Many Believed In Him

MARCH 31, 2023 FRIDAY

Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent (Violet)

CYCLE A - YEAR I

Lectionary: 255

Reading 1

Jer 20:10-13

I hear the whisperings of many:

"Terror on every side!

Denounce! let us denounce him!"

All those who were my friends

are on the watch for any misstep of mine.

"Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail,

and take our vengeance on him."

But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion:

my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph.

In their failure they will be put to utter shame,

to lasting, unforgettable confusion.

O LORD of hosts, you who test the just,

who probe mind and heart,

Let me witness the vengeance you take on them,

for to you I have entrusted my cause.

Sing to the LORD,

praise the LORD,

For he has rescued the life of the poor

from the power of the wicked!

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 18:2-3a, 3bc-4, 5-6, 7

R. (see 7)  In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.

I love you, O LORD, my strength,

O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.

R. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.

My God, my rock of refuge,

my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!

Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,

and I am safe from my enemies.

R. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.

The breakers of death surged round about me,

the destroying floods overwhelmed me;

The cords of the nether world enmeshed me,

the snares of death overtook me.

R. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.

In my distress I called upon the LORD

and cried out to my God;

From his temple he heard my voice,

and my cry to him reached his ears.

R. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.

Verse Before the Gospel

See Jn 6:63c, 68c

Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;

you have the words of everlasting life.

Gospel

Jn 10:31-42

The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus.

Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from my Father.

For which of these are you trying to stone me?"

The Jews answered him,

"We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy.

You, a man, are making yourself God."

Jesus answered them,

"Is it not written in your law, 'I said, 'You are gods"'?

If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came,

and Scripture cannot be set aside,

can you say that the one

whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world

blasphemes because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?

If I do not perform my Father's works, do not believe me;

but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me,

believe the works, so that you may realize and understand

that the Father is in me and I am in the Father."

Then they tried again to arrest him;

but he escaped from their power.

He went back across the Jordan

to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained.

Many came to him and said,

"John performed no sign,

but everything John said about this man was true."

And many there began to believe in him.

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

This passage reminds us of the trouble Jesus has in being accepted by the Jewish authorities as speaking on behalf of God. We are coming closer to Holy Week when we recall the huge costs to Him of this rejection. His ability to love us to the very death points to His divinity from which he received the power to carry through to the end. Our way of praying today is to ask for the awareness and realisation of this great love the Lord has for you. In this realisation lies the depth of our thanksgiving.

The works of Jesus are the works of love. This is the love we know of him – love unto death. What we see in Jesus, we can see of the Father. What the Father sees in Jesus, he sees and loves in us. We pray that our hearts may be made like the heart of Jesus.

PRAYER:

Show me, Lord, where my life falls short of what I profess. Close the bible up and show me how The Christ you talk about is living now.

It Is My Father Who Glorifies Me

MARCH 30, 2023 THURSDAY

Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent (Violet)

CYCLE A - YEAR I

Lectionary: 254

Reading 1

Gn 17:3-9

When Abram prostrated himself, God spoke to him:

"My covenant with you is this:

you are to become the father of a host of nations.

No longer shall you be called Abram;

your name shall be Abraham,

for I am making you the father of a host of nations.

I will render you exceedingly fertile;

I will make nations of you;

kings shall stem from you.

I will maintain my covenant with you

and your descendants after you

throughout the ages as an everlasting pact,

to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

I will give to you

and to your descendants after you

the land in which you are now staying,

the whole land of Canaan, as a permanent possession;

and I will be their God."

God also said to Abraham:

"On your part, you and your descendants after you

must keep my covenant throughout the ages."

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 105:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. (8a)  The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

Look to the LORD in his strength;

seek to serve him constantly.

Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,

his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.

R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

You descendants of Abraham, his servants,

sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!

He, the LORD, is our God;

throughout the earth his judgments prevail.

R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

He remembers forever his covenant

which he made binding for a thousand generations –

Which he entered into with Abraham

and by his oath to Isaac.

R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

Verse Before the Gospel

Ps 95:8

If today you hear his voice,

harden not your hearts.

Gospel

Jn 8:51-59

Jesus said to the Jews:

"Amen, amen, I say to you,

whoever keeps my word will never see death."

So the Jews said to him,

"Now we are sure that you are possessed.

Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say,

'Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.'

Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died?

Or the prophets, who died?

Who do you make yourself out to be?"

Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing;

but it is my Father who glorifies me,

of whom you say, 'He is our God.'

You do not know him, but I know him.

And if I should say that I do not know him,

I would be like you a liar.

But I do know him and I keep his word.

Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day;

he saw it and was glad."

So the Jews said to him,

"You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?"

Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you,

before Abraham came to be, I AM."

So they picked up stones to throw at him;

but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Whoever keeps God’s word won’t see death – that is will never be destroyed. His hearer’s could not take these words, but did not say that they would like more to be explained to them. They were puzzled and pointed out that even Abraham had died. They hadn’t the openness to learn. They even turned on Jesus, saying “Who do you claim to be?”

PRAYER:

Jesus is saying: ‘If you want to see God, here I am!’ What should be a wonderful moment of revelation becomes horribly negative. Execution by stoning was the punishment for asserting that one is equal to God. Lord, I find you in some safe place and try to comfort you. What more can you do to show people who you are?

Dispute Over Whose Children Jesus’ Opponents Are

MARCH 29, 2023 WEDNESDAY
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent (Violet)
CYCLE A - YEAR I
Lectionary: 253

Reading 1
Dn 3:14-20, 91-92, 95

King Nebuchadnezzar said:
""Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
that you will not serve my god,
or worship the golden statue that I set up?
Be ready now to fall down and worship the statue I had made,
whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet,
flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe,
and all the other musical instruments;
otherwise, you shall be instantly cast into the white-hot furnace;
and who is the God who can deliver you out of my hands?""
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar,
""There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you
in this matter.
If our God, whom we serve,
can save us from the white-hot furnace
and from your hands, O king, may he save us!
But even if he will not, know, O king,
that we will not serve your god
or worship the golden statue that you set up.""
King Nebuchadnezzar's face became livid with utter rage
against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than usual
and had some of the strongest men in his army
bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
and cast them into the white-hot furnace.
Nebuchadnezzar rose in haste and asked his nobles,
""Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?""
""Assuredly, O king,"" they answered.
""But,"" he replied, ""I see four men unfettered and unhurt,
walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God.""
Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed,
""Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
who sent his angel to deliver the servants who trusted in him;
they disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodies
rather than serve or worship any god
except their own God.""

Responsorial Psalm
Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56

R. (52b)  Glory and praise for ever!

"Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages."

R. Glory and praise for ever!

"Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever."

R. Glory and praise for ever!

"Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever."

R. Glory and praise for ever!

"Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim;
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever."

R. Glory and praise for ever!

"Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,
praiseworthy and glorious forever."

R. Glory and praise for ever!

Verse Before the Gospel
See Lk 8:15

Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart
and yield a harvest through perseverance.

Gospel
Jn 8:31-42

Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him,
"If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham
and have never been enslaved to anyone.
How can you say, 'You will become free'?"
Jesus answered them, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.
A slave does not remain in a household forever,
but a son always remains.
So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.
I know that you are descendants of Abraham.
But you are trying to kill me,
because my word has no room among you.
I tell you what I have seen in the Father's presence;
then do what you have heard from the Father."
They answered and said to him, "Our father is Abraham."
Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children,
you would be doing the works of Abraham.
But now you are trying to kill me,
a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God;
Abraham did not do this.
You are doing the works of your father!"
So they said to him, "We were not born of fornication.
We have one Father, God."
Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me,
for I came from God and am here;
I did not come on my own, but he sent me."

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

The gospel today is a continuation of the conversation Jesus had with the Jews in yesterdays gospel. His reference to making His word our home causes us to reflect on the meaning of “home”. Where do we find ourselves mostly at home? You could also ask with whom do you find yourself mostly at home? The acceptance of the indwelling of God in our hearts is a privileged place of home for us. From the experience of this indwelling we can be constantly at home in whatever place we are, or whatever company we are in.

PRAYER:

Jesus’ promise is that the truth will make us free. Lord, I do want to be free, so let me listen to those who tell me the truth about myself. Let me listen also to your word which tries to reach into my heart and liberate me. Let me start with the great truth of which you try to convince me: that I am endlessly loved by you.

Dispute Over Who Jesus Is

MARCH 28, 2023 TUESDAY

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent (Violet)

CYCLE A - YEAR I

Lectionary: 252

Reading 1

Nm 21:4-9

From Mount Hor the children of Israel set out on the Red Sea road,

to bypass the land of Edom.

But with their patience worn out by the journey,

the people complained against God and Moses,

"Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert,

where there is no food or water?

We are disgusted with this wretched food!"

In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents,

which bit the people so that many of them died.

Then the people came to Moses and said,

"We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you.

Pray the LORD to take the serpents away from us."

So Moses prayed for the people, and the LORD said to Moses,

"Make a saraph and mount it on a pole,

and whoever looks at it after being bitten will live."

Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole,

and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent

looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 102:2-3, 16-18, 19-21

R. (2)  O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.

O LORD, hear my prayer,

and let my cry come to you.

Hide not your face from me

in the day of my distress.

Incline your ear to me;    

in the day when I call, answer me speedily.

R. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.

The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,

and all the kings of the earth your glory,

When the LORD has rebuilt Zion

and appeared in his glory;

When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,

and not despised their prayer.

R. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.

Let this be written for the generation to come,

and let his future creatures praise the LORD:

"The LORD looked down from his holy height,

from heaven he beheld the earth,

To hear the groaning of the prisoners,

to release those doomed to die."

R. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.

Verse Before the Gospel

The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;

all who come to him will live for ever.

Gospel

Jn 8:21-30

Jesus said to the Pharisees:

"I am going away and you will look for me,

but you will die in your sin.

Where I am going you cannot come."

So the Jews said,

"He is not going to kill himself, is he,

because he said, 'Where I am going you cannot come'?"

He said to them, "You belong to what is below,

I belong to what is above.

You belong to this world,

but I do not belong to this world.

That is why I told you that you will die in your sins.

For if you do not believe that I AM,

you will die in your sins."

So they said to him, "Who are you?"

Jesus said to them, "What I told you from the beginning.

I have much to say about you in condemnation.

But the one who sent me is true,

and what I heard from him I tell the world."

They did not realize that he was speaking to them of the Father.

So Jesus said to them,

"When you lift up the Son of Man,

then you will realize that I AM,

and that I do nothing on my own,

but I say only what the Father taught me.

The one who sent me is with me.

He has not left me alone,

because I always do what is pleasing to him."

Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him.

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

In our gospel today Jesus is trying to tell people that He is in fact one with the Father and was sent by Him to share with them the good news of the kingdom of God. He also refers to his crucifixion and resurrection when he tells them “when you have lifted up the Son of Man then you will know that I am He” . This reminds us that our salvation cost Him a great deal and and opens our hearts to the extend of his love for us. The more you know that a person is of value, the more you wish to hear what he or her has to say, especially when they speak to you on a personal level. This is the way the gift of faith operates in us and helps us to listen to Jesus.

PRAYER:

‘I always do what is pleasing to the Father.’ This reveals the heart of Jesus’ spirituality. I pray that it may become the truth of my life too, because God is so good to me

.

A Woman Caught In Adultery

MARCH 27, 2023 MONDAY

Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent (Violet)

CYCLE A - YEAR I

Lectionary: 251

Reading I

Dn 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or 13:41c-62

In Babylon there lived a man named Joakim,

who married a very beautiful and God-fearing woman, Susanna,

the daughter of Hilkiah;

her pious parents had trained their daughter

according to the law of Moses.

Joakim was very rich;

he had a garden near his house,

and the Jews had recourse to him often

because he was the most respected of them all.

That year, two elders of the people were appointed judges,

of whom the Lord said, “Wickedness has come out of Babylon:

from the elders who were to govern the people as judges.”

These men, to whom all brought their cases,

frequented the house of Joakim.

When the people left at noon,

Susanna used to enter her husband’s garden for a walk.

When the old men saw her enter every day for her walk,

they began to lust for her.

They suppressed their consciences;

they would not allow their eyes to look to heaven,

and did not keep in mind just judgments.

One day, while they were waiting for the right moment,

she entered the garden as usual, with two maids only.

She decided to bathe, for the weather was warm.

Nobody else was there except the two elders,

who had hidden themselves and were watching her.

“Bring me oil and soap,” she said to the maids,

“and shut the garden doors while I bathe.”

As soon as the maids had left,

the two old men got up and hurried to her.

“Look,” they said, “the garden doors are shut, and no one can see us;

give in to our desire, and lie with us.

If you refuse, we will testify against you

that you dismissed your maids because a young man was here with you.”

“I am completely trapped,” Susanna groaned.

“If I yield, it will be my death;

if I refuse, I cannot escape your power.

Yet it is better for me to fall into your power without guilt

than to sin before the Lord.”

Then Susanna shrieked, and the old men also shouted at her,

as one of them ran to open the garden doors.

When the people in the house heard the cries from the garden,

they rushed in by the side gate to see what had happened to her.

At the accusations by the old men,

the servants felt very much ashamed,

for never had any such thing been said about Susanna.

When the people came to her husband Joakim the next day,

the two wicked elders also came,

fully determined to put Susanna to death.

Before all the people they ordered:

“Send for Susanna, the daughter of Hilkiah,

the wife of Joakim.”

When she was sent for,

she came with her parents, children and all her relatives.

All her relatives and the onlookers were weeping.

In the midst of the people the two elders rose up

and laid their hands on her head.

Through tears she looked up to heaven,

for she trusted in the Lord wholeheartedly.

The elders made this accusation:

“As we were walking in the garden alone,

this woman entered with two girls

and shut the doors of the garden, dismissing the girls.

A young man, who was hidden there, came and lay with her.

When we, in a corner of the garden, saw this crime,

we ran toward them.

We saw them lying together,

but the man we could not hold, because he was stronger than we;

he opened the doors and ran off.

Then we seized her and asked who the young man was,

but she refused to tell us.

We testify to this.”

The assembly believed them,

since they were elders and judges of the people,

and they condemned her to death.

But Susanna cried aloud:

“O eternal God, you know what is hidden

and are aware of all things before they come to be:

you know that they have testified falsely against me. 

Here I am about to die,

though I have done none of the things

with which these wicked men have charged me.”

The Lord heard her prayer.

As she was being led to execution,

God stirred up the holy spirit of a young boy named Daniel,

and he cried aloud:

“I will have no part in the death of this woman.”

All the people turned and asked him, “What is this you are saying?”

He stood in their midst and continued,

“Are you such fools, O children of Israel! 

To condemn a woman of Israel without examination

and without clear evidence?

Return to court, for they have testified falsely against her.”

Then all the people returned in haste.

To Daniel the elders said,

“Come, sit with us and inform us,

since God has given you the prestige of old age.”

But he replied,

“Separate these two far from each other that I may examine them.”

After they were separated one from the other,

he called one of them and said:

“How you have grown evil with age!

Now have your past sins come to term:

passing unjust sentences, condemning the innocent,

and freeing the guilty, although the Lord says,

‘The innocent and the just you shall not put to death.’

Now, then, if you were a witness,

tell me under what tree you saw them together.”

“Under a mastic tree,” he answered.

Daniel replied, “Your fine lie has cost you your head,

for the angel of God shall receive the sentence from him

and split you in two.”

Putting him to one side, he ordered the other one to be brought.

Daniel said to him,

“Offspring of Canaan, not of Judah, beauty has seduced you,

lust has subverted your conscience.

This is how you acted with the daughters of Israel,

and in their fear they yielded to you;

but a daughter of Judah did not tolerate your wickedness.

Now, then, tell me under what tree you surprised them together.”

“Under an oak,” he said.

Daniel replied, “Your fine lie has cost you also your head,

for the angel of God waits with a sword to cut you in two

so as to make an end of you both.”

The whole assembly cried aloud,

blessing God who saves those who hope in him.

They rose up against the two elders,

for by their own words Daniel had convicted them of perjury.

According to the law of Moses,

they inflicted on them

the penalty they had plotted to impose on their neighbor:

they put them to death.

Thus was innocent blood spared that day.

OR:

The assembly condemned Susanna to death.

But Susanna cried aloud:

“O eternal God, you know what is hidden

and are aware of all things before they come to be:

you know that they have testified falsely against me.

Here I am about to die,

though I have done none of the things

with which these wicked men have charged me.”

The Lord heard her prayer.

As she was being led to execution,

God stirred up the holy spirit of a young boy named Daniel,

and he cried aloud:

“I will have no part in the death of this woman.”

All the people turned and asked him,

“What is this you are saying?”

He stood in their midst and continued,

“Are you such fools, O children of Israel!

To condemn a woman of Israel without examination

and without clear evidence?

Return to court, for they have testified falsely against her.”

Then all the people returned in haste.

To Daniel the elders said,

“Come, sit with us and inform us,

since God has given you the prestige of old age.”

But he replied,

“Separate these two far from each other that I may examine them.”

After they were separated one from the other,

he called one of them and said:

“How you have grown evil with age!

Now have your past sins come to term:

passing unjust sentences, condemning the innocent,

and freeing the guilty, although the Lord says,

‘The innocent and the just you shall not put to death.’ 

Now, then, if you were a witness,

tell me under what tree you saw them together.”

“Under a mastic tree,” he answered.

Daniel replied, “Your fine lie has cost you your head,

for the angel of God shall receive the sentence from him

and split you in two.”

Putting him to one side, he ordered the other one to be brought. 

Daniel said to him, “Offspring of Canaan, not of Judah,

beauty has seduced you, lust has subverted your conscience.

This is how you acted with the daughters of Israel,

and in their fear they yielded to you;

but a daughter of Judah did not tolerate your wickedness.

Now, then, tell me under what tree you surprised them together.”

“Under an oak,” he said.

Daniel replied, “Your fine lie has cost you also your head,”

for the angel of God waits with a sword to cut you in two

so as to make an end of you both.”

The whole assembly cried aloud,

blessing God who saves those who hope in him.

They rose up against the two elders,

for by their own words Daniel had convicted them of perjury.

According to the law of Moses,

they inflicted on them

the penalty they had plotted to impose on their neighbor:

they put them to death.

Thus was innocent blood spared that day.

Responsorial Psalm

23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6

R. (4ab) Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

In verdant pastures he gives me repose;

Beside restful waters he leads me;

he refreshes my soul.

R. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.

He guides me in right paths

for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk in the dark valley

I fear no evil; for you are at my side

With your rod and your staff

that give me courage.

R. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.

You spread the table before me

in the sight of my foes;

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

R. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.

Only goodness and kindness follow me

all the days of my life;

And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD

for years to come.

R. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.

Verse before the Gospel

Ez 33:11

I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord,

but rather in his conversion, that he may live.

Gospel

Jn 8:1-11

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, 

and all the people started coming to him, 

and he sat down and taught them.

Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman 

who had been caught in adultery 

and made her stand in the middle.

They said to him,

“Teacher, this woman was caught 

in the very act of committing adultery.

Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.

So what do you say?”

They said this to test him,

so that they could have some charge to bring against him.

Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.

But when they continued asking him,

he straightened up and said to them,

“Let the one among you who is without sin 

be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.

And in response, they went away one by one,

beginning with the elders.

So he was left alone with the woman before him.

Then Jesus straightened up and said to her,

“Woman, where are they?

Has no one condemned you?”

She replied, “No one, sir.”

Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.

Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

This story tells us about people who came to Jesus with different mindsets. The Pharisees and scribes were sure they were right and the woman knew that she had done wrong. The effecting of meeting Jesus and letting Him into their lives changes them powerfully. The Pharisees and scribes, through the words of Jesus were able to see that they too were sinners, like the woman they were accusing and they were not perfect. The woman, expecting to be punished for her error, received a lovely acceptance from Jesus which must have left a lasting impression on her. 

We have all sinned. We have all experienced overwhelming shame. Even if the sin is not discovered, our own self-accusatory voice can so loud in our head that it drowns out the gentle voice of Jesus, telling us to begin again.

PRAYER:

Lord, you who opened the ears of the deaf and the eyes of the blind, let me hear your words of forgiveness; let me see and believe in the possibility of a better life.

Jesus Raises Lazarus (FIFTH SUNDAY LENT - A)

MARCH 26, 2023 SUNDAY
FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT (Violet)
CYCLE A - YEAR I
Lectionary: 34

Reading I
Ez 37:12-14

Thus says the Lord GOD: 
O my people, I will open your graves 
and have you rise from them, 
and bring you back to the land of Israel.
Then you shall know that I am the LORD, 
when I open your graves and have you rise from them, 
O my people!
I will put my spirit in you that you may live, 
and I will settle you upon your land; 
thus you shall know that I am the LORD.
I have promised, and I will do it, says the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm
130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

R. (7) With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
    LORD, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
    to my voice in supplication. 

R. With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.

If you, O LORD, mark iniquities,
    LORD, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness,
    that you may be revered. 

R. With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.

I trust in the LORD;
    my soul trusts in his word.
More than sentinels wait for the dawn,
    let Israel wait for the LORD.

R. With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.

For with the LORD is kindness
    and with him is plenteous redemption;
And he will redeem Israel
    from all their iniquities.

R. With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.

Reading II
Rom 8:8-11

Brothers and sisters:
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh; 
on the contrary, you are in the spirit, 
if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
But if Christ is in you, 
although the body is dead because of sin, 
the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, 
the one who raised Christ from the dead 
will give life to your mortal bodies also, 
through his Spirit dwelling in you.

Verse Before the Gospel
Jn 11:25a, 26

I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord;
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will never die.

Gospel
Jn 11:1-45

Now a man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany, 
the village of Mary and her sister Martha.

Mary was the one who had anointed the Lord with perfumed oil 
and dried his feet with her hair; 
it was her brother Lazarus who was ill.
So the sisters sent word to him saying, 
“Master, the one you love is ill.”
When Jesus heard this he said,
“This illness is not to end in death, 
but is for the glory of God, 
that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
So when he heard that he was ill, 
he remained for two days in the place where he was.
Then after this he said to his disciples, 
“Let us go back to Judea.”
The disciples said to him, 
“Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, 
and you want to go back there?”
Jesus answered,
“Are there not twelve hours in a day?
If one walks during the day, he does not stumble, 
because he sees the light of this world.
But if one walks at night, he stumbles, 
because the light is not in him.” 
He said this, and then told them,
“Our friend Lazarus is asleep,
but I am going to awaken him.”
So the disciples said to him,
“Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved.”
But Jesus was talking about his death, 
while they thought that he meant ordinary sleep. 
So then Jesus said to them clearly,
“Lazarus has died.
And I am glad for you that I was not there,
that you may believe. 
Let us go to him.”
So Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, 
“Let us also go to die with him.”
When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus 
had already been in the tomb for four days.
Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about two miles away.
And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary 
to comfort them about their brother.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,
she went to meet him;
but Mary sat at home.
Martha said to Jesus, 
“Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.
But even now I know that whatever you ask of God,
God will give you.”
Jesus said to her,
“Your brother will rise.”
Martha said to him,
“I know he will rise,
in the resurrection on the last day.”
Jesus told her,
“I am the resurrection and the life; 
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, 
and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?”
She said to him, “Yes, Lord.
I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,
the one who is coming into the world.”
When she had said this, 
she went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying, 
“The teacher is here and is asking for you.”
As soon as she heard this,
she rose quickly and went to him.
For Jesus had not yet come into the village, 
but was still where Martha had met him.
So when the Jews who were with her in the house comforting her 
saw Mary get up quickly and go out,
they followed her, 
presuming that she was going to the tomb to weep there.
When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, 
she fell at his feet and said to him, 
“Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.”
When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, 
he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, 
“Where have you laid him?”
They said to him, “Sir, come and see.”
And Jesus wept.
So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.”
But some of them said, 
“Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man 
have done something so that this man would not have died?”
So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb.
It was a cave, and a stone lay across it.
Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”
Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him, 
“Lord, by now there will be a stench; 
he has been dead for four days.”
Jesus said to her,
“Did I not tell you that if you believe 
you will see the glory of God?”
So they took away the stone.
And Jesus raised his eyes and said,
“Father, I thank you for hearing me.
I know that you always hear me; 
but because of the crowd here I have said this, 
that they may believe that you sent me.”
And when he had said this,
He cried out in a loud voice, 
“Lazarus, come out!”
The dead man came out,
tied hand and foot with burial bands, 
and his face was wrapped in a cloth.
So Jesus said to them,
“Untie him and let him go.”
Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary
and seen what he had done began to believe in him.

OR: 

Jn 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45

The sisters of Lazarus sent word to Jesus, saying, 
“Master, the one you love is ill.”
When Jesus heard this he said,
“This illness is not to end in death, 
but is for the glory of God, 
that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
So when he heard that he was ill, 
he remained for two days in the place where he was.
Then after this he said to his disciples, 
"Let us go back to Judea.”
When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus 
had already been in the tomb for four days.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,
she went to meet him; 
but Mary sat at home.
Martha said to Jesus, 
“Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.
But even now I know that whatever you ask of God,
God will give you.”
Jesus said to her,
“Your brother will rise.”
Martha said,
“I know he will rise,
in the resurrection on the last day.”
Jesus told her,
“I am the resurrection and the life; 
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, 
and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?”
She said to him, “Yes, Lord.
I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,
the one who is coming into the world.”
He became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, 
“Where have you laid him?”
They said to him, “Sir, come and see.”
And Jesus wept.
So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.”
But some of them said, 
“Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man 
have done something so that this man would not have died?”
So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb.
It was a cave, and a stone lay across it.
Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”
Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him, 
“Lord, by now there will be a stench; 
he has been dead for four days.”
Jesus said to her,
“Did I not tell you that if you believe 
you will see the glory of God?”
So they took away the stone.
And Jesus raised his eyes and said, 
“Father, I thank you for hearing me.
I know that you always hear me; 
but because of the crowd here I have said this, 
that they may believe that you sent me.”
And when he had said this,
He cried out in a loud voice, 
“Lazarus, come out!”
The dead man came out,
tied hand and foot with burial bands, 
and his face was wrapped in a cloth.
So Jesus said to them,
“Untie him and let him go.”
Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary
and seen what he had done began to believe in him.

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Jesus reminds us many times that, if we have faith, nothing is impossible. Martha’s faith is indomitable. Knowing that the tomb contains the decomposing body of her beloved brother, she can still summon up the words, “even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him”. Do I truly believe that anything is possible for one who believes?

PRAYER:

I hear you asking me the same question, Lord: ‘Do you believe that I am the resurrection and the life?’ In the long run nothing is more important than my answer to this. I cannot grasp your words in my imagination, Lord, but I believe. Help my unbelief. 

"Behold, I am The Handmaid of The Lord..." (SOLEMNITY OF ANNUNCIATION - A)

MARCH 25, 2023 SATURDAY
SOLEMNITY OF THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD (White)
CYCLE A - YEAR I
Lectionary: 545

Reading 1
Is 7:10-14; 8:10

The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying:
Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
"I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!"
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel,
which means "God is with us!"

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 11

R. (8a and 9a) Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."

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

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

I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.

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

Your justice I kept not hid within my heart;
your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken of;
I have made no secret of your kindness and your truth
in the vast assembly.

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

Reading 2
Heb 10:4-10

Brothers and sisters:
It is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats
take away sins.
For this reason, when Christ came into the world, he said:
"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight.
Then I said, 'As is written of me in the scroll,
behold, I come to do your will, O God.'"
First he says, "Sacrifices and offerings,
holocausts and sin offerings,
you neither desired nor delighted in."
These are offered according to the law.
Then he says, "Behold, I come to do your will."
He takes away the first to establish the second.
By this "will," we have been consecrated
through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Verse Before the Gospel
Jn 1:14ab

The Word of God became flesh and made his dwelling among us;
and we saw his glory.

Gospel
Lk 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end."
But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God."
Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

For Mary the angel’s message is a blessing; but very much a blessing in disguise. It is placing her in a very difficult position, socially, culturally, religiously, personally. She has to trust this interior movement in her heart and ‘go with it’. And she does.

PRAYER:

"Rejoice, so highly favored. The Lord is with you.” Mary, the young girl of no status, from the village of Nazareth, an utterly insignificant place is signaled out, called, chosen, and overshadowed with God’s Spirit. A unique gift, a “cause of our joy.”

Division Over Who Jesus Is

MARCH 24, 2023 FRIDAY

Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent (Violet)

CYCLE A - YEAR I

Lectionary: 248

Reading 1

Wis 2:1a, 12-22

The wicked said among themselves,

thinking not aright:

"Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;

he sets himself against our doings,

Reproaches us for transgressions of the law

and charges us with violations of our training.

He professes to have knowledge of God

and styles himself a child of the LORD.

To us he is the censure of our thoughts;

merely to see him is a hardship for us,

Because his life is not like that of others,

and different are his ways.

He judges us debased;

he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure.

He calls blest the destiny of the just

and boasts that God is his Father.

Let us see whether his words be true;

let us find out what will happen to him.

For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him

and deliver him from the hand of his foes.

With revilement and torture let us put him to the test

that we may have proof of his gentleness

and try his patience.

Let us condemn him to a shameful death;

for according to his own words, God will take care of him."

These were their thoughts, but they erred;

for their wickedness blinded them,

and they knew not the hidden counsels of God;

neither did they count on a recompense of holiness

nor discern the innocent souls' reward.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 34:17-18, 19-20, 21 and 23

R. (19a)  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

The LORD confronts the evildoers,

to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.

When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,

and from all their distress he rescues them.

R. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;

and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.

Many are the troubles of the just man,

but out of them all the LORD delivers him.

R. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

He watches over all his bones;

not one of them shall be broken.

The LORD redeems the lives of his servants;

no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him.

R. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

Verse Before the Gospel

Mt 4:4b

One does not live on bread alone,

but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

Gospel

Jn 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

Jesus moved about within Galilee;

he did not wish to travel in Judea,

because the Jews were trying to kill him.

But the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near.

But when his brothers had gone up to the feast,

he himself also went up, not openly but as it were in secret.

Some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said,

"Is he not the one they are trying to kill?

And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him.

Could the authorities have realized that he is the Christ?

But we know where he is from.

When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from."

So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said,

"You know me and also know where I am from.

Yet I did not come on my own,

but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true.

I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me."

So they tried to arrest him,

but no one laid a hand upon him,

because his hour had not yet come.

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Our gospel today tells us of Jesus going up to Jersualem for one of the big feast days and how he preached to the people. He got a mixed reception. Many refused to believe him because they felt he was not important enough, since they knew where he came from, which as a “backward place”. Jesus tries to tell them that he comes from god and asks them to listen to Gods message.

Yet at times the Son of God spoke openly. But the people did not know how to react to him. Some thought that he was just a man from Nazareth. But he had a background which they did not grasp. Another One, his Father, had sent him into the world. He was from above.

The one who sent Jesus contains all truth. But Jesus himself is that truth. Those who listened to him did not really know what truth is. To accept Jesus is to have the truth at its deepest level

PRAYER:

The people think they know who Jesus is and where he comes from. We make snap judgements about others all the time, not realising how our own limitations blind us to their truth. Today, Lord, open my eyes to see the extraordinary immortals with whom I deal daily. And let me see myself thus also.

Testimonies About Jesus

MARCH 23, 2023 THURSDAY

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent (Violet)

CYCLE A - YEAR I

Lectionary: 247

Reading 1

Ex 32:7-14

The LORD said to Moses,

"Go down at once to your people

whom you brought out of the land of Egypt,

for they have become depraved.

They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them,

making for themselves a molten calf and worshiping it,

sacrificing to it and crying out,

'This is your God, O Israel,

who brought you out of the land of Egypt!'

The LORD said to Moses,

"I see how stiff-necked this people is.

Let me alone, then,

that my wrath may blaze up against them to consume them.

Then I will make of you a great nation."

But Moses implored the LORD, his God, saying,

"Why, O LORD, should your wrath blaze up against your own people,

whom you brought out of the land of Egypt

with such great power and with so strong a hand?

Why should the Egyptians say,

'With evil intent he brought them out,

that he might kill them in the mountains

and exterminate them from the face of the earth'?

Let your blazing wrath die down;

relent in punishing your people.

Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel,

and how you swore to them by your own self, saying,

'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky;

and all this land that I promised,

I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.'"

So the LORD relented in the punishment

he had threatened to inflict on his people.

Responsorial Psalm 

Ps 106:19-20, 21-22, 23

R. (4a)  Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.

Our fathers made a calf in Horeb

and adored a molten image;

They exchanged their glory

for the image of a grass-eating bullock.

R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.

They forgot the God who had saved them,

who had done great deeds in Egypt,

Wondrous deeds in the land of Ham,

terrible things at the Red Sea.

R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.

Then he spoke of exterminating them,

but Moses, his chosen one,

Withstood him in the breach

to turn back his destructive wrath.

R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.

Verse Before the Gospel

Jn 3:16

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,

so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.

Gospel

Jn 5:31-47

Jesus said to the Jews:

"If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is not true.

But there is another who testifies on my behalf,

and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true.

You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth.

I do not accept human testimony,

but I say this so that you may be saved.

He was a burning and shining lamp,

and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light.

But I have testimony greater than John's.

The works that the Father gave me to accomplish,

these works that I perform testify on my behalf

that the Father has sent me.

Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf.

But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form,

and you do not have his word remaining in you,

because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent.

You search the Scriptures,

because you think you have eternal life through them;

even they testify on my behalf.

But you do not want to come to me to have life.

"I do not accept human praise;

moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you.

I came in the name of my Father,

but you do not accept me;

yet if another comes in his own name,

you will accept him.

How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another

and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God?

Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father:

the one who will accuse you is Moses,

in whom you have placed your hope.

For if you had believed Moses,

you would have believed me,

because he wrote about me.

But if you do not believe his writings,

how will you believe my words?"

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Today is a continuation of yesterdays gospel. Jesus telling us who he is. He emphasises how the Jews are looking in the wrong places for the meaning of life. We tend to make mistakes in our own search for meaning. If you feel you have been gifted with friendship of Jesus, thank the Lord for that treasure. Also thank Him for the people and circumstances He has used to help you find Him. Our faith is a very precious gift. Don’t forget that the way you live your faith can also be an avenue of grace for others.

PRAYER:

Thank the Lord for the encouragement that came from home, school and friends. Seek to forgive those who were a source of discouragement.

My Father Is At Work Until Now, I Am At Work

MARCH 22, 2023 WEDNESDAY
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent (Violet)
CYCLE A - YEAR I
Lectionary: 246

Reading 1
Is 49:8-15

Thus says the LORD:
In a time of favor I answer you,
on the day of salvation I help you;
and I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people,
To restore the land
and allot the desolate heritages,
Saying to the prisoners: Come out!
To those in darkness: Show yourselves!
Along the ways they shall find pasture,
on every bare height shall their pastures be.
They shall not hunger or thirst,
nor shall the scorching wind or the sun strike them;
For he who pities them leads them
and guides them beside springs of water.
I will cut a road through all my mountains,
and make my highways level.
See, some shall come from afar,
others from the north and the west,
and some from the land of Syene.
Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth,
break forth into song, you mountains.
For the LORD comforts his people
and shows mercy to his afflicted.
But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me."
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 145:8-9, 13cd-14, 17-18

R. (8a)  The Lord is gracious and merciful.

The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.

R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.

The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.

R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.

The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.

R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.

Verse Before the Gospel
Jn 11:25a, 26

I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord;
whoever believes in me will never die.

Gospel
Jn 5:17-30

Jesus answered the Jews:
"My Father is at work until now, so I am at work."
For this reason they tried all the more to kill him,
because he not only broke the sabbath
but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.
Jesus answered and said to them,
"Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own,
but only what he sees the Father doing;
for what he does, the Son will do also.
For the Father loves the Son
and shows him everything that he himself does,
and he will show him greater works than these,
so that you may be amazed.
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life,
so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes.
Nor does the Father judge anyone,
but he has given all judgment to the Son,
so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.
Whoever does not honor the Son
does not honor the Father who sent him.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word
and believes in the one who sent me
has eternal life and will not come to condemnation,
but has passed from death to life.
Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here
when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God,
and those who hear will live.
For just as the Father has life in himself,
so also he gave to the Son the possession of life in himself.
And he gave him power to exercise judgment,
because he is the Son of Man.
Do not be amazed at this,
because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs
will hear his voice and will come out,
those who have done good deeds
to the resurrection of life,
but those who have done wicked deeds
to the resurrection of condemnation.
"I cannot do anything on my own;
I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just,
because I do not seek my own will
but the will of the one who sent me."

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

The relationship between Jesus and his heavenly Father is the topic in this enigmatic passage. Jesus traces everything in his being and in his choices to their source in the Father. "I can do nothing on my own". "I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me" (the Father). He and his Father are intertwined in every way, so much so that they are one (Jn.10:30). Honour Jesus and you will be honouring the Father.

PRAYER:

Such was the unity of the Father and Jesus that the work of one is the work of the other. Jesus trusts me enough to call me into the same closeness. He reminds me that whatever I do I do with him and that what I do to others, I do to him.