Friday, December 06, 2013. 

Today's Liturgical Reading by Daily Flash, Goa. 

Feast of Saint Nicholas. 

First Reading : Isaiah 29:17-24; Second Reading : Psalm 26[27]:1, 4, 13-14; Gospel : Matthew 9:27-31. [Please share today's Gospel.]

First Reading : Isaiah 29:17-24; 

Blessing after Discipline

17 

Is it not yet just a little while

Before Lebanon will be turned into a fertile field,

And the fertile field will be considered as a forest?

18 

On that day the deaf will hear words of a book,

And out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.

19 

The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the Lord,

And the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

20 

For the ruthless will come to an end and the scorner will be finished,

Indeed all who are intent on doing evil will be cut off;

21 

Who cause a person to be indicted by a word,

And ensnare him who adjudicates at the gate,

And defraud the one in the right with 

meaningless arguments.

22               Therefore thus says the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob:

“Jacob shall not now be ashamed, nor shall his face now turn pale;

23 

But when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst,

They will sanctify My name;

Indeed, they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob

And will stand in awe of the God of Israel.

24 

“Those who err in mind will know the truth,

And those who criticize will accept instruction.

Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14

A Psalm of David.

27 

The Lord is my light and my salvation;

Whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the defense of my life;

Whom shall I dread?

One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek:

That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

To behold the beauty of the Lord

¹³ 

I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord

In the land of the living.

¹⁴ 

Wait for the Lord;

Be strong and let your heart take courage;

Yes, wait for the Lord.

Second Reading : Read Psalm 26 

Gospel : Matthew 9:27-31.

27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us,Son of David!” 28 When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus *said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They *said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “[a]It shall be done to you according to your faith.”30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them: “See that no one knows about this!” 31 But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout all that land.

Focus: "But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout all that land." (Matthew 9:31)

Fruit: Disobedience, even in a good cause, may necessarily be what the Lord wants from us. 

Daily Bible Reading as per Eucharistic Mass celebrated in Roman Catholic Churches: Thursday, December 05, 2013. Today's Liturgical Re...

Daily Bible Reading as per Eucharistic Mass celebrated in Roman Catholic Churches: Thursday, December 05, 2013. Today's Liturgical Re...: Thursday, December 05, 2013.  Today's Liturgical Reading by Daily Flash, Goa.   First Reading : Isaiah 26:1-6; Second Re...

Thursday, December 05, 2013. 

Today's Liturgical Reading by Daily Flash, Goa.  

First Reading : Isaiah 26:1-6; Second Reading : Psalm 117[118]:1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27; Gospel : Matthew 7:21, 24-27. [Please share today's Gospel.]

First Reading : Isaiah 26:1-6; 

Song of Trust in God’s Protection

26 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

“We have a strong city;

He sets up walls and ramparts for security.

2 

“Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter,

The one that remains faithful.

3 

“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace,

Because he trusts in You.

4 

“Trust in the Lord forever,

For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.

5 

“For He has brought low those who dwell on high, the unassailable city;

He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust.

6 

“The foot will trample it,

The feet of the afflicted, the steps of the helpless.”

Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27

Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Saving Goodness.

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;

For His loving kindness is everlasting.

8 

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

Than to trust in man.

9 

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

Than to trust in princes.

Open to me the gates of righteousness;

I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord.

20 

This is the gate of the Lord;

The righteous will enter through it.

21 

I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me,

And You have become my salvation.

25 

O Lord, do save, we beseech You;

O Lord, we beseech You, do send prosperity!

26 

Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord;

We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.

27 

The Lord is God, and He has given us light;

Bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.

Second Reading : Also Read Psalm 117 


Gospel : Matthew 7:21, 24-27.

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter."

The Two Foundations

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

Focus: "and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock." (Matthew 7:25)

Fruit: Let me decide to do one thing today that is according to Jesus' commandments and will surely please Him.

Wednesday, December 04, 2013. 

Today's Liturgical Reading by Daily Flash, Goa. 

Feast of Saint John Damascene. 

First Reading : Isaiah 25:6-10; Second Reading : Psalm 22[23]:1-6; Gospel : Matthew 15:29-37. [Please share today's Gospel.]

First Reading : Isaiah 25:6-10 
6 

God Prepares a Banquet

6 Here on Mount Zion the Lord Almighty will prepare a banquet for all the nations of the world—a banquet of the richest food and the finest wine. 7 Here he will suddenly remove the cloud of sorrow that has been hanging over all the nations. 8 The Sovereign Lord will destroy death forever! He will wipe away the tears from everyone's eyes and take away the disgrace his people have suffered throughout the world. The Lord himself has spoken.

9 When it happens, everyone will say, “He is our God! We have put our trust in him, and he has rescued us. He is the Lord! We have put our trust in him, and now we are happy and joyful because he has saved us.”

God Will Punish Moab

10 The Lord will protect Mount Zion, but the people of Moab will be trampled down the way straw is trampled in manure.

Psalm 23:1-6

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and loving kindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Second Reading : Also read Psalm 22 

Gospel : Matthew 15:29-37

Healing Crowds

29 Departing from there, Jesus went along by the Sea of Galilee, and having gone up on the mountain, He was sitting there. 30 And large crowds came to Him, bringing with them those who were lame, crippled, blind, mute, and many others, and they laid them down at His feet; and He healed them. 31 So the crowd marveled as they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.

Four Thousand Fed

32 And Jesus called His disciples to Him, and said, “I feel compassion for the people, because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.” 33 The disciples said to Him, “Where would we get so many loaves in this desolate place to satisfy such a large crowd?” 34 And Jesus *said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” 35 And He directed the people to sit down on the ground; 36 and He took the seven loaves and the fish; and giving thanks, He broke them and started giving them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 37 And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, seven large baskets full.

Focus: “How many loaves do you have??” (Matthew 15:34)

Fruit: How many 'loaves' have I? What can I do to relieve stress and suffering today? 

[It is good to be charitable in Advent]

Tuesday, December 03, 2013. 

Today's Liturgical Reading by Daily Flash, Goa. 

Feast of Saint Francis Xavier, 

Principal Patron of the East Indies and of the Missions. 

First Reading : Ezekiel 3:16-21; Second Reading : Psalm 116[117]:1-2; 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23; Gospel : Mark 16:15-20. [Please share today's Gospel.]

First Reading : Ezekiel 3:16-21 

The Lord Appoints Ezekiel as a Lookout

16 After the seven days had passed, the Lord spoke to me. 17 “Mortal man,” he said, “I am making you a lookout for the nation of Israel. You will pass on to them the warnings I give you. 18 If I announce that someone evil is going to die but you do not warn him to change his ways so that he can save his life, he will die, still a sinner, but I will hold you responsible for his death. 19 If you do warn an evil man and he doesn't stop sinning, he will die, still a sinner, but your life will be spared.

20 “If someone truly good starts doing evil and I put him in a dangerous situation, he will die if you do not warn him. He will die because of his sins—I will not remember the good he did—and I will hold you responsible for his death. 21 If you do warn a good man not to sin and he listens to you and doesn't sin, he will stay alive, and your life will also be spared.”

Psalm 117:1-2

Praise the Lord, all nations!

Praise him, all peoples!

His love for us is strong,

and his faithfulness is eternal.

Praise the Lord!

Second Reading : 

Psalm 116;

Someone Saved from Death Praises God

116 I love the Lord, because he hears me;
    he listens to my prayers.
2 He listens to me
    every time I call to him.
3 The danger of death was all around me;
    the horrors of the grave closed in on me;
    I was filled with fear and anxiety.
4 Then I called to the Lord,
    “I beg you, Lord, save me!”

5 The Lord is merciful and good;
    our God is compassionate.
6 The Lord protects the helpless;
    when I was in danger, he saved me.
7 Be confident, my heart,
    because the Lord has been good to me.

8 The Lord saved me from death;
    he stopped my tears
    and kept me from defeat.
9 And so I walk in the presence of the Lord
    in the world of the living.
10 I kept on believing, even when I said,
    “I am completely crushed,”
11 even when I was afraid and said,
    “No one can be trusted.”

12 What can I offer the Lord
    for all his goodness to me?
13 I will bring a wine offering to the Lord,
    to thank him for saving me.
14 In the assembly of all his people
    I will give him what I have promised.

15 How painful it is to the Lord
    when one of his people dies!
16 I am your servant, Lord;
    I serve you just as my mother did.
You have saved me from death.
17 I will give you a sacrifice of thanksgiving
    and offer my prayer to you.
18-19 In the assembly of all your people,
    in the sanctuary of your Temple in Jerusalem,
    I will give you what I have promised.

Praise the Lord! 

1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23; 

16 I have no right to boast just because I preach the gospel. After all, I am under orders to do so. And how terrible it would be for me if I did not preach the gospel!17 If I did my work as a matter of free choice, then I could expect to be paid; but I do it as a matter of duty, because God has entrusted me with this task. 18 What pay do I get, then? It is the privilege of preaching the Good News without charging for it, without claiming my rights in my work for the gospel. 19 I am a free man, nobody's slave; but I make myself everybody's slave in order to win as many people as possible.

22 Among the weak in faith I become weak like one of them, in order to win them. So I become all things to all people, that I may save some of them by whatever means are possible. 23 All this I do for the gospel's sake, in order to share in its blessings.

Gospel : Mark 16:15-20.

15 He said to them, “Go throughout the whole world and preach the gospel to all people. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 Believers will be given the power to perform miracles: they will drive out demons in my name; they will speak in strange tongues; 18 if they pick up snakes or drink any poison, they will not be harmed; they will place their hands on sick people, and these will get well.”

Jesus Is Taken Up to Heaven

19 After the Lord Jesus had talked with them, he was taken up to heaven and sat at the right side of God. 20 The disciples went and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and proved that their preaching was true by the miracles that were performed.

Focus: "Go throughout the whole world and preach the gospel to all people" (Mark 16:15).

Fruit: Can I be like Francis Xavier and Paul? How will I use every opportunity I get to make Jesus known to others?

Monday, December 02, 2013. 

Today's Liturgical Reading by Daily Flash, Goa.  

First Reading : Isaiah 4:2-6 or Isaiah 2:1-5; Second Reading : Psalm 121[122]:1-9; Gospel : Matthew 8:5-11. [Please share today's Gospel.]

First Reading : Isaiah 4:2-6 or Isaiah 2:1-5

Isaiah 4:2-6

On that day, The branch of the LORD will be luster and glory, and the fruit of the earth will be honor and splendor for the survivors of Israel. He who remains in Zion and he that is left in Jerusalem Will be called holy: every one marked down for life in Jerusalem.When the Lord washes away the filth of the daughters of Zion, And purges Jerusalem's blood from her midst with a blast of searing judgment,Then will the LORD create, over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her place of assembly, A smoking cloud by day and a light of flaming fire by night. For over all, his glory will be shelter and protection: shade from the parching heat of day, refuge and cover from storm and rain.

OR 

Isaiah 2:1-5

This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In days to come, The mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it; many peoples shall come and say: "Come, let us climb the LORD'S mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, That he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths." For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!

Gospel : Matthew 8:5-11

When he entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully." He said to him, "I will come and cure him."The centurion said in reply, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, "Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven

Focus: "Only say the word and my servant will be healed" (Matthew 8:8)

Fruit: If I go out of my way to serve someone today I will have practised all three virtues: compassion, humility and faith.