Daily Reading for Wednesday, November 20th, 2013 Reading 1, Second Maccabees 7:1, 20-31 1 It happened also that seven brothers and their mother were arrested and were being compelled by the king, under torture with whips and cords, to partake of unlawful swines flesh. 20 The mother was especially admirable and worthy of honorable memory. Though she saw her seven sons perish within a single day, she bore it with good courage because of her hope in the Lord. 21 She encouraged each of them in the language of their fathers. Filled with a noble spirit, she fired her womans reasoning with a mans courage, and said to them, 22 I do not know how you came into being in my womb. It was not I who gave you life and breath, nor I who set in order the elements within each of you. 23 Therefore the Creator of the world, who shaped the beginning of man and devised the origin of all things, will in his mercy give life and breath back to you again, since you now forget yourselves for the sake of his laws. 24 Antiochus felt that he was being treated with contempt, and he was suspicious of her reproachful tone. The youngest brother being still alive, Antiochus not only appealed to him in words, but promised with oaths that he would make him rich and enviable if he would turn from the ways of his fathers, and that he would take him for his friend and entrust him with public affairs. 25 Since the young man would not listen to him at all, the king called the mother to him and urged her to advise the youth to save himself. 26 After much urging on his part, she undertook to persuade her son. 27 But, leaning close to him, she spoke in their native tongue as follows, deriding the cruel tyrant: My son, have pity on me. I carried you nine months in my womb, and nursed you for three years, and have reared you and brought you up to this point in your life, and have taken care of you. 28 I beseech you, my child, to look at the heaven and the earth and see everything that is in them, and recognize that God did not make them out of things that existed. Thus also mankind comes into being. 29 Do not fear this butcher, but prove worthy of your brothers. Accept death, so that in Gods mercy I may get you back again with your brothers. 30 While she was still speaking, the young man said, What are you waiting for? I will not obey the kings command, but I obey the command of the law that was given to our fathers through Moses. 31 But you, who have contrived all sorts of evil against the Hebrews, will certainly not escape the hands of God. Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 17:1, 5-6, 8, 15 1 [Prayer Of David] Listen, Yahweh, to an upright cause, pay attention to my cry, lend an ear to my prayer, my lips free from deceit. 5 my steps never stray from the paths you lay down, from your tracks; so my feet never stumble. 6 I call upon you, God, for you answer me; turn your ear to me, hear what I say. 8 Guard me as the pupil of an eye, shelter me in the shadow of your wings 15 But I in my uprightness will see your face, and when I awake I shall be filled with the vision of you. Gospel, Luke 19:11-28 11 While the people were listening to this he went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and they thought that the kingdom of God was going to show itself then and there. 12 Accordingly he said, A man of noble birth went to a distant country to be appointed king and then return. 13 He summoned ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds, telling them, Trade with these, until I get back. 14 But his compatriots detested him and sent a delegation to follow him with this message, We do not want this man to be our king. 15 Now it happened that on his return, having received his appointment as king, he sent for those servants to whom he had given the money, to find out what profit each had made by trading. 16 The first came in, Sir, he said, your one pound has brought in ten. 17 He replied, Well done, my good servant! Since you have proved yourself trustworthy in a very small thing, you shall have the government of ten cities. 18 Then came the second, Sir, he said, your one pound has made five. 19 To this one also he said, And you shall be in charge of five cities. 20 Next came the other, Sir, he said, here is your pound. I put it away safely wrapped up in a cloth 21 because I was afraid of you; for you are an exacting man: you gather in what you have not laid out and reap what you have not sown. 22 He said to him, You wicked servant! Out of your own mouth I condemn you. So you knew that I was an exacting man, gathering in what I have not laid out and reaping what I have not sown? 23 Then why did you not put my money in the bank? On my return I could have drawn it out with interest. 24 And he said to those standing by, Take the pound from him and give it to the man who has ten pounds. 25 And they said to him, But, sir, he has ten pounds . . . 26 I tell you, to everyone who has will be given more; but anyone who has not will be deprived even of what he has. 27 As for my enemies who did not want me for their king, bring them here and execute them in my presence. 28 When he had said this he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
Posted on: Tue, 19 Nov 2013 23:34:43 +0000
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