DR Squared: Thursday Of The Fifth Week In Ordinary Time (Year I)

First Reading:  Genesis 2:18-25

And the Lord God said: It is not good for man to be alone: let us make him a help like unto himself. And the Lord God having formed out of the ground all the beasts of the earth, and all the fowls of the air, brought them to Adam to see what he would call them: for whatsoever Adam called any living creature the same is its name. And Adam called all the beasts by their names, and all the fowls of the air, and all the cattle of the field: but for Adam there was not found a helper like himself. Then the Lord God cast a deep sleep upon Adam: and when he was fast asleep, he took one of his ribs, and filled up flesh for it. And the Lord God built the rib which he took from Adam into a woman: and brought her to Adam. And Adam said: This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man. Wherefore a man shall leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they shall be two in one flesh. And they were both naked: to wit, Adam and his wife: and were not ashamed.

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 128 (127):1; V. 1-2, 3, 4-5

R. Blessed are all they that fear the Lord:

V. Blessed are all they that fear the Lord: that walk in his ways.

    For thou shalt eat the labours of thy hands: blessed art thou, and it shall be well with            thee.

V. Thy wife as a fruitful vine, on the sides of thy house.

    Thy children as olive plants, round about thy table.

V. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.

    May the Lord bless thee out of Sion: and mayest thou see the good things of Jerusalem        all the days of thy life.

Gospel Reading:  Mark 7:24-30

And rising from thence he went into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon: and entering into a house, he would that no man should know it, and he could not be hid. For a woman as soon as she heard of him, whose daughter had an unclean spirit, came in and fell down at his feet. For the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophenician born. And she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. Who said to her: Suffer first the children to be filled: for it is not good to take the bread of the children, and cast it to the dogs. But she answered and said to him: Yea, Lord; for the whelps also eat under the table of the crumbs of the children. And he said to her: For this saying go thy way, the devil is gone out of thy daughter. And when she was come into her house, she found the girl lying upon the bed, and that the devil was gone out.

The readings from the USCCB can be found here.

DR Squared: Wednesday Of The Fifth Week In Ordinary Time (Year I)

First Reading:  Genesis 2:4b-9, 15-17

(W)hen they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the heaven and the earth:  5 And every plant of the field before it sprung up in the earth, and every herb of the ground before it grew: for the Lord God had not rained upon the earth; and there was not a man to till the earth. But a spring rose out of the earth, watering all the surface of the earth. And the Lord God formed man of the slime of the earth: and breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul. And the Lord God had planted a paradise of pleasure from the beginning: wherein he placed man whom he had formed. And the Lord God brought forth of the ground all manner of trees, fair to behold, and pleasant to eat of: the tree of life also in the midst of paradise: and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And the Lord God took man, and put him into the paradise of pleasure, to dress it, and to keep it. And he commanded him, saying: Of every tree of paradise thou shalt eat:  But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat. For in what day soever thou shalt eat of it, thou shalt die the death. 

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 104 (103):1; V. 1-2a, 27-28, 29bc-30

R. Bless the Lord, O my soul:

V. Bless the Lord, O my soul: O Lord my God, thou art exceedingly great.

     Thou hast put on praise and beauty:  And art clothed with light as with a garment.

V. All expect of thee that thou give them food in season.

    What thou givest to them they shall gather up: when thou openest thy hand, they shall           all be filled with good.

V. (T)hou shalt take away their breath, and they shall fail, and shall return to their dust.

     Thou shalt send forth thy spirit, and they shall be created: and thou shalt renew the face       of the earth.

Gospel Reading:  Mark 7:14-23

And calling again the multitude unto him, he said to them: Hear ye me all, and understand. There is nothing from without a man that entering into him, can defile him. But the things which come from a man, those are they that defile a man. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. And when he was come into the house from the multitude, his disciples asked him the parable. And he saith to them: So are you also without knowledge? understand you not that every thing from without, entering into a man cannot defile him:  Because it entereth not into his heart, but goeth into the belly, and goeth out into the privy, purging all meats? But he said that the things which come out from a man, they defile a man. For from within out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and defile a man.

The readings from the USCCB can be found here. 

DR Squared: Tuesday Of The Fifth Week In Ordinary Time (Year I)

First Reading:  Genesis 1:20—2:4a

God also said: Let the waters bring forth the creeping creature having life, and the fowl that may fly over the earth under the firmament of heaven. And God created the great whales, and every living and moving creature, which the waters brought forth, according to their kinds, and every winged fowl according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And he blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the waters of the sea: and let the birds be multiplied upon the earth. And the evening and morning were the fifth day. And God said: Let the earth bring forth the living creature in its kind, cattle and creeping things, and beasts of the earth, according to their kinds. And it was so done. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds, and cattle, and every thing that creepeth on the earth after its kind. And God saw that it was good. And he said: Let us make man to our image and likeness: and let him have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and the beasts, and the whole earth, and every creeping creature that moveth upon the earth. And God created man to his own image: to the image of God he created him: male and female he created them. And God blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and all living creatures that move upon the earth. And God said: Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed upon the earth, and all trees that have in themselves seed of their own kind, to be your meat:  And to all beasts of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to all that move upon the earth, and wherein there is life, that they may have to feed upon. And it was so done. And God saw all the things that he had made, and they were very good. And the evening and morning were the sixth day. So the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the furniture of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made: and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. And he blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. These are the generations of the heaven and the earth, when they were created, 

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 8:2ab; V. 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. O Lord our Lord, how admirable is thy name in the whole earth!

V. For I will behold thy heavens, the works of thy fingers: the moon and the stars which           thou hast founded.

     What is man that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that thou visitest him?

V. Thou hast made him a little less than the angels, thou hast crowned him with glory and         honour:

     And hast set him over the works of thy hands.

V. Thou hast subjected all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen: moreover the beasts           also of the fields.

     The birds of the air, and the fishes of the sea, that pass through the paths of the sea.  

Gospel Reading:  Mark 7:1-13

And there assembled together unto him the Pharisees and some of the scribes, coming from Jerusalem. And when they had seen some of his disciples eat bread with common, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees, and all the Jews eat not without often washing their hands, holding the tradition of the ancients:  And when they come from the market, unless they be washed, they eat not: and many other things there are that have been delivered to them to observe, the washings of cups and of pots, and of brazen vessels, and of beds. And the Pharisees and scribes asked him: Why do not thy disciples walk according to the tradition of the ancients, but they eat bread with common hands? But he answering, said to them: Well did Isaias prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. And in vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines and precepts of men. For leaving the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, the washing of pots and of cups: and many other things you do like to these. And he said to them: Well do you make void the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition. For Moses said: Honour thy father and thy mother; and He that shall curse father or mother, dying let him die. But you say: If a man shall say to his father or mother, Corban, (which is a gift,) whatsoever is from me, shall profit thee. And further you suffer him not to do any thing for his father or mother, Making void the word of God by your own tradition, which you have given forth. And many other such like things you do. 

The readings from the USCCB can be found here.

DR Squared: Fifth Sunday In Ordinary Time (Year C)

First Reading:  Isaiah 6:1-2a, 3-8

In the year that king Ozias died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and elevated: and his train filled the temple. Upon it stood the seraphims:  And they cried one to another, and said: Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God of hosts, all the earth is full of his glory. And the lintels of the doors were moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.  And I said: Woe is me, because I have held my peace; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people that hath unclean lips, and I have seen with my eyes the King the Lord of hosts. And one of the seraphims flew to me, and in his hand was a live coal, which he had taken with the tongs off the altar. And he touched my mouth, and said: Behold this hath touched thy lips, and thy iniquities shall be taken away, and thy sin shall be cleansed. And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: Whom shall I send? and who shall go for us? And I said: Lo, here am I, send me.

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 138 (137):1c; V. 1-2b, 2c-3, 4-5, 7d-8

R. I will sing praise to thee in the sight of the angels:

V. I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart: for thou hast heard the words of my             mouth.

     I will sing praise to thee in the sight of the angels:

     I will worship towards thy holy temple, and I will give glory to thy name.

V. For thy mercy, and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy holy name above all.

    In what day soever I shall call upon thee, hear me: thou shall multiply strength in my          soul.

V. May all the kings of the earth give glory to thee: for they have heard all the words of             thy mouth.

     And let them sing in the ways of the Lord: for great is the glory of the Lord.

V. (T)hy right hand hath saved me.

     The Lord will repay for me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever:

     O despise not the work of thy hands. 

Second Reading:  1 Corinthians 15:1-11 or 15:3-8, 11

Now I make known unto you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you have received, and wherein you stand; By which also you are saved, if you hold fast after what manner I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all, which I also received: how that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures:  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day, according to the scriptures:  And that he was seen by Cephas; and after that by the eleven. Then he was seen by more than five hundred brethren at once: of whom many remain until this present, and some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen by James, then by all the apostles. And last of all, he was seen also by me, as by one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God, I am what I am; and his grace in me hath not been void, but I have laboured more abundantly than all they: yet not I, but the grace of God with me. For whether I, or they, so we preach, and so you have believed.

Gospel Reading:  Luke 5:1-11

And it came to pass, that when the multitudes pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Genesareth, And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And going into one of the ships that was Simon's, he desired him to draw back a little from the land. And sitting he taught the multitudes out of the ship. Now when he had ceased to speak, he said to Simon: Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said to him: Master, we have labored all the night, and have taken nothing: but at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had done this, they enclosed a very great multitude of fishes, and their net broke. And they beckoned to their partners that were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they were almost sinking. Which when Simon Peter saw, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying: Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was wholly astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken. And so were also James and John the sons of Zebedee, who were Simon's partners. And Jesus saith to Simon: Fear not: from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And having brought their ships to land, leaving all things, they followed him.

The readings from the USCCB can be found here.

DR Squared: Saturday Of The Fourth Week In Ordinary Time (Year I)

First Reading:  Hebrews 13:15-17, 20-21

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise always to God, that is to say, the fruit of lips confessing to his name. And do not forget to do good, and to impart; for by such sacrifices God's favour is obtained. Obey your prelates, and be subject to them. For they watch as being to render an account of your souls; that they may do this with joy, and not with grief. For this is not expedient for you. And may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great pastor of the sheep, our Lord Jesus Christ, in the blood of the everlasting testament, Fit you in all goodness, that you may do his will; doing in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom is glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 23 (22):1; V. 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6

R. The Lord ruleth me: and I shall want nothing.

V. The Lord ruleth me: and I shall want nothing. He hath set me in a place of pasture.

     He hath brought me up, on the water of refreshment:  He hath converted my soul.

V. He hath led me on the paths of justice, for his own name's sake.

     For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for thou       art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they have comforted me.

V. Thou hast prepared a table before me against them that afflict me.

     Thou hast anointed my head with oil; and my chalice which inebriateth me, how goodly is        it!

V. And thy mercy will follow me all the days of my life.

     And that I may dwell in the house of the Lord unto length of days.

Gospel Reading:  Mark 6:30-34

And the apostles coming together unto Jesus, related to him all things that they had done and taught. And he said to them: Come apart into a desert place, and rest a little. For there were many coming and going: and they had not so much as time to eat. And going up into a ship, they went into a desert place apart. And they saw them going away, and many knew: and they ran flocking thither on foot from all the cities, and were there before them. And Jesus going out saw a great multitude: and he had compassion on them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things. 

The readings from the USCCB can be found here.

DR Squared: Friday Of The Fourth Week In Ordinary Time (Year I)

First Reading:  Hebrews 13:1-8

Let the charity of the brotherhood abide in you. And hospitality do not forget; for by this some, being not aware of it, have entertained angels. Remember them that are in bands, as if you were bound with them; and them that labour, as being yourselves also in the body. Marriage honourable in all, and the bed undefiled. For fornicators and adulterers God will judge. Let your manners be without covetousness, contented with such things as you have; for he hath said: I will not leave thee, neither will I forsake thee. So that we may confidently say: The Lord is my helper: I will not fear what man shall do to me. Remember your prelates who have spoken the word of God to you; whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation, Jesus Christ, yesterday, and today; and the same for ever.

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 27 (26):1a; V. 1, 3, 5, 8b-9abc

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation,

V. The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?

     The Lord is the protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?

V. If armies in camp should stand together against me, my heart shall not fear.

     If a battle should rise up against me, in this will I be confident.

V. For he hath hidden me in his tabernacle; in the day of evils,

    he hath protected me in the secret place of his tabernacle.

V. (T)hy face, O Lord, will I still seek. Turn not away thy face from me;

     decline not in thy wrath from thy servant. Be thou my helper, forsake me not;

Gospel Reading:  Mark 6:14-29

And king Herod heard, (for his name was made manifest,) and he said: John the Baptist is risen again from the dead, and therefore mighty works shew forth themselves in him. And others said: It is Elias. But others said: It is a prophet, as one of the prophets. Which Herod hearing, said: John whom I beheaded, he is risen again from the dead. For Herod himself had sent and apprehended John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias the wife of Philip his brother, because he had married her. For John said to Herod: It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. Now Herodias laid snares for him: and was desirous to put him to death, and could not. For Herod feared John, knowing him to be a just and holy man: and kept him, and when he heard him, did many things: and he heard him willingly. And when a convenient day was come, Herod made a supper for his birthday, for the princes, and tribunes, and chief men of Galilee. And when the daughter of the same Herodias had come in, and had danced, and pleased Herod, and them that were at table with him, the king said to the damsel: Ask of me what thou wilt, and I will give it thee. And he swore to her: Whatsoever thou shalt ask I will give thee, though it be the half of my kingdom. Who when she was gone out, said to her mother, What shall I ask? But she said: The head of John the Baptist. And when she was come in immediately with haste to the king, she asked, saying: I will that forthwith thou give me in a dish, the head of John the Baptist. And the king was struck sad. Yet because of his oath, and because of them that were with him at table, he would not displease her:  But sending an executioner, he commanded that his head should be brought in a dish. And he beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head in a dish: and gave it to the damsel, and the damsel gave it to her mother. Which his disciples hearing came, and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

The readings from the USCCB can be found here.

February 2025 Morning Offering Prayer Intention

Here is the intention for this month when praying the Morning Offering:

For Vocations To The Priesthood And Religious Life. Let us pray that the ecclesial community might welcome the desires and doubts of those young people who feel a call to serve Christ’s mission in the priesthood and religious life.

(UPDATE: 2/12/2025) A reflection for this intention can be found here.

DR Squared: Tuesday Of The Fourth Week In Ordinary Time (Year I)

First Reading:  Hebrews 12:1-4

And therefore we also having so great a cloud of witnesses over our head, laying aside every weight and sin which surrounds us, let us run by patience to the fight proposed to us:  Looking on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, who having joy set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and now sitteth on the right hand of the throne of God. For think diligently upon him that endured such opposition from sinners against himself; that you be not wearied, fainting in your minds. For you have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin:

Responsorial Psalm:  cf. Psalm 22 (21):27b; V. 26b-27, 28 and 30, 31-32

R.  (T)hey shall praise the Lord that seek him:

V. I will pay my vows in the sight of them that fear him. 

    The poor shall eat and shall be filled: and they shall praise the Lord that seek him: their        hearts shall live for ever and ever.

V.  All the ends of the earth shall remember, and shall be converted to the Lord:

     And all the kindreds of the Gentiles shall adore in his sight.

     All the fat ones of the earth have eaten and have adored:

     all they that go down to the earth shall fall before him.

V. And to him my soul shall live: and my seed shall serve him.

    There shall be declared to the Lord a generation to come: and the heavens shall shew          forth his justice to a people that shall be born, which the Lord hath made.

Gospel Reading: Mark 5:21-43

And when Jesus had passed again in the ship over the strait, a great multitude assembled together unto him, and he was nigh unto the sea. And there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue named Jairus: and seeing him, falleth down at his feet. And he besought him much, saying: My daughter is at the point of death, come, lay thy hand upon her, that she may be safe, and may live. And he went with him, and a great multitude followed him, and they thronged him. And a woman who was under an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things from many physicians; and had spent all that she had, and was nothing the better, but rather worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the crowd behind him, and touched his garment. For she said: If I shall touch but his garment, I shall be whole. And forthwith the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the evil. And immediately Jesus knowing in himself the virtue that had proceeded from him, turning to the multitude, said: Who hath touched my garments? And his disciples said to him: Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou who hath touched me? And he looked about to see her who had done this. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said to her: Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole: go in peace, and be thou whole of thy disease. While he was yet speaking, some come from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying: Thy daughter is dead: why dost thou trouble the master any further? But Jesus having heard the word that was spoken, saith to the ruler of the synagogue: Fear not, only believe. And he admitted not any man to follow him, but Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. And they come to the house of the ruler of the synagogue; and he seeth a tumult, and people weeping and wailing much. And going in, he saith to them: Why make you this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But he having put them all out, taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. And taking the damsel by the hand, he saith to her: Talitha cumi, which is, being interpreted: Damsel (I say to thee) arise. And immediately the damsel rose up, and walked: and she was twelve years old: and they were astonished with a great astonishment. And he charged them strictly that no man should know it: and commanded that something should be given her to eat.

The readings from the USCCB can be found here.

DR Squared: Monday Of The Fourth Week In Ordinary Time (Year I)

First Reading:  Hebrews 11:32-40

And what shall I yet say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, Barac, Samson, Jephthe, David, Samuel, and the prophets:  Who by faith conquered kingdoms, wrought justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, recovered strength from weakness, became valiant in battle, put to flight the armies of foreigners:  Women received their dead raised to life again. But others were racked, not accepting deliverance, that they might find a better resurrection. And others had trial of mockeries and stripes, moreover also of bands and prisons. They were stoned, they were cut asunder, they were tempted, they were put to death by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being in want, distressed, afflicted:  Of whom the world was not worthy; wandering in deserts, in mountains, and in dens, and in caves of the earth. And all these being approved by the testimony of faith, received not the promise; God providing some better thing for us, that they should not be perfected without us.

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 31 (30): 25; V. 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

R. Do ye manfully, and let your heart be strengthened, all ye that hope in the Lord.

V. O how great is the multitude of thy sweetness, O Lord, which thou hast hidden for them       that fear thee!

     Which thou hast wrought for them that hope in thee, in the sight of the sons of men.

V. Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy face, from the disturbance of men.

     Thou shalt protect them in thy tabernacle from the contradiction of tongues.

V. Blessed be the Lord, for he hath shewn his wonderful mercy to me in a fortified city.

V. But I said in the excess of my mind: I am cast away from before thy eyes.

    Therefore thou hast heard the voice of my prayer, when I cried to thee.

V. O love the Lord, all ye his saints:

    for the Lord will require truth, and will repay them abundantly that act proudly.

Gospel Reading:  Mark 5:1-20

And they came over the strait of the sea into the country of the Gerasens. And as he went out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the monuments a man with an unclean spirit, Who had his dwelling in the tombs, and no man now could bind him, not even with chains. For having been often bound with fetters and chains, he had burst the chains, and broken the fetters in pieces, and no one could tame him. And he was always day and night in the monuments and in the mountains, crying and cutting himself with stones. And seeing Jesus afar off, he ran and adored him. And crying with a loud voice, he said: What have I to do with thee, Jesus the Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God that thou torment me not. For he said unto him: Go out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him: What is thy name? And he saith to him: My name is Legion, for we are many. And he besought him much, that he would not drive him away out of the country. And there was there near the mountain a great herd of swine, feeding. And the spirits besought him, saying: Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And Jesus immediately gave them leave. And the unclean spirits going out, entered into the swine: and the herd with great violence was carried headlong into the sea, being about two thousand, and were stifled in the sea. And they that fed them fled, and told it in the city and in the fields. And they went out to see what was done:  And they came to Jesus, and they see him that was troubled with the devil, sitting, clothed, and well in his wits, and they were afraid. And they that had seen it, told them, in what manner he had been dealt with who had the devil; and concerning the swine. And they began to pray him that he would depart from their coasts. And when he went up into the ship, he that had been troubled with the devil, began to beseech him that he might be with him. And he admitted him not, but saith to him: Go into thy house to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had mercy on thee. And he went his way, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men wondered.

The readings from the USCCB can be found here.

DR Squared: Saturday Of The Third Week In Ordinary Time (Year I)

First Reading:  Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19

Now faith is the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence of things that appear not. For by this the ancients obtained a testimony. By faith he that is called Abraham, obeyed to go out into a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he abode in the land, dwelling in cottages, with Isaac and Jacob, the co-heirs of the same promise. For he looked for a city that hath foundations; whose builder and maker is God. By faith also Sara herself, being barren, received strength to conceive seed, even past the time of age; because she believed that he was faithful who had promised, For which cause there sprung even from one (and him as good as dead) as the stars of heaven in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable. All these died according to faith, not having received the promises, but beholding them afar off, and saluting them, and confessing that they are pilgrims and strangers on the earth. For they that say these things, do signify that they seek a country. And truly if they had been mindful of that from whence they came out, they had doubtless time to return. But now they desire a better, that is to say, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for he hath prepared for them a city. By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered Isaac: and he that had received the promises, offered up his only begotten son; (To whom it was said: In Isaac shall thy seed be called.) Accounting that God is able to raise up even from the dead.

Responsorial Psalm:  Luke 1:68; V. 69-70, 71-72, 73-75

R. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; because he hath visited and wrought the redemption       of his people:

V. And hath raised up an horn of salvation to us, in the house of David his servant:

     As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, who are from the beginning:

V. Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us:

     To perform mercy to our fathers, and to remember his holy testament,

V. The oath, which he swore to Abraham our father, that he would grant to us,

    That being delivered from the hand of our enemies, we may serve him without fear,

    In holiness and justice before him, all our days.

Gospel Reading:  Mark 4:35-41

And he saith to them that day, when evening was come: Let us pass over to the other side. And sending away the multitude, they take him even as he was in the ship: and there were other ships with him. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that the ship was filled. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, sleeping upon a pillow; and they awake him, and say to him: Master, doth it not concern thee that we perish? And rising up, he rebuked the wind, and said to the sea: Peace, be still. And the wind ceased: and there was made a great calm. And he said to them: Why are you fearful? have you not faith yet? And they feared exceedingly: and they said one to another: Who is this (thinkest thou) that both wind and sea obey him? 

The readings from the USCCB can be found here.