Daily Readings for May 30, 2016

1ST READING

 

Living a virtuous life is hard work. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that we should work hard to attain it. God’s grace is available for us to grow in virtue, just like everything else in our spiritual life. However, the life of virtue, and in particular the cardinal virtues, require consistent effort on our part as they are the primary means by which we engage a world that wants things done on its own terms and not ours.

2 Peter 1:2-7

2 Beloved: May grace and peace be yours in abundance through knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has bestowed on us everything that makes for life and devotion, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and power. 4 Through these, he has bestowed on us the precious and very great promises, so that through them you may come to share in the divine nature, after escaping from the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge, 6 knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion, 7 devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love.

 

P S A L M

 

Psalm 91:1-2, 14-15, 15-16

R: In you, my God, I place my trust.

1 You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, 2 Say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (R) 14 Because he clings to me, I will deliver him; I will set him on high because he acknowledges my name. 15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in distress. (R) I will deliver him and glorify him; 16 with length of days I will gratify him and will show him my salvation. (R)

 

 

GOSPEL

 

God has given us many gifts that we will be called to account for. This is of no consequence if we are faithful to our Christian calling on a daily basis. If we constantly surrender our lives to the Lord, then we will develop the gifts He has given us. The problems arise when we start to live for ourselves outside of God’s call.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Jesus Christ, you are the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead; you have loved us and freed us from our sins by your Blood.

Mark 12:1-12

1 Jesus began to speak to the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and left on a journey. 2 At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants to obtain from them some of the produce of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Again he sent them another servant. And that one they beat over the head and treated shamefully. 5 He sent yet another whom they killed. So, too, many others; some they beat, others they killed. 6 He had one other to send, a beloved son. He sent him to them last of all, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they seized him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come, put the tenants to death, and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this Scripture passage: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; 11 by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?” 12 They were seeking to arrest him, but they feared the crowd, for they realized that he had addressed theparable to them. So they left him and went away.