Catholic Church Readings for Wednesday, March 10, 2021: Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent

Catholic Church Readings for Wednesday, March 10, 2021: Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent

Lectionary: 239

Reading I

Dt 4:1, 5-9

Moses spoke to the people and said:

“Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees

which I am teaching you to observe,

that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land 

which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. 

Therefore, I teach you the statutes and decrees

as the LORD, my God, has commanded me,

that you may observe them in the land you are entering to occupy.

Observe them carefully,

for thus will you give evidence

of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations,

who will hear of all these statutes and say,

‘This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.’

For what great nation is there

that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us

whenever we call upon him?

Or what great nation has statutes and decrees

that are as just as this whole law

which I am setting before you today?

“However, take care and be earnestly on your guard

not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen,

nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live,

but teach them to your children and to your children’s children.”

Responsorial Psalm

147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20

R.    (12a)  Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;

    praise your God, O Zion.

For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;

    he has blessed your children within you.

R.    Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

He sends forth his command to the earth;

    swiftly runs his word!

He spreads snow like wool;

    frost he strews like ashes.

R.    Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,

    his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.

He has not done thus for any other nation;

    his ordinances he has not made known to them.

R.    Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

Verse before the Gospel

See Jn 6:63c, 68c

Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;

you have the words of everlasting life.

Gospel

Mt 5:17-19

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.

I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.

Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,

not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter

will pass from the law,

until all things have taken place.

Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments

and teaches others to do so

will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.

But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments

will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”

Catholic Church Readings for March 8, 2021: Monday of the Third Week of Lent

Catholic Church Readings for March 8, 2021: Monday of the Third Week of Lent

Lectionary: 237

Reading I

2 Kgs 5:1-15ab

Naaman, the army commander of the king of Aram,

was highly esteemed and respected by his master,

for through him the LORD had brought victory to Aram.

But valiant as he was, the man was a leper.

Now the Arameans had captured in a raid on the land of Israel

a little girl, who became the servant of Naaman’s wife.

“If only my master would present himself to the prophet in Samaria,”

she said to her mistress, “he would cure him of his leprosy.”

Naaman went and told his lord

just what the slave girl from the land of Israel had said.

“Go,” said the king of Aram.

“I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.”

So Naaman set out, taking along ten silver talents,

six thousand gold pieces, and ten festal garments.

To the king of Israel he brought the letter, which read:

“With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you,

that you may cure him of his leprosy.”

When he read the letter,

the king of Israel tore his garments and exclaimed:

“Am I a god with power over life and death,

that this man should send someone to me to be cured of leprosy?

Take note! You can see he is only looking for a quarrel with me!”

When Elisha, the man of God,

heard that the king of Israel had torn his garments,

he sent word to the king:

“Why have you torn your garments?

Let him come to me and find out

that there is a prophet in Israel.”

Naaman came with his horses and chariots

and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house.

The prophet sent him the message:

“Go and wash seven times in the Jordan,

and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean.”

But Naaman went away angry, saying,

“I thought that he would surely come out and stand there

to invoke the LORD his God,

and would move his hand over the spot,

and thus cure the leprosy.

Are not the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar,

better than all the waters of Israel? 

Could I not wash in them and be cleansed?”

With this, he turned about in anger and left.

But his servants came up and reasoned with him.

“My father,” they said,

“if the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary,

would you not have done it?

All the more now, since he said to you,

‘Wash and be clean,’ should you do as he said.”

So Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times

at the word of the man of God.

His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

He returned with his whole retinue to the man of God.

On his arrival he stood before him and said,

“Now I know that there is no God in all the earth,

except in Israel.”

Responsorial Psalm

42:2, 3; 43:3, 4

R.    (see 42:3) Athirst is my soul for the living God.

When shall I go and behold the face of God?

As the hind longs for the running waters,

    so my soul longs for you, O God.

R.    Athirst is my soul for the living God.

When shall I go and behold the face of God?

Athirst is my soul for God, the living God.

    When shall I go and behold the face of God?

R.    Athirst is my soul for the living God.

When shall I go and behold the face of God?

Send forth your light and your fidelity;

    they shall lead me on

And bring me to your holy mountain,

    to your dwelling-place.

R.    Athirst is my soul for the living God.

When shall I go and behold the face of God?

Then will I go in to the altar of God,

    the God of my gladness and joy;

Then will I give you thanks upon the harp,

    O God, my God!

R.    Athirst is my soul for the living God.

When shall I go and behold the face of God?

Verse before the Gospel

See Ps 130:5, 7

I hope in the LORD, I trust in his word;

with him there is kindness and plenteous redemption.

Gospel

Lk 4:24-30

Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth:

“Amen, I say to you,

no prophet is accepted in his own native place.

Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel

in the days of Elijah

when the sky was closed for three and a half years

and a severe famine spread over the entire land.

It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,

but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.

Again, there were many lepers in Israel

during the time of Elisha the prophet;

yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”

When the people in the synagogue heard this,

they were all filled with fury.

They rose up, drove him out of the town,

and led him to the brow of the hill

on which their town had been built, 

to hurl him down headlong.

But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint John of God, religious

Catholic Church Readings for Sunday, March 7, 2021: Third Sunday of Lent

Catholic Church Readings for Sunday, March 7, 2021: Third Sunday of Lent

Year B

Lectionary: 29

Reading I

Ex 20:1-17

In those days, God delivered all these commandments:

“I, the LORD, am your God, 

who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.

You shall not have other gods besides me.

You shall not carve idols for yourselves 

in the shape of anything in the sky above 

or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; 

you shall not bow down before them or worship them.

For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, 

inflicting punishment for their fathers’ wickedness 

on the children of those who hate me, 

down to the third and fourth generation; 

but bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation 

on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments.

“You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain.

For the LORD will not leave unpunished 

the one who takes his name in vain.

“Remember to keep holy the sabbath day.

Six days you may labor and do all your work, 

but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD, your God.

No work may be done then either by you, or your son or daughter, 

or your male or female slave, or your beast, 

or by the alien who lives with you.

In six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, 

the sea and all that is in them; 

but on the seventh day he rested.

That is why the LORD has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

“Honor your father and your mother, 

that you may have a long life in the land 

which the LORD, your God, is giving you.

You shall not kill.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.

You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, 

nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass, 

nor anything else that belongs to him.”

OR: 

Ex 20:1-3, 7-8, 12-17

In those days, God delivered all these commandments:

“I, the LORD am your God, 

who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.

You shall not have other gods besides me.

“You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain.

For the LORD will not leave unpunished 

the one who takes his name in vain.

“Remember to keep holy the sabbath day.

Honor your father and your mother, 

that you may have a long life in the land 

which the Lord, your God, is giving you.

You shall not kill.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.

You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, 

nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass, 

nor anything else that belongs to him.”

Responsorial Psalm

19:8, 9, 10, 11

R. (John 6:68c)  Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

The law of the LORD is perfect,

    refreshing the soul;

The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,

    giving wisdom to the simple.

R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

The precepts of the LORD are right,

    rejoicing the heart;

the command of the LORD is clear,

    enlightening the eye.

R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

The fear of the LORD is pure,

    enduring forever;

the ordinances of the LORD are true,

    all of them just.

R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

They are more precious than gold,

    than a heap of purest gold;

sweeter also than syrup

    or honey from the comb.

R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

Reading II

1 Cor 1:22-25

Brothers and sisters:

Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 

but we proclaim Christ crucified, 

a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 

but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, 

Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, 

and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

Verse Before the Gospel

Jn 3:16

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.

Gospel

Jn 2:13-25

Since the Passover of the Jews was near,

Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, 

as well as the money changers seated there.

He made a whip out of cords

and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, 

and spilled the coins of the money changers

and overturned their tables, 

and to those who sold doves he said,

“Take these out of here, 

and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”

His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, 

Zeal for your house will consume me.

At this the Jews answered and said to him,

“What sign can you show us for doing this?”

Jesus answered and said to them, 

“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”

The Jews said, 

“This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, 

and you will raise it up in three days?”

But he was speaking about the temple of his body.

Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, 

his disciples remembered that he had said this, 

and they came to believe the Scripture 

and the word Jesus had spoken.

While he was in Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, 

many began to believe in his name 

when they saw the signs he was doing.

But Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all, 

and did not need anyone to testify about human nature.

He himself understood it well.

Pope's Speeches in Iraq (includes links to transcripts) + Commentary

I could be corrected, but from the small amount of news coverage that I've seen, it seems Pope Francis isn't doing too bad of a job in Iraq. He has said some things which are very good and he is not shying away from controversy.

First of all, I think it's bold and courageous for the pope to even be going to Iraq, given past terrorism there and the threats. Also, it is during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Here are some of the things Pope Francis has said during his visit:

March 5, Presidential Palace (full transcript).

“The age-old presence of Christians in this land, and their contributions to the life of the nation, constitute a rich heritage that they wish to continue to place at the service of all,” said Pope Francis.

This is important to note. Many people are unaware of Christianity's past in places like Iraq, Lebanon, etc. long before Muslim invaders came and violently took over. Many popes in fact came from Syria, which is not all that far away.

March 6, St. Joseph's Cathedral (full transcript):

In this speech, the  pope speaks about the virtues of patience, love, kindness. He says the world tells us the mighty and powerful are favored but God says happy are the humble and peacemakers.

March 6, Interreligious Event at Ur (full transcript):

The pope also delivered an interreligious speech at Ur, where Abraham was from. Here is part of what he said:

Hostility, extremism and violence are not born of a religious heart: they are betrayals of religion. We believers cannot be silent when terrorism abuses religion; indeed, we are called unambiguously to dispel all misunderstandings. Let us not allow the light of heaven to be overshadowed by the clouds of hatred! Dark clouds of terrorism, war and violence have gathered over this country. All its ethnic and religious communities have suffered.

I am glad the pope specifically talks about extremism and violence and says they have no place in religion. This is definitely a message some people need to hear. Some religious groups actually think violence is a legitimate option when it comes to religion. I have not yet met a Christian who thinks this is the case except perhaps under the condition of strict self-defense.

Strangely, the pope goes on to specifically mention the Yazidi as a group persecuted by Islamic terrorists, but says nothing about Christians, even though Christians were also greatly affected, many were murdered and so on. He is a representative of Christians, not Yazidi. I am not opposed to him mentioning other groups of people, but he should at least mention his own flock.

Other themes of the pontiff's message here at this event were about inclusivity of all people, ensuring the poor have adequate resources, people helping one another. I suppose themes you would expect from this pope.

Unfortunately there seems to be some level of indifferentism in his speech, rarely saying anything specifically about Christianity. Rather, it seems the pope is trying to strike a very conciliatory tone, one of ecumenism. While I don't think the pope should go out of his way to be overly triumphalistic, it can also go too far the other way. Again, he is the representative of Christians, not anyone else.

I thought there was a clip of him specifically mentioning "Islamism" and the threat of violence, but I cannot find in which speech that was contained.

As far as Pope Francis speeches go, these aren't too bad. I'm not saying they are great, but I haven't seen anything he has said that was completely out there. Perhaps I am wrong, and he still has more trip left to go. I don't know what else he has prepared. I wish him good luck on his trip.

Catholic Church Readings for Saturday, March 6, 2021: Saturday of the Second Week of Lent

Catholic Church Readings for Saturday, March 6, 2021: Saturday of the Second Week of Lent

Lectionary: 235

Reading I

Mi 7:14-15, 18-20

Shepherd your people with your staff,

    the flock of your inheritance,

That dwells apart in a woodland,

    in the midst of Carmel.

Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead,

    as in the days of old;

As in the days when you came from the land of Egypt,

    show us wonderful signs.

Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt

    and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance;

Who does not persist in anger forever,

    but delights rather in clemency,

And will again have compassion on us,

    treading underfoot our guilt?

You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins;

You will show faithfulness to Jacob,

    and grace to Abraham,

As you have sworn to our fathers

    from days of old.

Responsorial Psalm

103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12

R.    (8a)  The Lord is kind and merciful.

Bless the LORD, O my soul;

    and all my being, bless his holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul,

    and forget not all his benefits.

R.    The Lord is kind and merciful.

He pardons all your iniquities,

    he heals all your ills.

He redeems your life from destruction,

    he crowns you with kindness and compassion.

R.    The Lord is kind and merciful.

He will not always chide,

    nor does he keep his wrath forever.

Not according to our sins does he deal with us,

    nor does he requite us according to our crimes.

R.    The Lord is kind and merciful.

For as the heavens are high above the earth,

    so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.

As far as the east is from the west,

    so far has he put our transgressions from us.

R.    The Lord is kind and merciful.

Verse before the Gospel

Lk 15:18

I will get up and go to my father and shall say to him,

Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

Gospel

Lk 15:1-3, 11-32

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,

but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,

“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

So to them Jesus addressed this parable.

“A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father,

‘Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’

So the father divided the property between them.

After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings

and set off to a distant country

where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.

When he had freely spent everything,

a severe famine struck that country,

and he found himself in dire need.

So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens

who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.

And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed,

but nobody gave him any.

Coming to his senses he thought,

‘How many of my father’s hired workers

have more than enough food to eat,

but here am I, dying from hunger.

I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him,

“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

I no longer deserve to be called your son;

treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’

So he got up and went back to his father.

While he was still a long way off,

his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion.

He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.

His son said to him,

‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you;

I no longer deserve to be called your son.’

But his father ordered his servants,

‘Quickly, bring the finest robe and put it on him;

put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.

Then let us celebrate with a feast,

because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again;

he was lost, and has been found.’

Then the celebration began.

Now the older son had been out in the field

and, on his way back, as he neared the house,

he heard the sound of music and dancing.

He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.

The servant said to him,

‘Your brother has returned

and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf

because he has him back safe and sound.’

He became angry,

and when he refused to enter the house,

his father came out and pleaded with him.

He said to his father in reply,

‘Look, all these years I served you

and not once did I disobey your orders;

yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.

But when your son returns

who swallowed up your property with prostitutes,

for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’

He said to him,

‘My son, you are here with me always;

everything I have is yours.

But now we must celebrate and rejoice,

because your brother was dead and has come to life again;

he was lost and has been found.’”

Live stream Catholic Masses for multiple times through the day!

Sorry I am late posting this!

English Catholic Mass Live Streams from Around the World

Date: Saturday, March 6, 2021

Many Times Throughout the Day (3 time zones given). All on YouTube.

EST	CST	PST	Parish	City, State	Country	URL
4:30 AM	3:30 AM	2:30 AM	Christ the King	Coventry	England	Watch Live on Youtube
5:00 AM	4:00 AM	3:00 AM	Catholic Parish of Guildford	Guildford	England	Watch Live on Youtube
7:00 AM	6:00 AM	5:00 AM	St. Joseph Parish	East Rutherford NJ	USA	Watch Live on Youtube
8:00 AM	7:00 AM	6:00 AM	Our Lady of Angels Chapel - EWTN	Irondale AL	USA	Watch Live on Youtube
8:05 AM	7:05 AM	6:05 AM	Sacred Heart Cathedral	Knoxville TN	USA	Watch Live on Youtube
9:00 AM	8:00 AM	7:00 AM	St. John the Evangelist Parish	Greenfield, WI	USA	Watch Live on Youtube
10:00 AM	9:00 AM	8:00 AM	Holy Family Parish	Toronto	Canada	Watch Live on Youtube
12:05 PM	11:05 AM	10:05 AM	St. Joseph Parish	East Rutherford NJ	USA	Watch Live on Youtube
1:00 PM	12:00 PM	11:00 AM	Chapel of the Nativity	Green Bay WI	USA	Watch Live on Youtube
2:45 PM	1:45 PM	12:45 PM	St. Declan's	NSW	Australia	Watch Live on Youtube
5:00 PM	4:00 PM	3:00 PM	Sacred Heart Cathedral	Knoxville TN	USA	Watch Live on Youtube

Thanks for stopping by. I created this list because I wanted a quick and easy way to find out where I can watch livestream English Masses. As I discovered, there are Masses at many times throughout each day around the world. Please feel free to use this list and to distribute it. I would love it if you could reference my blog if you decide to share it elsewhere.

I will attempt to post this every day, so if you need a quick and easy reference, just come over to the blog. As time goes on, I will add more times to the list. I want to make sure that you can have access to a livestream Mass whenever you need it.

Support:

If you would like to support my blog in a special way, please consider becoming a Patron, by clicking here. Thanks in advance. Have a great day!

Catholic Church Readings for Friday, March 5, 2021: Friday of the Second Week of Lent

Catholic Church Readings for Friday, March 5, 2021: Friday of the Second Week of Lent

Lectionary: 234

Reading I

Gn 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a

Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons,

for he was the child of his old age;

and he had made him a long tunic.

When his brothers saw that their father loved him best of all his sons,

they hated him so much that they would not even greet him.

One day, when his brothers had gone

to pasture their father’s flocks at Shechem,

Israel said to Joseph, 

“Your brothers, you know, are tending our flocks at Shechem.

Get ready; I will send you to them.”

So Joseph went after his brothers and caught up with them in Dothan.

They noticed him from a distance,

and before he came up to them, they plotted to kill him.

They said to one another: “Here comes that master dreamer!

Come on, let us kill him and throw him into one of the cisterns here;

we could say that a wild beast devoured him.

We shall then see what comes of his dreams.”

When Reuben heard this,

he tried to save him from their hands, saying,

“We must not take his life.

Instead of shedding blood,” he continued,

“just throw him into that cistern there in the desert;

but do not kill him outright.”

His purpose was to rescue him from their hands

and return him to his father. 

So when Joseph came up to them,

they stripped him of the long tunic he had on;

then they took him and threw him into the cistern,

which was empty and dry.

They then sat down to their meal.

Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead,

their camels laden with gum, balm and resin

to be taken down to Egypt.

Judah said to his brothers:

“What is to be gained by killing our brother and concealing his blood? 

Rather, let us sell him to these Ishmaelites,

instead of doing away with him ourselves.

After all, he is our brother, our own flesh.”

His brothers agreed.

They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver.

Responsorial Psalm

105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21

R.    (5a) Remember the marvels the Lord has done.

When the LORD called down a famine on the land

    and ruined the crop that sustained them,

He sent a man before them,

    Joseph, sold as a slave.

R.    Remember the marvels the Lord has done.

They had weighed him down with fetters,

    and he was bound with chains,

Till his prediction came to pass

    and the word of the LORD proved him true.

R.    Remember the marvels the Lord has done.

The king sent and released him,

    the ruler of the peoples set him free.

He made him lord of his house

    and ruler of all his possessions.

R.    Remember the marvels the Lord has done.

Verse before the Gospel

Jn 3:16

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son;

so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.

Gospel

Mt 21:33-43, 45-46

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: 

“Hear another parable.

There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,

put a hedge around it,

dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.

Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.

When vintage time drew near,

he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.

But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,

another they killed, and a third they stoned.

Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,

but they treated them in the same way.

Finally, he sent his son to them,

thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’

But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,

‘This is the heir.

Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’

They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?”

They answered him,

"He will put those wretched men to a wretched death

and lease his vineyard to other tenants

who will give him the produce at the proper times.”

Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures:

    The stone that the builders rejected

        has become the cornerstone;

    by the Lord has this been done,

        and it is wonderful in our eyes?

Therefore, I say to you,

the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you

and given to a people that will produce its fruit.”

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables,

they knew that he was speaking about them.

And although they were attempting to arrest him,

they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.