Memorial of the Assumption of Mary – August 15

The Law – From the Memorial of Mary, Our Lady of the Harvest

Exodus 15:11-21

¹¹ “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?

Who is like you, majestic in holiness,

terrible in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

¹² You stretched out your right hand,

the earth swallowed them.

¹³ “You have led in your merciful love the people whom you have redeemed,

you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.

¹⁴ The peoples have heard, they tremble;

pangs have seized on the inhabitants of Philistia.

¹⁵ Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed;

the leaders of Moab, trembling seizes them;

all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.

¹⁶ Terror and dread fall upon them;

because of the greatness of your arm, they are as still as a stone,

till your people, O Lord, pass by,

till the people pass by whom you have purchased.

¹⁷ You will bring them in, and plant them on your own mountain,

the place, O Lord, which you have made for your abode,

the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.

¹⁸ The Lord will reign for ever and ever.”

19 For when the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them; but the sons of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea. ²⁰ Then Miriam, the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and dancing. ²¹ And Miriam sang to them:

“Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;

the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”

 

The Prophets – From the Memorial of Mary, Our Lady of the Harvest

Acts of the Apostles 1:1-8

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, ² until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. ³ To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God. ⁴  And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me, ⁵ for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

The Ascension of Jesus

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷ He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. ⁸  But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”

 

Apostle – From the Feast of the Virgin Mary

Romans 16:1-27

Personal Greetings

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deaconess of the Church at Cenchre-ae, ² that you may receive her in the Lord as befits the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a helper of many and of myself as well. ³ Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, ⁴ who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I but also all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks; ⁵ greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert in Asia for Christ. ⁶ Greet Mary, who has worked hard among you. ⁷ Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners; they are men of note among the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. ⁸ Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. ⁹ Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. ¹⁰ Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. ¹¹ Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. ¹² Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. ¹³ Greet Rufus, eminent in the Lord, also his mother and mine. ¹⁴ Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brethren who are with them. ¹⁵ Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. ¹⁶ Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

Final Instructions

¹⁷ I appeal to you, brethren, to take note of those who create dissensions and difficulties, in opposition to the doctrine which you have been taught; avoid them. ¹⁸ For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites,and by fair and flattering words they deceive the hearts of the simple-minded. ¹⁹ For while your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, I would have you wise as to what is good and guileless as to what is evil; ²⁰ then the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

²¹ Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.²² I Tertius, the writer of this letter, greet you in the Lord ²³ Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole Church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.

Final Doxology

²⁵ Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret for long ages ²⁶ but is now disclosed and through the prophetic writings is made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—²⁷ to the only wise God be glory for evermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

 

Gospel – From the Memorial of Mary, Our Lady of the Harvest

John 2:12; Matthew 13:53-57, 12:46-50; Luke 11:27-28

12 After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brethren and his disciples; and there they stayed for a few days.

The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth

53 And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, ⁵⁴ and coming to his own country he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? ⁵⁵ Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brethren James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? ⁵⁶ And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?” ⁵⁷ And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.”

46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood outside, asking to speak to him. ⁴⁸ But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?” ⁴⁹ And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brethren! ⁵⁰ For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

True Blessedness

27 As he said this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that you sucked!” ²⁸ But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”