Daily Readings for Monday July 12, 2010

Reading 1, Is 1:10-17

¹⁰ Hear what Yahweh says, you rulers of Sodom; listen to what our God teaches, you people of Gomorrah.

¹¹ 'What are your endless sacrifices to me?' says Yahweh. 'I am sick of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of calves. I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.

¹² When you come and present yourselves before me, who has asked you to trample through my courts?

¹³ Bring no more futile cereal offerings, the smoke from them fills me with disgust. New Moons, Sabbaths, assemblies -- I cannot endure solemnity combined with guilt.

¹⁴ Your New Moons and your meetings I utterly detest; to me they are a burden I am tired of bearing.

¹⁵ When you stretch out your hands I turn my eyes away. You may multiply your prayers, I shall not be listening. Your hands are covered in blood,

¹⁶ wash, make yourselves clean. Take your wrong-doing out of my sight. Cease doing evil.

¹⁷ Learn to do good, search for justice, discipline the violent, be just to the orphan, plead for the widow.

Gospel, Mt 10:34�11:1

³⁴ 'Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth: it is not peace I have come to bring, but a sword.

³⁵ For I have come to set son against father, daughter against mother, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law;

³⁶ a person's enemies will be the members of his own household.

³⁷ 'No one who prefers father or mother to me is worthy of me. No one who prefers son or daughter to me is worthy of me.

³⁸ Anyone who does not take his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me.

³⁹ Anyone who finds his life will lose it; anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.

⁴⁰ 'Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.

⁴¹ 'Anyone who welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will have a prophet's reward; and anyone who welcomes an upright person because he is upright will have the reward of an upright person.

⁴² 'If anyone gives so much as a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, then in truth I tell you, he will most certainly not go without his reward.'

¹ When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples he moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns.