SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT (YEAR B) – MARCH 01, 2015

Saturday, February 28, 2015

2nd Sunday of LENT – Year B

5:00 pm  Novena to Our Lady

5:30 pm  Sunset Mass in English

First Reading

GENESIS 22:1-2, 9-13, 15-18

1 It happened some time later that God put Abraham to the test. 'Abraham, Abraham!' he called. 'Here I am,' he replied.

2 God said, 'Take your son, your only son, your beloved Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, where you are to offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I shall point out to you.'

9 When they arrived at the place which God had indicated to him, Abraham built an altar there, and arranged the wood. Then he bound his son and put him on the altar on top of the wood.

10 Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to kill his son.

11 But the angel of Yahweh called to him from heaven. 'Abraham, Abraham!' he said. 'Here I am,' he replied.

12 'Do not raise your hand against the boy,' the angel said. 'Do not harm him, for now I know you fear God. You have not refused me your own beloved son.'

13 Then looking up, Abraham saw a ram caught by its horns in a bush. Abraham took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.

15 The angel of Yahweh called Abraham a second time from heaven.

16 'I swear by my own self, Yahweh declares, that because you have done this, because you have not refused me your own beloved son,

17 I will shower blessings on you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will gain possession of the gates of their enemies.

18 All nations on earth will bless themselves by your descendants, because you have obeyed my command.'

“The Word of the Lord”

PSALMS 116: 10, 15, 16-17, 18-19

15 Costly in Yahweh's sight is the death of his faithful.

16 I beg you, Yahweh! I am your servant, I am your servant and my mother was your servant; you have undone my fetters.

17 I shall offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of Yahweh.

18 I shall fulfil my vows to Yahweh, witnessed by all his people,

19 in the courts of the house of Yahweh, in your very heart, Jerusalem.

Second Reading

ROMAN 8:31-34

31 After saying this, what can we add? If God is for us, who can be against us?

32 Since he did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for the sake of all of us, then can we not expect that with him he will freely give us all his gifts?

33 Who can bring any accusation against those that God has chosen? When God grants saving justice

34 who can condemn? Are we not sure that it is Christ Jesus, who died -- yes and more, who was raised from the dead and is at God's right hand -- and who is adding his plea for us?

“The Word of the Lord”

Gospel Reading

MARK 9:2-10

2 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain on their own by themselves. There in their presence he was transfigured:

3 his clothes became brilliantly white, whiter than any earthly bleacher could make them.

4 Elijah appeared to them with Moses; and they were talking to Jesus.

5 Then Peter spoke to Jesus, 'Rabbi,' he said, 'it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.'

6 He did not know what to say; they were so frightened.

7 And a cloud came, covering them in shadow; and from the cloud there came a voice, 'This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.'

8 Then suddenly, when they looked round, they saw no one with them any more but only Jesus.

9 As they were coming down from the mountain he warned them to tell no one what they had seen, until after the Son of man had risen from the dead.

10 They observed the warning faithfully, though among themselves they discussed what 'rising from the dead' could mean.

“The Gospel of the Lord”

FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT (YEAR B) – FEBRUARY 22, 2015

Saturday, February 21, 2015

1st Sunday of LENT – Year B

5:00 pm  Novena to Our Lady

5:30 pm  Sunset Mass in English

First Reading

GENESIS 9:8-15

8 God spoke as follows to Noah and his sons,

9 'I am now establishing my covenant with you and with your descendants to come,

10 and with every living creature that was with you: birds, cattle and every wild animal with you; everything that came out of the ark, every living thing on earth.

11 And I shall maintain my covenant with you: that never again shall all living things be destroyed by the waters of a flood, nor shall there ever again be a flood to devastate the earth.'

12 'And this', God said, 'is the sign of the covenant which I now make between myself and you and every living creature with you for all ages to come:

13 I now set my bow in the clouds and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

14 When I gather the clouds over the earth and the bow appears in the clouds,

15 I shall recall the covenant between myself and you and every living creature, in a word all living things, and never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all living things.

“The Word of the Lord”

PSALMS 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

4 DIRECT me in your ways, Yahweh, and teach me your paths.

5 ENCOURAGE me to walk in your truth and teach me since you are the God who saves me. FOR my hope is in you all day long -- such is your generosity, Yahweh.

6 GOODNESS and faithful love have been yours for ever, Yahweh, do not forget them.

7 HOLD not my youthful sins against me, but remember me as your faithful love dictates.

8 INTEGRITY and generosity are marks of Yahweh for he brings sinners back to the path.

9 JUDICIOUSLY he guides the humble, instructing the poor in his way.

Second Reading

1 Peter 3:18-22

18 Christ himself died once and for all for sins, the upright for the sake of the guilty, to lead us to God. In the body he was put to death, in the spirit he was raised to life,

19 and, in the spirit, he went to preach to the spirits in prison.

20 They refused to believe long ago, while God patiently waited to receive them, in Noah's time when the ark was being built. In it only a few, that is eight souls, were saved through water.

21 It is the baptism corresponding to this water which saves you now -- not the washing off of physical dirt but the pledge of a good conscience given to God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

22 who has entered heaven and is at God's right hand, with angels, ruling forces and powers subject to him.

“The Word of the Lord”

Gospel Reading

MARK 1:12-15

12 And at once the Spirit drove him into the desert

13 and he remained there for forty days, and was put to the test by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels looked after him.

14 After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee. There he proclaimed the gospel from God saying,

15 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the gospel.'

“The Gospel of the Lord”

ASH WEDNESDAY (YEAR B) – FEBRUARY 18, 2015

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

ASH WEDNESDAY – YEAR B

08:00 pm  Mass in Multilingual

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

ASH WEDNESDAY – YEAR B

10:00 am  Mass in Multilingual

First Reading

JOEL 2:12-18

12 'But now -- declares Yahweh- come back to me with all your heart, fasting, weeping, mourning.'

13 Tear your hearts and not your clothes, and come back to Yahweh your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in faithful love, and he relents about inflicting disaster.

14 Who knows if he will not come back, relent and leave a blessing behind him, a cereal offering and a libation to be presented to Yahweh your God?

15 Blow the ram's-horn in Zion! Order a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,

16 call the people together, summon the community, assemble the elders, gather the children, even infants at the breast! Call the bridegroom from his bedroom and the bride from her bower!

17 Let the priests, the ministers of Yahweh, stand weeping between portico and altar, saying, 'Spare your people, Yahweh! Do not expose your heritage to the contempt, to the sarcasm of the nations! Why give the peoples cause to say, "Where is their God?" '

18 Then, becoming jealous over his country, Yahweh took pity on his people.

“The Word of the Lord”

PSALMS 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17

3 For I am well aware of my offences, my sin is constantly in mind.

4 Against you, you alone, I have sinned, I have done what you see to be wrong, that you may show your saving justice when you pass sentence, and your victory may appear when you give judgement,

5 remember, I was born guilty, a sinner from the moment of conception.

6 But you delight in sincerity of heart, and in secret you teach me wisdom.

12 Give me back the joy of your salvation, sustain in me a generous spirit.

13 I shall teach the wicked your paths, and sinners will return to you.

14 Deliver me from bloodshed, God, God of my salvation, and my tongue will acclaim your saving justice.

17 Sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a broken, contrite heart you never scorn.

Second Reading

Second Corinthians 5:20--6:2

20 So we are ambassadors for Christ; it is as though God were urging you through us, and in the name of Christ we appeal to you to be reconciled to God.

2 As he said, 'At the time of my favour I have answered you; on the day of salvation I have helped you'; well, now is the real time of favour, now the day of salvation is here.

“The Word of the Lord”

Gospel Reading

MATTHEW 6:1-6, 16-18

1 'Be careful not to parade your uprightness in public to attract attention; otherwise you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven.

2 So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win human admiration. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward.

3 But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing;

4 your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

5 'And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward.

6 But when you pray, go to your private room, shut yourself in, and so pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

16 'When you are fasting, do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they go about looking unsightly to let people know they are fasting. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward.

17 But when you fast, put scent on your head and wash your face,

18 so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

“The Gospel of the Lord”

SIXTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (YEAR B) – FEBRUARY 15, 2015

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time – Year B

5:00 pm  Novena to Our Lady

5:30 pm  Sunset Mass in English

First Reading

LEVITICUS 13:1-2, 44-46

1 Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron,

2 'If a swelling or scab or spot appears on someone's skin, which could develop into a contagious skin-disease, that person must then be taken to the priest, either Aaron or one of his sons.

44 the person has such a disease: he is unclean. The priest will declare him unclean; he has a contagious skin-disease of the head.

45 'Anyone with a contagious skin-disease will wear torn clothing and disordered hair; and will cover the upper lip and shout, "Unclean, unclean."

46 As long as the disease lasts, such a person will be unclean and, being unclean, will live alone and live outside the camp.

“The Word of the Lord”

PSALMS 32:1-2, 5, 11

1  [Of David Poem] How blessed are those whose offence is forgiven, whose sin blotted out.

2  How blessed are those to whom Yahweh imputes no guilt, whose spirit harbours no deceit.

5  I made my sin known to you, did not conceal my guilt. I said, 'I shall confess my offence to Yahweh.' And you, for your part, took away my guilt, forgave my sin.Pause

6  That is why each of your faithful ones prays to you in time of distress. Even if great floods overflow, they will never reach your faithful.

7  You are a refuge for me, you guard me in trouble, with songs of deliverance you surround me.Pause

8  I shall instruct you and teach you the way to go; I shall not take my eyes off you.

9  Be not like a horse or a mule; that does not understand bridle or bit; if you advance to master them, there is no means of bringing them near.

10  Countless troubles are in store for the wicked, but one who trusts in Yahweh is enfolded in his faithful love.

11  Rejoice in Yahweh, exult all you upright, shout for joy, you honest of heart.

Second Reading

First Corinthians 10:31--11:1

31 Whatever you eat, then, or drink, and whatever else you do, do it all for the glory of God.

1 Take me as your pattern, just as I take Christ for mine.

“The Word of the Lord”

Gospel Reading

MARK 1:40-45

40 A man suffering from a virulent skin-disease came to him and pleaded on his knees saying, 'If you are willing, you can cleanse me.'

41 Feeling sorry for him, Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him and said to him, 'I am willing. Be cleansed.'

42 And at once the skin-disease left him and he was cleansed.

43 And at once Jesus sternly sent him away and said to him,

44 'Mind you tell no one anything, but go and show yourself to the priest, and make the offering for your cleansing prescribed by Moses as evidence to them.'

45 The man went away, but then started freely proclaiming and telling the story everywhere, so that Jesus could no longer go openly into any town, but stayed outside in deserted places. Even so, people from all around kept coming to him.

“The Gospel of the Lord”

FIFTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (YEAR B) – FEBRUARY 08, 2015

Saturday, February 07, 2015

Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time – Year B

5:00 pm  Novena to Our Lady

5:30 pm  Sunset Mass in English

First Reading

JOB 7:1-4, 6-7

1 Is not human life on earth just conscript service? Do we not live a hireling's life?

2 Like a slave, sighing for the shade, or a hireling with no thought but for his wages,

3 I have months of futility assigned to me, nights of suffering to be my lot.

4 Lying in bed I wonder, 'When will it be day?' No sooner up than, 'When will evening come?' And crazy thoughts obsess me till twilight falls.

6 Swifter than a weaver's shuttle my days have passed, and vanished, leaving no hope behind.

7 Remember that my life is but a breath, and that my eyes will never again see joy.

“The Word of the Lord”

PSALMS 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

1 Alleluia! Praise Yahweh -- it is good to sing psalms to our God -- how pleasant to praise him.

2 Yahweh, Builder of Jerusalem! He gathers together the exiles of Israel,

3 healing the broken-hearted and binding up their wounds;

4 he counts out the number of the stars, and gives each one of them a name.

5 Our Lord is great, all-powerful, his wisdom beyond all telling.

6 Yahweh sustains the poor, and humbles the wicked to the ground.

Second Reading

FIRST CORINTHIANS 9:16-19, 22-23

16 In fact, preaching the gospel gives me nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion and I should be in trouble if I failed to do it.

17 If I did it on my own initiative I would deserve a reward; but if I do it under compulsion I am simply accepting a task entrusted to me.

18 What reward do I have, then? That in my preaching I offer the gospel free of charge to avoid using the rights which the gospel allows me.

19 So though I was not a slave to any human being, I put myself in slavery to all people, to win as many as I could.

22 To the weak, I made myself weak, to win the weak. I accommodated myself to people in all kinds of different situations, so that by all possible means I might bring some to salvation.

23 All this I do for the sake of the gospel, that I may share its benefits with others.

Gospel Reading

MARK 1:29-39

29 And at once on leaving the synagogue, he went with James and John straight to the house of Simon and Andrew.

30 Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed and feverish, and at once they told him about her.

31 He went in to her, took her by the hand and helped her up. And the fever left her and she began to serve them.

32 That evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were sick and those who were possessed by devils.

33 The whole town came crowding round the door,

34 and he cured many who were sick with diseases of one kind or another; he also drove out many devils, but he would not allow them to speak, because they knew who he was.

35 In the morning, long before dawn, he got up and left the house and went off to a lonely place and prayed there.

36 Simon and his companions set out in search of him,

37 and when they found him they said, 'Everybody is looking for you.'

38 He answered, 'Let us go elsewhere, to the neighbouring country towns, so that I can proclaim the message there too, because that is why I came.'

39 And he went all through Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out devils.

“The Gospel of the Lord”