Daily Readings for May 18, 2016

1ST READING

 

 

My mother was a great advocate of this: If you do not have anything nice to say about someone, keep quiet. This is difficult to follow because we do exactly the opposite. Let us pray for the grace to be people who build others up, not tear them down. It is easy to tear a building down; it is much more difficult to build it. The same is true of relationships.

 

James 4:13-17

13 Beloved: Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we shall go into such and such a town, spend a year there doing business, and make a profit. 14 You have no idea what your life will be like tomorrow. You are a puff of smoke that appears briefly and then disappears. 15Instead you should say, “If the Lord wills it, we shall live to do this or that.” 16 But now you are boasting in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, it is a sin.

 

P S A L M

 

Psalm 49:2-3, 6-7, 8-10, 11

R: Blessed are the poor in spirit; the kingdom of heaven is theirs!

1 [2] Hear this, all you peoples; hearken, all who dwell in the world, 2 [3] of lowly birth or high degree, rich and poor alike. (R) 5 [6] Why should I fear in evil days when my wicked ensnarers ring me round? 6 [7] They trust in their wealth; the abundance of their riches is their boast. (R) 7 [8] Yet in no way can a man redeem himself, or pay his own ransom to God; 8 [9] too high is the price to redeem one’s life; he would never have enough 9 [10] to remain alive always and not see destruction. (R) 10 [11] For he can see that wise men die, and likewise the senseless and the stupid pass away, leaving to others their wealth. (R)

 

GOSPEL

 

Unity is essential to the successful proclamation of the Gospel. Unless all Christian groups around the world work together, the final consummation of the Gospel will not be achieved. The only way we can be united is by focusing on the things and beliefs we have in common. If we focus on our differences, we will only widen the divisions that already exist.

 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me.

 

Mark 9:38-40

38 John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” 39 Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. 40 For whoever is not against us is for us.”