nullify the word of Godin favor of your tradition that you have handed on.And you do many such things."  

The elders of Israel and all the leaders of the tribes,the princes in the ancestral houses of the children of Israel,came to King Solomon in Jerusalem,to bring up the ark of the LORD’s covenantfrom the City of David, which is Zion.All the people of Israel assembled before King Solomonduring the festival in the month of Ethanim (the seventh month).When all the elders of Israel had arrived,the priests took up the ark;they carried the ark of the LORDand the meeting tent with all the sacred vesselsthat were in the tent.(The priests and Levites carried them.)King Solomon and the entire community of Israelpresent for the occasionsacrificed before the ark sheep and oxentoo many to number or count.The priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORDto its place beneath the wings of the cherubim in the sanctuary,the holy of holies of the temple.The cherubim had their wings spread out over the place of the ark,sheltering the ark and its poles from above.There was nothing in the ark but the two stone tabletswhich Moses had put there at Horeb,when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israelat their departure from the land of Egypt.When the priests left the holy place,the cloud filled the temple of the LORDso that the priests could no longer minister because of the cloud,since the LORD’s glory had filled the temple of the LORD.Then Solomon said, “The LORD intends to dwell in the dark cloud;I have truly built you a princely house,a dwelling where you may abide forever.”

R.        (8a)  Lord, go up to the place of your rest!Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;            we found it in the fields of Jaar.Let us enter into his dwelling,            let us worship at his footstool.R.        Lord, go up to the place of your rest!Advance, O LORD, to your resting place,            you and the ark of your majesty.May your priests be clothed with justice;            let your faithful ones shout merrily for joy.For the sake of David your servant,            reject not the plea of your anointed.R.        Lord, go up to the place of your rest!

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdomand cured every disease among the people.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

After making the crossing to the other side of the sea,Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaretand tied up there.As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.They scurried about the surrounding country and began to bring in the sick on matsto wherever they heard he was.Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,they laid the sick in the marketplacesand begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;and as many as touched it were healed.

Thus says the LORD:Share your bread with the hungry,shelter the oppressed and the homeless;clothe the naked when you see them,and do not turn your back on your own.Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,and your wound shall quickly be healed;your vindication shall go before you,and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!If you remove from your midstoppression, false accusation and malicious speech;if you bestow your bread on the hungryand satisfy the afflicted;then light shall rise for you in the darkness,and the gloom shall become for you like midday. 

R. (4a) The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.or:R. Alleluia.Light shines through the darkness for the upright;he is gracious and merciful and just.Well for the man who is gracious and lends,who conducts his affairs with justice.R. The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.or:R. Alleluia.He shall never be moved;the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.An evil report he shall not fear;his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.R. The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.or:R. Alleluia.His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear.Lavishly he gives to the poor;His justice shall endure forever;his horn shall be exalted in glory.R. The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.or:R. Alleluia. 

When I came to you, brothers and sisters,proclaiming the mystery of God,I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom.For I resolved to know nothing while I was with youexcept Jesus Christ, and him crucified.I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling,and my message and my proclamationwere not with persuasive words of wisdom,but with a demonstration of Spirit and power,so that your faith might rest not on human wisdombut on the power of God. 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.I am the light of the world, says the Lord;whoever follows me will have the light of life.R. Alleluia, alleluia. 

Jesus said to his disciples:"You are the salt of the earth.But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?It is no longer good for anythingbut to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.You are the light of the world.A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;it is set on a lampstand,where it gives light to all in the house.Just so, your light must shine before others,that they may see your good deedsand glorify your heavenly Father."