FIRST READING                
I saw water coming forth from the temple, and all those were saved to whom the water came.
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 47:1—9.12)

In those days: [The angel] brought me back to the door of the temple; and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple towards the east (for the temple faced east); and the water was flowing down from below the right side of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar towards the east. Then he brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me round on the outside to the outer gate, that faces towards the east; and the water was coming out on the right side. Going on eastward with a line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water; and it was ankle-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water; and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water; and it was up to the loins. Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen; it was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he led me back along the bank of the river. As I went back, I saw upon the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. And he said to me, “This water flows towards the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah; and when it enters the stagnant waters of the sea, the water will become fresh. And wherever the river goes every living creature which swarms will live, and there will be very many fish; for this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. “And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.”
The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM  Psalm46:2-3.5-6.8-9 (R. 8)
R/. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

God is for us a refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in time of distress:
so we shall not fear though the earth should rock,
though the mountains quake to the heart of the sea. R/.

The waters of a river give joy to God’s city,
the holy place, the dwelling of the Most High.
God is within, it cannot be shaken;
God will help it at the dawning of the day. R/.

The Lord of hosts is with us:
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Come and behold the works of the Lord,
the awesome deeds he has done on the earth. R/.

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL Psalm 51:10a.12a
Glory and praise to you, O Christ. Create in me a clean heart,  O God; restore to me the joy of your salvation. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

GOSPEL
“At once the man was healed. ”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 5: 1 – 16

There was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Hebrew called Bethzatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, paralyzed. One man was there, who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is troubled, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your pallet, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his pallet and walked. Now that day was the sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who was cured, “It is the sabbath, it is not lawful for you to carry your pallet.” But he answered them, “The man who healed me said to me, ‘Take up your pallet and walk.” ’They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your pallet, and walk’?” Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you.” The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. And this was why the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he did this on the sabbath.
The Gospel of the Lord.

Today’s Reflection
Next to air water is the element that living organisms most need to survive and thrive. Human beings, animals and plants can only go for so long without water before they die. Communities, nations have been known to go to war in order to secure access to water. Today’s readings speak of the healing power of water. Today, as a result of human error, numerous communities across the globe are experiencing water shortage. Humans, animals and plants in those places are threatened with extinction. We may not be able to do much to solve the water problems of the world. But we can at least do all in our power to meet the water needs of those around us – “I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink.”

FIRST READING
No more shall the sound of weeping be heard or the cry of distress.
A reading from the Book of Isaiah (Isaiah 65:17-21)

Thus says the Lord: Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping or the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the child shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM  Ps 30:2 and 4.5-6.11-12a and 13b (R.  2a)
R/. I will extol you, Lord, for you have raised me up.

I will extol you, Lord, for you have raised me up,
and have not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O Lord, you have lifted up my soul from the grave,
Restored me to life from those who sink into the pit. R/.

Sing psalms to the Lord, you faithful ones;
give thanks to his holy name.
His anger lasts a moment; his favour all through life.
At night there are tears, but at dawn comes joy. R/.

Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me;
be my helper, O Lord
You have changed my mourning into dancing.
O Lord my God, I will thank you forever. R/.

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL  Amos 5:14
Glory and praise to you, O Christ. Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and the Lord will be with you. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

GOSPEL               
“Go, your son will live.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John 4:43-54)

At that time: Jesus departed [from Samaria] to Galilee. For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honour in his own country. So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast, for they too had gone to the feast. So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Jesus therefore said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went his way. As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was living. So he asked them the hour when he began to mend, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live”; and he himself believed, and all his household. This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.
The Gospel of the Lord.

Today’s Reflection
The Israelites had been hurting under multiple afflictions. The prophet Isaiah foretold their healing and the restoration of good times from the Lord. Similarly, the son of the Capernaum official was ill and close to death. Jesus decreed his healing even without seeing him. But the Father had enough faith to take Jesus at his word. His faith was duly rewarded. Not infrequently, God’s children experience trials of different kinds, some self-inflicted, the result of their own folly, like the case of the Israelites. But if they have faith like that of the official to take their case to the Lord, he has both the power and the will to bring them solace.

Entrance Antiphon
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget all his benefits; it is he who forgives all your sins.

Collect
Rejoicing in this annual celebration of our Lenten observance, we pray, O Lord, that with our hearts set on the paschal mysteries, we may be gladdened by their full effects. Through our Lord.

FIRST READING
“I desire mercy and not sacrifice.”
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Hosea (Hosea 6:1-6)

“Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn, that he may heal us; he has stricken, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord; his going forth is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.”  What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes early away. Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of my mouth, and my judgement goes forth as the light. For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God, rather than burnt offerings.
The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM     Psalm51:3-4.18-19.20-21ab
R/. I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.

Have mercy on me, O God,
According to your merciful love;
According to your great compassion,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me completely from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin. R/.

For in sacrifice you take no delight;
Burnt offering from me would not please you.
My sacrifice to God, a broken spirit:
A broken and humble heart,
O God, you will not spurn. R/.

In your good pleasure, show favour to Sion;
Rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will delight in right sacrifice,
Burnt offering wholly consumed. R/.

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL Psalm95:7d.8a
Glory and praise to you, O Christ. Today, harden not your hearts, but listen to the voice of the Lord. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

Gospel                                                                            
The tax collector went down to his house justified rather than the Pharisee.
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke (Luke 18; 9-14)

At that time: Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.’ “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
The Gospel of the Lord.

Today’s Reflection
The Pharisees in today’s Gospel did a lot of good things. But he was not sure whether God knew it. So he had to inform God! He lacked one very important virtue, humility. And God knew that, though the man himself didn’t. The tax collector was the exact opposite. He had done a lot of bad things. He knew it, and God knew it too. But he had the humility to acknowledge his shortcomings, and beg for forgiveness. God answered his prayer. No one is ever so good and righteous that he does not need God’s mercy. We should always approach him with a humble and contrite heart, like the tax collector.

First Reading
“We will say no more, ‘Our God, to the work of our hands.”
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Hosea 14:1-9

Thus says the Lord: Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take with you words and return to the Lord; say to him, “Take away all iniquity; accept that which is good and we will render the fruit of our lips. Assyria shall not save us, we will not ride upon horses; and we will say no more, ‘Our God,’ to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy.” I will heal their faithlessness; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. I will be as the dew to Israel; he shall blossom as the lily, he shall strike root as the poplar, his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like Lebanon. They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow, they shall flourish as a garden; they shall blossom as the vine, their fragrance shall be like the wine of Lebanon. O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like an evergreen cypress, from me comes your fruit. Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the Lord are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.
The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm81:6c-8a.8bc-9.10—11ab.1 4and 17 (R. see 11a.9b)
R/. I am the Lord your God: listen to my voice.

A voice I did not know said to me:
“I freed your shoulder from the burden;
your hands were freed from the builder’s basket.
You called in distress and I delivered you.” R/.

“I answered, concealed in the thunder;
at the waters of Meribah I tested you.
Listen, my people, as I warn you.
O Israel, if only you would heed!” R/.

“Let there be no strange god among you,
nor shall you worship a foreign god.
I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” R/.

“O that my people would heed me,
that Israel would walk in my ways!
But Israel I would feed with finest wheat,
and satisfy with honey from the rock.” R/.

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL Matthew 4:17
Glory and praise to you, O Christ. Repent, says the Lord, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

GOSPEL               
“The Lord our God, the Lord is one,’ and you shall love him.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 12:28b-34)

At that time: One of the scribes came up to Jesus and asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that he is one, and there is no other but he; and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbour as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any question.
The Gospel of the Lord.

Today’s Reflection
The Hebrew Scriptures, our own Old Testament, contain a multitude of commandments. The scribe in today’s Gospel wanted to know which of them was the first, Jesus gave the answer. The first was to love God above all things, with every atom of your being. But he would not let the scribe get away without also learning the second commandment, which was to love your neighbour as yourself. These two commandments always go together. It is not possible to love God without loving our neighbour, just as it is hypocritical to say that we love our neighbour when we don’t love God.

Theme of the Feast: Joseph, a Man Enchanted by the Dreams of God. The first reading proclaims an everlasting kingdom and how God has decided to grant it to a “son of David.” The Gospel proclaims the accomplishment of the promise made to David: one of his descendants has fulfilled the words of Nathan beyond all expectations. The second reading speaks of Abraham, the man who placed his trust in God. Like Abraham, Joseph too believed that the dreams of God would be fulfilled. Abraham and Joseph prove that whoever puts their trust in God will never be disappointed.

Preface of St. Joseph.
Foster father of Jesus, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Patron of the universal Church, St Joseph enjoys widespread devotion all over the world, He was chosen to play an important role in the history of salvation and even though the Gospels do not record any word spoken by him, he is revered as a just man, the one who places God at the centre of his life and responds to every situation in obedience to God’s will.

FIRST READING
“The Lord G0d will give to him the throne of his father, David” (Lk 1.‘32).
A reading from the second Book of Samuel (2 Samuel 7:4-5a.12—14a. 16)

In those days: The word of the Lord came to Nathan, “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever. ”’
The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps 89:2-3.4-5.27 and 29 (R. 37a)
R/. His descendants shall continue forever.

I will sing forever of your mercies, O Lord;
through all ages my mouth will proclaim your fidelity.
I have declared your mercy is established forever;
your fidelity stands firm as the heavens. R/.

“With my chosen one I have made a covenant;
I have sworn to David my servant:
I will establish your descendants forever,
and set up your throne through all ages.” R/.

“He will call out to me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the rock of my salvation.’
I will keep my faithful love for him always;
with him my covenant shall last.” R/.

SECOND READING          
“In hope he believed against hope.”
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans (Romans 4: 13.16-18.22)

Brethren: The promise to Abraham and his descendants, that they should inherit the world, did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. That is why all depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants — not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, for he is the father of us all, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations” — in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations; as he had been told, “So shall your descendants be.” That is why his faith was “reckoned to him as righteousness.”
The word of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation Psalm 84:4
Glory and praise to you, O Christ. Blessed are those who dwell in your house, O Lord, ever singing your praise! Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

GOSPEL               
“Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew 1:16.18—21.24a)

Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to send her away quietly. But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.
The Gospel of the Lord.

Today’s Reflection.
Whenever we take a closer look at the person of Joseph, the husband of Mary, we soon realize that we tend to take St. Joseph for granted not because we like to ignore him but because we naturally assume Jesus being God deserves all the attention.

There are lot of lessons to learn from this great man, Joseph, some of which we would now try to itemize:

1. St. Joseph was a just man.
   The Bible refers to Joseph as a just man. This means he was a man of integrity. He was well respected in the community. He had a good name. He was a man of justice. He was not a wayward person and he believed in doing what is right at all times. Can it be said about me that I am a just person? Do I practice selective integrity?
2. St. Joseph did not take joy in seeing the Pain of others.
   St. Joseph was unwilling to put Mary to shame despite learning of her pregnancy before they came to be together as husband and wife. When I happen to suspect others of doing wrong, what is my immediate reaction? Do I keep things to myself or begin to gossip and announce to others?
3. St. Joseph was Obedient to God at his own expense.
   We are told that when Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the Angel of the Lord had commanded him. He agreed to play the role of a foster father to the Son of God. This meant that he agreed to live as a celibate for the rest of his life for the sake of Jesus Christ. His own form of celibacy would even be more demanding given that unlike other celibates, he would have to live in the same house with a woman not related to him. Can I make sacrifice for God? Am I only interested in what I can get from God rather than what I should give to God? Am I faithful to the demands of my calling in life? Do I keep my vows and promises to God?
4. St. Joseph was a Man of Faith.
   It takes great faith to agree to do what Joseph did for Jesus and Mary. Do you notice that God only spoke to him through dreams? Unlike the case of Mary and Zechariah who had an Angel appear to them in broad day, Joseph had to depend on his dreams.

It takes great faith to believe that what we see in our dreams is not simply a figment of our imagination. It takes Faith to believe that a young woman would actually conceive without knowing a man. Do I put a limit in my mind to what God can do? Do I really believe that with God, all things are possible? Am I willing to act based on what God reveals to me daily through my study of the scriptures?

FIRST READING
Keep the commandments, and your work will be complete.
A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 4:1.5-9)

Moses spoke to the people, saying, “And now, O Israel, give heed to the statutes and the ordinances which I teach you, and do them; that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, gives you. Behold, I have taught you statutes and ordinances, as the Lord my God commanded me,  that you should do them in the land which you are entering to take possession of it. ‘Keep them and do them; for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. ’For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day? “Only take heed, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children’s children.”
The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM  Psalm 147: 12-13.15-16. 19-20 (R. 12a)
R/. O Jerusalem, glorify the Lord!

O Jerusalem, glorify the Lord!
O Sion, praise your God!
He has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you. R/.

He sends out his word to the earth,
and swiftly runs his command.
He showers down snow like wool;
he scatters hoarfrost like ashes. R/.

He reveals his word to Jacob;
to Israel, his decrees and judgements.
He has not dealt thus with other nations;
he has not taught them his judgements. R/.

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL John 6:63c. 68c
Glory and praise to you, O Christ. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life; you have the words of eternal life. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

GOSPEL               
He who does them and teaches them shall be called great.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew 5:17-19)

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
The Gospel of the Lord.

Today’s Reflection
“A thing of beauty is a joy forever.” God gave commandments to the Israelites through Moses. Those commandments were so sound that Moses believed people of other nations would marvel at them. They would stand the test of time, and continue to be binding for all time to come. Jesus says exactly that in today’s Gospel: he did not come to abolish the old order, but to fulfill it. The spirit of man is such that it is always yearning for new things. However, in our quest for new things, we will always be well advised to bring along whatever may be of enduring value in the old. That is how the Old Testament is part of the Christian Bible, and the Ten Commandments continue to be binding not only on the Jewish people, but on all humankind. It is also the reason why the Catholic Church affirms Sacred Tradition to be an authentic source of faith and morals, alongside Sacred Scripture.

FIRST READING
“As each has received a gift, employ it for one another.”
A reading from the first Letter of Saint Peter (1 Peter 4:7b—11)

Beloved: Keep sane and sober for your prayers. Above all hold unfailing your love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. Practice hospitality ungrudgingly to one another. As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards  of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who utters oracles of God; whoever renders service, as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies; in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM    Ps 96: 1-2a.2b-3.7-8a.9-10a and c (R. cf. 3)
R/. Tell among all the peoples the wonders of the Lord!

O sing a new song to the Lord;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
O sing to the Lord; bless his name. R/.

Proclaim his salvation day by day.
Tell among the nations his glory,
and his wonders among all the peoples. R/.

Give the Lord, you families of peoples,
give the Lord glory and power;
give the Lord the glory of his name. R/.

Say to the nations, “The Lord is King,”
The world he made firm in its place;
he will judge the peoples in fairness, R/.

Glory and praise to you, O Christ
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.  Follow me, says the Lord, and I will make you become fishers of men. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

GOSPEL               
“At your word I will let’ down the nets.”              
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Luke 5:1-11)

At that time: While the people pressed upon Jesus to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret.  And he saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; hence forth you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
The Gospel of the Lord.

Today’s  Reflection
Simon and his companions were professional fishermen. They knew that the best time to catch fish was during the night. That was what they had tried to do all night without success. When it was daylight, a man who was not a fisherman but a carpenter told them to go out fishing again. The fishermen did not think it was a good idea, but they did not want to disrespect Jesus. Their compliance brought in a miraculous haul of fish beyond their imagination. That was enough for them to leave everything and follow Jesus to become fishers of men. Countless men and women since that time have left everything to follow Jesus and become fishers of men. We remember St. Patrick today, a man who like Peter fully explored his spiritual potentials making such a huge catch of souls in Ireland. So much so that the faith was firmly established in that country. Virtually every family had a priest or sister.

And by extension, we are eternally grateful to the Irish missionaries who evangelized our country Nigeria. Through one man St. Patrick, millions have been touched. Do you know what you are capable of doing if you just let your light shine?

Entrance Antiphon
My soul is longing and yearning for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cry out to the living God.

Collect
May your unfailing compassion, O Lord, cleanse and protect your Church, and since without you she cannot stand secure, may she be always governed by your grace. Through our Lord..

FIRST READING
“There were many lepers in Israel, but none was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
A reading from the second Book of Kings (2 kings5:1-15a)

In those days: Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favour, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valour, but he was a leper. Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little maid from the land of Israel, and she waited on Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “Would that my Lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” So Naaman went in and told his Lord, “Thus and so spoke the maiden from the land of Israel.” And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten festal garments. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.” But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.” So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the door of Elisha’s house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman was angry, and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and cure the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, if the prophet had commanded you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much rather, then, when he says to you, ’wash and be clean’?” So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he went clean. Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him; and he said, “Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel.”
The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm42:2.3;43 : 3.4 (R. 42:3)
R/. My soul is thirsting for God, the living God.
     When can I enter and appear before the face of God?

Like The deer that yearns
for running streams,
so my soul is yearning
for you, my God. R/.

My soul is thirsting for God,
The living God;
When can I enter and appear
Before the face of God? R/.

O send forth your light and your truth;
They will guide me on.
They will bring me to your holy mountain,
To the place where you dwell. R/.

And I will come to the altar of God,
To God, my joy and gladness.
To you will I give thanks on the harp,
O God, my God. R/.

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL  Psalm130:5.7
Glory and praise to you, O Christ. I wait for the Lord, and in his word I hope; with him is mercy and plenteous redemption. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

Gospel
Like Elijah and Elisha Jesus is not sent only to the Jews.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Luke 4:24-30)

At that time: when Jesus had come to Nazareth, he said to the people in the synagogue, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha; and none of them was cleansed but only Naaman the Syrian. When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and put him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong. But passing through the midst of them he went away.
The Gospel of the Lord.

Today’s Reflection
When you are doing well, and you have won the approval of many people, the expectation is that the people closest to you, your kith and kin, will be among them. According to Jesus in today’s Gospel, that expectation is not always met. As a matter of fact, your own people can be offended by your very success. More often than not, it is because they know you only too well. As the saying goes, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” The lack of recognition by his people did not deter Jesus from carrying on with his mission of salvation. The lack of recognition by people should not stop a disciple of Jesus from doing whatever good he has been sent to do.