Daily Readings for January 31, 2014

1ST READING 2 Samuel 11:1-4, 5-10, 13-17

1 At the turn of the year, when kings go out on campaign, David sent out Joab along with his officers and the army of Israel, and they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. David, however, remained in Jerusalem. 2 One evening David rose from his siesta and strolled about on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing, who was very beautiful. 3 David had inquiries made about the woman and was told, “She is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam, and wife of Joab’s armorbearer, Uriah the Hittite.” 4 Then David sent messengers and took her. When she came to him, he had relations with her. She then returned to her house. 5But the woman had conceived, and sent the information to David, “I am with child.” 6 David therefore sent a message to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David. 7When he came, David questioned him about Joab, the soldiers, and how the war was going, and Uriah answered that all was well. 8 David then said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and bathe your feet.” Uriah left the palace, and a portion was sent out after him from the king’s table. 9 But Uriah slept at the entrance of the royal palace with the other officers of his lord, and did not go down to his own house. 10 David was told that Uriah had not gone home. On the day following, 13David summoned him, and he ate and drank with David, who made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his bed among his lord’s servants, and did not go down to his home. 14 The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab which he sent by Uriah. 15 In it he directed: “Place Uriah up front, where the fighting is fierce. Then pull back and leave him to be struck down dead.” 16 So while Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew the defenders were strong. 17 When the men of the city made a sortie against Joab, some officers of David’s army fell, and among them Uriah the Hittite died.

P S A L M Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6, 6-7, 10-11

R: Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

1 [3] Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. 2 [4] Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. (R) 

3 [5] For I acknowledge my offense, and my sin is before me always. 4 [6] “Against you only have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight.” (R) 

I have done such evil in your sight that you are just in your sentence, blameless when you condemn. 5 [7] True, I was born guilty, a sinner, even as my mother conceived me. (R) 

8 [10] Let me hear the sounds of joy and gladness; the bones you have crushed shall rejoice. 9 [11] Turn away your face from my sins, and blot out all my guilt. (R)

GOSPEL Mark 4:26-34

26 Jesus said to the crowds: “This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land 27 and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. 28 Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.” 30 He said, “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. 32 But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” 33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. 34 Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

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Daily Readings for January 30, 2014

1ST READING 2 Samuel 7:18-19, 24-29

18 After Nathan had spoken to King David, the king went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, Lord God, and who are the members of my house, that you have brought me to this point? 19 Yet even this you see as too little, Lord God; you have also spoken of the house of your servant for a long time to come: this too you have shown to man, Lord God! 24 “You have established for yourself your people Israel as yours forever, and you, Lord, have become their God. 25 And now, Lord God, confirm for all time the prophecy you have made concerning your servant and his house, and do as you have promised. 26 Your name will be forever great, when men say, ‘The Lord of hosts is God of Israel,’ and the house of your  servant David stands firm before you. 27 It is you, Lord of hosts, God of Israel, who said in a revelation to your servant, ‘I will build a house for you.’ Therefore your servant now finds the courage to make this prayer to you. 28 And now, Lord God, you are God and your words are truth; you have made this generous promise to your servant. 29Do, then, bless the house of your servant that it may be before you forever; for you, Lord God, have promised, and by your blessing the house of your servant shall be blessed forever.”

P S A L M Psalm 132:1-2, 3-5, 11, 12, 13-14

R: The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.

1 Lord, remember David all his anxious care; 2 how he swore an oath to the Lord, vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob. (R) 

3 “I will not enter the house I live, nor lie on the couch where I sleep; 4 I will give my eyes no sleep my eyelids no rest, 5 till I find a home for the Lord, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.” (R) 

11 The Lord swore to David a firm promise from which he will not withdraw: “Your own offspring I will set upon your throne.” (R) 

12 “If your sons keep my covenant and the decrees which I shall teach them, their sons, too, forever shall sit upon your throne.” (R) 

13 For the Lord has chosen Zion, he prefers her for his dwelling. 14“Zion is my resting place forever; in her will I dwell, for I prefer her.” (R)

GOSPEL Mark 4:21-25

21 Jesus said to his disciples, “Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand? 22 For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light. 23 Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.” 24 He also told them, “Take care what you hear. The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you. 25 To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

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Daily Readings for January 29, 2014

1ST READING 2 Samuel 7:4-17

4 That night the Lord spoke to Nathan and said: 5 “Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Should you build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not dwelt in a house from the day on which I led the children of Israel out of Egypt to the present, but I have been going about in a tent under cloth. 7 In all my wanderings everywhere among the children of Israel, did I ever utter a word to any one of the judges whom I charged to tend my people Israel, to ask: Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’ 8 “Now then, speak thus to my servant David, ‘The Lord of hosts has this to say: It was I who took you from the pasture and from the care of the flock to be commander of my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you went, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth. 10 I will fix a place for my people Israel; I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place without further disturbance. Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old, 11 since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also reveals to you that he will establish a house for you. 12 And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm. 13 It is he who shall build a house for my name. And I will make his royal throne firm forever. 14 I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. And if he does wrong, I will correct him with the rod of men and with human chastisements; 15 but I will not withdraw my favor from him as I withdrew it from your predecessor Saul, whom I removed from my presence. 16 Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.’” 17Nathan reported all these words and this entire vision to David.

P S A L M Psalm 89:4-5, 27-28, 29-30

R: Forever I will maintain my love for my servant.

3 [4] “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: 4 [5] I will make your dynasty stand forever and establish your throne through all ages.” (R) 26 [27] “He shall cry to me, ‘You are my father, my God, the rock that brings me victory!’ 27 [28] I myself make him first-born, Most High over the kings of the earth.” (R) 28 [29] “Forever I will maintain my love for him, my covenant with him stands firm. 29 [30] I will establish his dynasty forever, his throne as the days of heavens.” (R)

GOSPEL Mark 4:1-20

1 On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea. A very large crowd gathered around him so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down. And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land. 2 And he taught them at length in parables, and in the course of his instruction he said to them, 3 “Hear this! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots. 7 Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain. 8 And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” 9 He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.” 10 And when he was alone, those present along with the Twelve questioned him about the parables. 11 He answered them, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to those outside everything comes in parables, 12 so that ‘they may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.’” 13 Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 These are the ones on the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy. 17 But they have no root; they last only for a time. Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, 19 but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. 20 But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

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Daily Readings for January 28, 2014

1ST READING 2 Samuel 6:12-15, 17-19

12 David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the City of David amid festivities. 13 As soon as the bearers of the ark of the Lord had advanced six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. 14 Then David, girt with a linen apron, came dancing before the Lord with abandon, 15 as he and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts of joy and to the sound of the horn. 17 The ark of the Lord was brought in and set in its place within the tent David had pitched for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 18 When he finished making these offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. 19 He then distributed among all the people, to each man and each woman in the entire multitude of Israel, a loaf of bread, a cut of roast meat, and a raisin cake. With this, all the people left for their homes.

P S A L M Psalm 24:7, 8, 9, 10

R: Who is the king of glory? It is the Lord!

7 Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in! (R) 

8 Who is this king of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle. (R) 

9 Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in! (R) 

10 Who is this king of glory? The Lord of hosts; he is the king of glory. (R)

GOSPEL Mark 3:31-35

31 The mother of Jesus and his brothers arrived at the house. Standing outside they sent word to Jesus and called him. 32 A crowd seated around him told him,  “Your mother and your brothers and your sisters are outside asking for you.”33 But he said to them in reply, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 35 For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

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Daily Readings for January 27, 2014

1ST READING 2 Samuel 5:1-7, 10

1 All the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said: “Here we are, your bone and your flesh. 2 In days past, when Saul was our king, it was you who led the children of Israel out and brought them back. And the Lord said to you, ‘You shall shepherd my people Israel and shall be commander of Israel.’” 3 When all the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron, King David made an agreement with them there before the Lord, and they anointed him king of Israel. 4 David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty years: 5 seven years and six months in Hebron over Judah, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem over all Israel and Judah. 6 Then the king and his men set out for Jerusalem against the Jebusites who inhabited the region. David was told, “You cannot enter here: the blind and the lame will drive you away!” which was their way of saying, “David cannot enter here.” 7 But David did take the stronghold of Zion, which is the City of David. 10 David grew steadily more powerful, for the Lord of hosts was with him.

P S A L M Psalm 89:20, 21-22, 25-26

R: My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.

19 [20] Once you spoke in a vision, and to your faithful ones you said: “On a champion I have placed a crown; over the people I have set a youth.” (R) 

20 [21] “I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him, 21 [22] that my hand may be always with him, and that my arm may make him strong.” (R) 

24 [25] “My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him, and through my name shall his horn be exalted. 25 [26] I will set his hand upon the sea, his right hand upon the rivers.” (R)

GOSPEL Mark 3:22-30

22 The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.” 23 Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house. 28 Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. 29 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.” 30 For they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

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Daily Readings for January 26, 2014

1ST READING Isaiah 8:23–9:3

23 First the Lord degraded the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the end he has glorified the seaward road, the land west of the Jordan, the District of the Gentiles. Anguish has taken wing, dispelled is darkness for there is no gloom where but now there was distress. 9: 1 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. 2 You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing, as they rejoice before you as at the harvest, as people make merry when dividing spoils. 3 For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder, and the rod of their taskmaster you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.

P S A L M Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14

R: The Lord is my light and my salvation.

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? (R) 

4 One thing I ask of the Lord; this I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, that I may gaze on the loveliness of the Lord and contemplate his temple. (R) 

13 I believe that I shall see the bounty of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord. (R)

2ND READING 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17

10 I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose. 11 For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers and sisters, by Chloe’s people, that there are rivalries among you. 12 I mean that each of you is saying, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with the wisdom of human eloquence, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.

GOSPEL Matthew 4:12-23

12 When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: 15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, 16 the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen.” 17 From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 18 As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. 19 He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him. 21 He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, 22 and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him. 23 He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people.

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Daily Readings for January 25, 2014

1ST READING Acts 22:3-16 (or Acts 9:1-22)

3 Paul addressed the people in these words: “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city. At the feet of Gamaliel I was educated strictly in our ancestral law and was zealous for God, just as all of you are today. 4 I persecuted this way to death, binding both men and women and delivering them to prison. 5 Even the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify on my behalf. For from them I even received letters to the brothers and set out for Damascus to bring back to Jerusalem in chains for punishment those there as well. 6 “On that journey as I drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from the sky suddenly shone around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 I replied, ‘Who are you, sir?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.’ 9 My companions saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who spoke to me. 10 I asked, ‘What shall I do, sir?’ The Lord answered me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about everything appointed for you to do.’ 11 Since I could see nothing because of the brightness of that light, I was led by hand by my companions and entered Damascus. 12 A certain Ananias, a devout observer of the law, and highly spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, 13 came to me and stood there and said, ‘Saul, my brother, regain your sight.’ And at that very moment I regained my sight and saw him. 14 Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors designated you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of his voice; 15 for you will be his witness before all to what you have seen and heard. 16 Now, why delay? Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away, calling upon his name.’”

P S A L M Psalm 117:1, 2

R: Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

1 Praise the Lord, all you nations; glorify him, all you peoples! (R) 

2 For steadfast is his kindness toward us, and the fidelity of the Lord endures forever. (R)

GOSPEL Mark 16:15-18

15 Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. 18 They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Daily Readings for January 24, 2014

1ST READING 1 Samuel 24:3-21

3 Saul took three thousand picked men from all Israel and went in search of David and his men in the direction of the wild goat crags. 4 When he came to the sheepfolds along the way, he found a cave, which he entered to relieve himself. David and his men were occupying the inmost recesses of the cave. 5 David’s servants said to him, “This is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘I will deliver your enemy into your grasp; do with him as you see fit.’” So David moved up and stealthily cut off an end of Saul’s mantle. 6 Afterward, however, David regretted that he had cut off an end of Saul’s mantle. 7 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, as to lay a hand on him, for he is the Lord’s anointed.” 8 With these words David restrained his men and would not permit them to attack Saul. Saul then left the cave and went on his way. 9 David also stepped out of the cave, calling to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked back, David bowed to the ground in homage 10 and asked Saul: “Why do you listen to those who say, ‘David is trying to harm you’? 11 You see for yourself today that the Lord just now delivered you into my grasp in the cave. I had some thought of killing you, but I took pity on you instead. I decided, ‘I will not raise a hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed and a father to me.’ 12 Look here at this end of your mantle which I hold. Since I cut off an end of your mantle and did not kill you, see and be convinced that I plan no harm and no rebellion. I have done you no wrong, though you are hunting me down to take my life. 13 The Lord will judge between me and you, and the Lord will exact justice from you in my case. I shall not touch you. 14 The old proverb says, ‘From the wicked comes forth wickedness.’ So I will take no action against you. 15 Against whom are you on campaign, O king of Israel? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, or a single flea! 16 The Lord will be the judge; he will decide between me and you. May he see this, and take my part, and grant me justice beyond your reach!” 17 When David finished saying these things to Saul, Saul answered, “Is that your voice, my son David?” And Saul wept aloud. 18 Saul then said to David: “You are in the right rather than I; you have treated me generously, while I have done you harm. 19 Great is the generosity you showed me today, when the Lord delivered me into your grasp and you did not kill me. 20 For if a man meets his enemy, does he send him away unharmed? May the Lord reward you generously for what you have done this day. 21 And now, since I know that you shall surely be king and that sovereignty over Israel shall come into your possession.

P S A L M Psalm 57:2, 3-4, 6, 11

R: Have mercy on me, God, have mercy.

1 [2] Have mercy on me, O God; have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. In the shadow of your wings I take refuge, till harm pass by. (R) 2 [3] I call to God the Most High, to God, my benefactor. 3 [4] May he send from heaven and save me; may he make those a reproach who trample upon me; may God send his mercy and his faithfulness. (R) 5 [6] Be exalted above the heavens, O God; above all the earth be your glory! 10 [11] For your mercy towers to the heavens, and your faithfulness to the skies. (R)

GOSPEL Mark 3:13-19

13 Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him. 14 He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons: 16 He appointed the Twelve: Simon, whom he named Peter; 17 James, son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean, 19 and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

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Daily Readings for January 23, 2014

1ST READING 1 Samuel 18:6-9; 19:1-7

6 When David and Saul approached (on David’s return after slaying the Philistine), women came out from each of the cities of Israel to meet King Saul, singing and dancing, with tambourines, joyful songs, and sistrums. 7 The women played and sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” 8 Saul was very angry and resentful of the song, for he thought, “They give David ten thousands, but only thousands to me. All that remains for him is the kingship.” 9 And from that day on, Saul was jealous of David. 19: 1 Saul discussed his intention of killing David with his son Jonathan and with all his servants. But Saul’s son Jonathan, who was very fond of David, 2 told him: “My father Saul is trying to kill you. Therefore, please be on your guard tomorrow morning; get out of sight and remain in hiding. 3 I, however, will go out and stand beside my father in the countryside where you are, and will speak to him about you. If I learn anything, I will let you know.” 4 Jonathan then spoke well of David to his father Saul, saying to him: “Let not your majesty sin against his servant David, for he has committed no offense against you, but has helped you very much by his deeds. 5 When he took his life in his hands and slew the Philistine, and the Lord brought about a great victory for all Israel through him, you were glad to see it. Why, then, should you become guilty of shedding innocent blood by killing David without cause?” 6 Saul heeded Jonathan’s plea and swore, “As the Lord lives, he shall not be killed.” 7 So Jonathan summoned David and repeated the whole conversation to him. Jonathan then brought David to Saul, and David served him as before.

P S A L M Psalm 56:2-3, 9-10, 10-12, 13-14

R: In God I trust; I shall not fear.

1 [2] Have mercy on me, O God, for men trample upon me; all the day they press their attack against me. 2 [3] My adversaries trample upon me all the day; yes, many fight against me. (R) 

8 [9] My wanderings you have counted; my tears are stored in your flask; are they not recorded in your book? 9 [10] Then do my enemies turn back, when I call upon you. (R) 

Now I know that God is with me. 10 [11] In God, in whose promise I glory, 11 [12] in God I trust without fear; what can flesh do against me? (R) 

12 [13] I am bound, O God, by vows to you; your thank offerings I will fulfill. 13 [14] For you have rescued me from death, my feet, too, from stumbling; that I may walk before God in the light of the living. (R)

GOSPEL Mark 3:7-12

7 Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples. A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea. 8 Hearing what he was doing, a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem, from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan, and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon. 9 He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him. 10 He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him. 11 And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, “You are the Son of God.” 12 He warned them sternly not to make him known.

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Daily Readings for January 22, 2014

1ST READING 1 Samuel 17:32-33, 37, 40-51

32 David spoke to Saul: “Let your majesty not lose courage. I am at your service to go and fight this Philistine.” 33 But Saul answered David, “You cannot go up against this Philistine and fight with him, for you are only a youth, while he has been a warrior from his youth.” 37 David continued: “The Lord, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will also keep me safe from the clutches of this Philistine.” Saul answered David, “Go! The Lord will be with you.” 40Then, staff in hand, David selected five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in the pocket of his shepherd’s bag. With his sling also ready in hand, he approached the Philistine. 41 With his shield-bearer marching before him, the Philistine also advanced closer and closer to David. 42 When he had sized David up, and seen that he was youthful, and ruddy, and handsome in appearance, the Philistine held David in contempt. 43 The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog that you come against me with a staff?” Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods 44 and said to him, “Come here to me, and I will leave your flesh for the birds of the air and the beasts of the field.” 45 David answered him: “You come against me with sword and spear and scimitar, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel that you have insulted. 46 Today the Lord shall deliver you into my hand; I will strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will leave your corpse and the corpses of the Philistine army for the birds of the air and the beasts of the field; thus the whole land shall learn that Israel has a God. 47 All this multitude, too, shall learn that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he shall deliver you into our hands.” 48 The Philistine then moved to meet David at close quarters, while David ran quickly toward the battle line in the direction of the Philistine. 49 David put his hand into the bag and took out a stone, hurled it with the sling, and struck  the Philistine on the forehead. The stone embedded itself in his brow, and he fell prostrate on the ground. 50 Thus David overcame the Philistine with sling and stone; he struck the Philistine mortally, and did it without a sword. 51 Then David ran and stood over him; with the Philistine’s own sword which he drew from its sheath he dispatched him and cut off his head.

P S A L M Psalm 144:1, 2, 9-10

R: Blessed be the Lord, my rock!

1 Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war. (R) 

2 My refuge and my fortress, my stronghold, my deliverer, my shield, in whom I trust, who subdues peoples under me. (R) 

9 O God, I will sing a new song to you; with a ten-stringed lyre I will chant your praise, 10 you who give victory to kings, and deliver David, your servant from the evil sword. (R)

GOSPEL Mark 3:1-6

1 Jesus entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand. 2 They watched Jesus closely to see if he would cure him on the sabbath so that they might accuse him. 3 He said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up here before us.” 4 Then he said to the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” But they remained silent. 5 Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their  hardness of heart, Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.

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Daily Readings for January 21, 2014

1ST READING 1 Samuel 16:1-13

1 The Lord said to Samuel: “How long will you grieve for Saul, whom I have rejected as king of Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen my king from among his sons.” 2 But Samuel replied: “How can I go? Saul will hear of it and kill me.” To this the Lord answered: “Take a heifer along and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I myself will tell you what to do; you are to anoint for me the one I point out to you.” 4 Samuel did as the Lord had commanded him. When he entered Bethlehem, the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and inquired, “Is your visit peaceful, O seer?” 5 He replied: “Yes! I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. So cleanse yourselves and join me today for the banquet.” He also had Jesse and his sons cleanse themselves and invited them to the sacrifice. 6 As they came, he looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is here before him.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel: “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart.” 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him before Samuel, who said, “The Lord has not chosen him.” 9 Next Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 10 In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any one of these.” 11 Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send for him; we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here.” 12 Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them. He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold and making a splendid appearance. The Lord said, “There—anoint him, for this is he!” 13 Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and from that day on, the spirit of the Lord rushed upon David. When Samuel took his leave, he went to Ramah.

P S A L M Psalm 89:20, 21-22, 27-28

R: I have found David, my servant.

19 [20] Once you spoke in a vision, and to your faithful ones you said: “On a champion I have placed a crown; over the people I have set a youth.” (R) 

20 [21] “I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him, 21 [22] that my hand may be always with him, and that my arm may make him strong.” (R) 

26 [27] “He shall say of me, ‘You are my father, my God, the rock, my savior.’ 27 [28] And I will make him the first-born, highest of the kings of the earth. (R)

GOSPEL Mark 2:23-28

23 As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the Sabbath, his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain. 24 At this the Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” 25 He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry? 26 How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat, and shared it with his companions?” 27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

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Daily Readings for January 20, 2014

1ST READING 1 Samuel 15:16-23

16 Samuel said to Saul: “Stop! Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” Saul replied, “Speak!” 17Samuel then said: “Though little in your own esteem, are you not leader of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king of Israel 18 and sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and put the sinful Amalekites under a ban of destruction. Fight against them until you have exterminated them. 19 Why then have you  disobeyed the Lord? You have pounced on the spoil, thus displeasing the Lord.” 20 Saul answered Samuel: “I did indeed obey the Lord and fulfill the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought back Agag, and I have destroyed Amalek under the ban. 21 But from the spoil the men took sheep and oxen, the best of what had been banned, to sacrifice to the Lord their God in Gilgal.” 22 But Samuel said: “Does the Lord so delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obedience to the command of the Lord? Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission than the fat of rams. 23 For a sin like divination is rebellion, and presumption is the crime of idolatry. Because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he, too, has rejected you as ruler.”

P S A L M Psalm 50:8-9, 16-17, 21, 23

R: To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

8 “Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you, for your burnt offerings are before me always. 9 I take from your house no bullock, no goats out of your fold.” (R) 

16 “Why do you recite my statutes, and profess my covenant with your mouth, 17 though you hate discipline and cast my words behind you?” (R) 

21 When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it? Or do you think that I am like yourself? I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes. 23 He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me; and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.” (R)        

GOSPEL Mark 2:18-22

18 The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast. People came to Jesus and objected, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. 20 But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day. 21 No one sews a piece of un-shrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. 22 Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.”

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Daily Readings for January 19, 2014

1ST READING Isaiah 9:1-6

1The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwell in the land of gloom a light has shone. 2You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing, as they rejoice before you as at the harvest as men make merry when dividing spoils. 3For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder, and the rod of their taskmaster you have smashed, as on the day of Midian. 4For every boot that tramped in battle, every cloak rolled in blood, will be burned as fuel for flames. 5For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him: Wonder-counselor, God-hero, Father-forever, Prince of Peace. 6His dominion is vast and forever peaceful, from David’s throne, and over his kingdom, which he confirms and sustains by judgment and justice, both now and forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this!

P S A L M Psalm 98: 1,2-3,3-4,5-6

R: All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

1 Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; his right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm. (R) 

2 The Lord has made his salvation known in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. 3 He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. (R) 

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 4 Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; break into song: sing praise. (R) 

5 Sing praise to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and melodious song. 6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn sing joyfully before the King, the Lord. (R)

2ND READING Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has a blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, 4as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love 5he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, 6for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted un in the beloved. 15Therefore, I, too, hearing your faith in the Lord Jesus and of your love for all the holy ones, 16do not cease giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. 18May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones.

GOSPEL Matthew 18:1-5, 10

1At that time the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2He called a child over, places it in their midst, 3and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. 10See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”

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Daily Readings for January 18, 2014

1ST READING 1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1

1 There was a stalwart man from Benjamin named Kish, who was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite. 2 He had a son named Saul, who was a handsome young man. There was no other child of Israel more handsome than Saul; he stood head and shoulders above the people. 3 Now the asses of Saul’s father, Kish, had wandered off. Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go out and hunt for the asses.” 4 Accordingly they went through the hill country of Ephraim, and through the land of Shalishah. Not finding them there, they continued through the land of Shaalim without success. They also went through the land of Benjamin, but they failed to find the animals. 17 When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord assured him, “This is the man of whom I told you; he is to govern my people.” 18 Saul met Samuel in the gateway and said, “Please tell me where the seer lives.” 19 Samuel answered Saul “I am the seer. Go up ahead of me to the high place and eat with me today. In the morning, before dismissing you, I will tell you whatever you wish.” 10: 1 Then, from a flask he had with him, Samuel poured oil on Saul’s head; he also kissed him, saying: “The Lord anoints you commander over his heritage. You are to govern the Lord’s people Israel, and to save them from the grasp of their enemies roundabout. This will be the sign for you that the Lord has anointed you commander over his heritage.”

P S A L M Psalm 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R: Lord, in your strength the king is glad.

1 [2] O Lord, in your strength the king is glad; in your victory how greatly he rejoices! 2 [3] You have granted him his heart’s desire; you refused not the wish of his lips. (R) 

3 [4] For you welcomed him with goodly blessings, you placed on his head a crown of pure gold. 4 [5] He asked life of you, you gave him length of days forever and ever. (R) 

5 [6] Great is his glory in your victory; majesty and splendor you conferred upon him. 6 [7] For you made him a blessing forever; you gladdened him with the joy of your face. (R)

GOSPEL Mark 2:13-17

13 Jesus went out along the sea. All the crowd came to him and he taught them. 14 As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the customs post. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed Jesus. 15 While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. 16 Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 Jesus heard this and said to them, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

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Daily Readings for January 17, 2014

1ST READING 1 Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22

4 All the elders of Israel came in a body to Samuel at Ramah 5 and said to him, “Now that you are old, and your sons do not follow your example, appoint a king over us, as other nations have, to judge us.” 6 Samuel was displeased when they asked for a king to judge them. He prayed to the Lord, however, 7 who said in answer: “Grant the people’s every request. It is not you they reject, they are rejecting me as their king.” 10 Samuel delivered the message of the Lord in full to those who were asking him for a king. 11 He told them: “The rights of the king who will rule you will be as follows: He will take your sons and assign them to his chariots and horses, and they will run before his chariot. 12 He will also appoint from among them his commanders of groups of a thousand and of a hundred soldiers. He will set them to do his plowing and his harvesting, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. 13 He will use your daughters as ointment makers, as cooks, and as bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his officials. 15 He will tithe your crops and your vineyards, and give the revenue to his eunuchs and his slaves. 16 He will take your male and female servants, as well as your best oxen and your asses, and use them to do his work. 17 He will tithe your flocks and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When this takes place, you will complain against the king whom you have chosen, but on that day the Lord will not answer you.” 19 The people, however, refused to listen to Samuel’s warning and said, “Not so! There must be a king over us. 20 We too must be like other nations, with a king to rule us and to lead us in warfare and fight our battles.” 21 When Samuel had listened to all the people had to say, he repeated it to the Lord, 22 who then said to him, “Grant their request and appoint a king to rule them.”

P S A L M Psalm 89:16-17, 18-19

R: Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

15 [16] Blessed the people who know the joyful shout; in the light of your countenance, O Lord, they walk. 16 [17] At your name they rejoice all the day, and through your justice they are exalted. (R) 

17 [18] For you are the splendor of their strength, and by your favor our horn is exalted. 18 [19] For to the Lord belongs our shield, and to the Holy One of Israel, our King. (R)

GOSPEL Mark 2:1-12

1 When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home. 2 Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves, 7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?” 8 Jesus immediately knew in his mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth” — 11 he said to the paralytic, “I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.” 12 He rose, picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone. They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”

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Daily Readings for January 16, 2014

1ST READING 1 Samuel 4:1-11

1 The Philistines gathered for an attack on Israel. Israel went out to engage them in battle and camped at Ebenezer, while the Philistines camped at Aphek. 2 The Philistines then drew up in battle formation against Israel. After a fierce struggle Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who slew about four thousand men on the battlefield. 3 When the troops retired to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord permitted us to be defeated today by the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the Lord from Shiloh that it may go into battle among us and save us from the grasp of our enemies.” 4 So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned upon the cherubim. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were with the ark of God. 5 When the ark of the Lord arrived in the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth resounded. 6 The Philistines, hearing the noise of shouting, asked, “What can this loud shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” On learning that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp, 7 the Philistines were frightened. They said, “Gods have come to their camp.” They said also, “Woe to us! This has never happened before. 8 Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck the Egyptians with various plagues and with pestilence. 9 Take courage and be manly, Philistines; otherwise you will become slaves to the Hebrews, as they were your slaves. So fight manfully!” 10 The Philistines fought and Israel was defeated; every man fled to his own tent. It was a disastrous defeat, in which Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. 11 The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were among the dead.

P S A L M Psalm 44:10-11, 14-15, 25-26

R: Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy.

9 [10] Yet now you have cast us off and put us in disgrace, and you go not forth with our armies. 10 [11] You have let us be driven back by our foes; those who hated us plundered us at will. (R) 

13 [14] You made us the reproach of our neighbors, the mockery and the scorn of those around us. 14 [15] You made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples. (R) 

24 [25] Why do you hide your face, forgetting our woe and our oppression? 25 [26] For our souls are bowed down to the dust, our bodies are pressed to the earth. (R)

GOSPEL Mark 1:40-45

40 A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.” 42 The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. 43 Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once. 44 Then he said to him, “See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” 45 The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

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Daily Readings for January 15, 2014

1st Reading 1 SM 3:1-10, 19-20

During the time young Samuel was minister to the LORD under Eli, a revelation of the LORD was uncommon and vision infrequent. One day Eli was asleep in his usual place. His eyes had lately grown so weak that he could not see. The lamp of God was not yet extinguished, and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD where the ark of God was. The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, “Here I am.” Samuel ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.” “I did not call you,” Eli said. “Go back to sleep.”  So he went back to sleep. Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli. “Here I am,” he said. “You called me.” But Eli answered, “I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep.” At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD, because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet. The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time. Getting up and going to Eli, he said, “Here I am. You called me.” Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth. So Eli said to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’” When Samuel went to sleep in his place, the LORD came and revealed his presence, calling out as before, “Samuel, Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him, not permitting any word of his to be without effect. Thus all Israel from Dan to Beersheba came to know that Samuel was an accredited prophet of the LORD.

P S A L M PS 40:2 AND 5, 7-8, 8-9, 10

R: Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. 

I have waited, waited for the LORD, 

and he stooped toward me and heard my cry. 

Blessed the man who makes the LORD his trust; 

who turns not to idolatry or to those who stray after falsehood. (R)

Sacrifice or oblation you wished not, but ears open to obedience you gave me. 

Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not; then said I, “Behold I come.” (R)

“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me. 

To do your will, O my God, is my delight, and your law is within my heart!” (R)

I announced your justice in the vast assembly;

I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know. (R)

Gospel MK 1:29-39

On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them. When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him. Rising very early before dawn,  he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.” He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.