Readings and Reflection for March 15, Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent

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Readings and Reflection for March 15, Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent

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/.

R/. O Jerusalem, glorify the Lord!

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 accomp1ished. 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 all the time. 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.

Readings and Reflection for March 14, Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent

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Readings and Reflection for March 14, Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent

FIRST READING
“With a contrite heart and a humble spirit may we be accepted.”
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Daniel (Daniel 3:2.11-20)

In those days: Azariah stood and offered this prayer; in the midst of the fire he opened his mouth and said: “For your name’s sake do not give us up utterly, and do not break your covenant, and do not withdraw your mercy from us, for the sake of Abraham your beloved and for the sake of Isaac your servant and Israel your holy one, to whom you promised to make their descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as the sand on the shore of the sea. For we, O Lord, have become fewer than any nation, and are brought low this day in all the world because of our sins. And at this time there is no prince, or prophet, or leader, no burnt offering, or sacrifice, or oblation, or incense, no place to make an offering before you or to find mercy. Yet with a contrite heart and a humble spirit may we be accepted, as though it were with burnt offerings of rams and bulls, and with tens of thousands of fat lambs; such may our sacrifice be in your sight this day, and may we wholly follow you, for there will be no shame for those who trust in you. And now with all our heart we follow you, we fear you and seek your face. Do not put us to shame, but deal with us in your forbearance and in your abundant mercy. Deliver us in accordance with your marvellous works, and give glory to your name, O Lord!”

The Word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 25:4-Sab.6 and 7cd.8-9 (R. 6a)
R/. Remember your compassion, O Lord.

O Lord, make me know your ways.
Teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth, and teach me;
for you are the God of my salvation. R/.

Remember your compassion, O Lord,
and your merciful love,
for they are from of old.
In your merciful love remember me,
because of your goodness, O Lord. R/.

R/. Remember your compassion, O Lord.

Good and upright is the Lord;
he shows the way to sinners.
He guides the humble in right judgement;
to ‘the humble he teaches his way. R/.

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL Joel 2: 12-13
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
Even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, for I am gracious and merciful.
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

GOSPEL
If you do not forgive your brother from your heart, the Father will not forgive you,
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew 18:21-35)

At that time: Peter came up and said to Jesus, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ “And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ “He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you? And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

TODAY’S REFLECTION
From the time of Cain and Abel to this day, man has always been wicked to his fellow man. If given the chance, man would destroy all life on earth. A man who owed his master a lot of money was forgiven of his debt but he turned out to be underserving of such mercy because he couldn’t also forgive his fellow servant who owed him much less.

As a rule of thumb, ALWAYS GIVE WHAT YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE. This is the only way to avoid ugly incidences. Never utter a word to a person that you wouldn’t like to hear being spoken to you. Never wish anything for someone that you do not pray to happen to you. Treat everyone you meet on a daily basis just as you wish God to treat you. Take it that you are the God other people are looking up to and you have the power to create your future by the way you treat the people who come in contact with you every day. What do you expect from God? Have you taken out time to examine the things you want God to do for you or how you expect God to behave when you offend him? Then begin today to treat your fellow human beings according to your expectations from God.

There is already enough wickedness and violence in this world; even violence being perpetrated in the name of religion. Let our Christianity reflect in our ability to love our fellow brothers and sisters just as Jesus Christ loved us; that even though we were sinners, even though we were at enmity with God, Christ gave up his life for our sake. Without this love, we dare not address ourselves as Christians anymore.
Our church-going must go beyond loud prayers for prosperity, it must go beyond all nights and crusades, it must go beyond miracle sessions and all that entertainment that goes on in the name of worshipping God. Let us begin to show our Christianity by forgiving one another. Let our Christianity reveal itself by our treatment of other people just as Christ treated humanity.

Readings and Reflection for March 13, Monday of the Third Week of Lent: Luke 4:24-30

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Readings and Reflection for March 13, Monday of the Third Week of Lent: Luke 4:24-30

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 kings 5:1-15a)

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/.

R/. My soul is thirsting for God, the living God.

When can I enter and appear before the face of God?
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 (Luke4:24-30)

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.

Readings and Reflection for Sunday March 12, Third Sunday of Lent

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Readings and Reflection for Sunday March 12, Third Sunday of Lent

FIRST READING
“Give us water to drink”.. (Ex 1 7.2).
A reading from the Book of Exodus 17:3.7

In those days: The people thirsted for water, and the people murmured against Moses, and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?” So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand the rod with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the fault-finding of the children of Israel, and because they put the Lord to the test by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 95: 1-2.6-7abc.7d—9 (R. cf. 7d, 8a)
R/. O that today you would listen to his voice! Harden not your hearts.

Come, let us ring out our joy to the Lord;
hail the rock who saves us.
Let us come into his presence, giving thanks;
let us hail him with a song of praise. R/.

O come; let us bow and bend low.
Let us kneel before the God who made us,
for he is our God and we
the peop1e who belong to his pasture,
the flock that is led by his hand. R/.

R/. O that today you would listen to his voice! Harden not your hearts.

O that today you would listen to his voice!
“Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as on that day at Massah in the desert
when your forebears put me to the test;
when they tried me,
though they saw my work.” R/.

SECOND READING
“God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans (Romans 5:1 -2.5-8)

Brethren: Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. While we were yet helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man — though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.

The word of the Lord.

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL John 4:42.15
Glory and praise to you, O Christ. Lord, you are truly the Saviour of the world; give me living water, that I may not thirst. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

GOSPEL
“Aspiring of water welling up to eternal life.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John 4: 5-42)

At that time: Jesus came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and so Jesus, wearied as he was with his journey, sat down beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?” Jesus said to her, “Every one who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” *
Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband; this you said truly.”
The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshipped on this mountain; and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ); when he comes, he will show us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” *
Just then his disciples came. They marvelled that he was talking with a woman, but none said, “What do you wish?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” So the woman left her water jar, and went away into the city, and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” They went out of the city and were coming to him. Meanwhile the disciples begged him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.” So the disciples said to one another, “Has any one brought him food?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see how the fields are already white for harvest. He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour; others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour.”

Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word, They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Readings and Reflection for March 11, Saturday of the Second Week of Lent

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Readings and Reflection for March 11, Saturday of the Second Week of Lent

FIRST READING
“He will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Micah (Micah 7: 14-15. 18-20)

Shepherd your people, [O Lord,] with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, who dwell alone in a forest in the midst of a garden land; let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old. As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt I will show them marvellous things. Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger for ever because he delights in mercy. He will again have compassion upon us, he will tread our iniquities under foot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will show faithfulness to Jacob and mercy to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (Psalm 103:1-2.3-4.9-10. 11-12 (R. 8a)
R/. The Lord is compassionate and gracious.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all within me, his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and never forget all his benefits. R/.

It is the Lord who forgives all your sins,
who heals every one of your ills,
who redeems your life from the grave,
who crowns you with mercy and compassion. R/.

R/. The Lord is compassionate and gracious.

He will not always find fault;
nor persist in his anger forever.
He does not treat us according to our sins.
nor repay us according to our faults. R/.

For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so strong his mercy for those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far from us does he remove our transgressions. R/.

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL Luke 15: 18
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

GOSPEL
“This your brother was dead, and is alive.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

At that time: The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.’ And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on the pods that swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to make merry. “Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf! ’And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found. ”’

The Gospel of the Lord

TODAY’S REFLECTION
The Gospel presents the image of two disparate sons; one rebellious and adventurous, the other submissive and content with staying bask home. Life takes its course on both. In the end, it is not clear which of the two sons is really “lost”; the one who wastes his life before coming to his senses or the one who is well-behaved and dutiful but shows a lack of understanding for his father’s magnanimity? What is clear is the father’s love, joy, forbearance, and open-heartedness. God’s mercy is infinite, even to the worst of sinners. His hands are always open to embrace us. Are we ready to go home to Him and to rejoice at every home-comer? Finally, it is the story of a merciful father depicting God’s mercifulness and love.

Readings and Reflection for March 10, Friday of the Second Week of Lent

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Readings and Reflection for March 10, Friday of the Second Week of Lent

FIRST READING
“Here comes this dreamer. Come not’, let us kill him.”
A reading from the Book of Genesis (Genesis 37:3-4.12-13a.17b-28)

Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a long robe with sleeves. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him. Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” So Joseph went after his brothers, and found them at Dothan. They saw him afar off, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; then we shall say that a wild beast has devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams.” But when Reuben heard it, he delivered him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; cast him into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand upon him”- that he might rescue him out of their hand, to restore him to his father. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the long robe with sleeves that he wore, and they took him and cast him into a pit. The pit was empty, there was no water in it. Then they sat down to eat; and looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers heeded him. Then Midianite traders passed by; and they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver; and they took Joseph to Egypt.

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 105: 15- 17.18-19.20-21 (R. 5a)
R/. Remember the wonders the Lord has done.

But he called down a famine on the land;
he broke their staff of bread.
He had sent a man ahead of them,
Joseph, sold as a slave. R/.

His feet were weighed down in chains,
his neck was bound with iron,
until what he said came to pass,
and the word of the Lord proved him true. R/.

R/. Remember the wonders the Lord has done.

Then the king sent orders and released him;
the ruler of the peoples set him free.
He made him master of his house
and ruler of all his possessions. R/.

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL John 3 :16
Glory and praise to you, O Christ. God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son; that whoever believes in him should have eternal life. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

GOSPEL
“This is the heir, ‘come, let us kill him.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew 21:33-43.45-46)

At that time: Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people, “Hear another parable. There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit; and the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did the same to them. Afterwards he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The very stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes’? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. But when they tried to arrest him, they feared the multitudes, because they held him to be a prophet.

The Gospel of the Lord.

TODAY’S REFLECTION
As much as God has so endowed you with gifts, bear in mind that there would always be people who would do everything to try to stop you from shining. There is wickedness in this world. Tell me, what offense did Joseph commit against his brothers to warrant such hatred? Again, let’s flip this question around: Why do I become so sad when I see people excelling (moving ahead of me) in life?

As much as I cannot deny my jealousy towards others, I must bear in mind that there are so many others who are secretly praying for my death or for something bad to happen to me so that they can feel good about themselves; so that they can have something to talk about and laugh.
Think about this: Joseph could have decided to become a recluse after seeing his dreams dashed off by his brothers. Joseph could have decided to develop a rather wayward and hardened heart since the people he loved so much could do such an evil thing to him. He could have decided to become an angry person for life; transferring the aggression against his brothers to anyone he meets. But this was not the case.

From time to time, wicked people may have their way into our lives. But, no matter what they do to you, don’t forget, you are still a bundle of potential. When you die, God will not ask for excuses or reasons why you didn’t shine, God will only ask how you traded with the coin he deposited in you at birth. Stop blaming anyone for your problems, get up today and shine! Be Fruitful! Genesis 1:22.

No human being is born useless. Just as God in creating the earth planted various rich mineral deposits deep within it, so also each human being comes with a lot of rich deposits. The parable of the householder who planted a vineyard teaches us a lesson; that God expects us to be fruitful. He knows what we are made of. If the householder had not planted rich seeds, he would not send people to ask for the fruits. God demands our fruits because he knows we have all it takes to deliver.

Reflection for March 9, Thursday of the Second Week of Lent

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Reflection for March 9, Thursday of the Second Week of Lent

FIRST READING
“Cursed is the man who trusts in man, blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord.”
A reading from the Book of Jeremiah 17:5-10

Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt; who can understand it? “I the Lord search the mind and try the heart, to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.”

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 1:1-2.3.4 and 6 (Psalm 40:5ab)
R/. Blessed the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.

Blessed indeed is the man
who follows not the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the path with sinners,
nor abides in the company of scorners,
but whose delight is the law of the Lord,
and who ponders his law day and night. R/.

He is like a tree that is planted
beside the flowing waters,
that yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves shall never fade;
and all that he does shall prosper. R/.

R/. Blessed the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.

Not so are the wicked, not so!
For they, like winnowed chaff,
shall be driven away by the wind.
For the Lord knows the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked will perish. R/.

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL Luke 8: 15
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
Blessed are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience.
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

GOSPEL
Good things came to you and bad things to Lazarus, now he is comforted while you are in agony.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 1 6: 19-31

At that time: Jesus said to the Pharisees, “There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, full of sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus in his bosom. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.’ “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us. ’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment. ’But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said ‘No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent. ’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.”’

The Gospel of the Lord.

TODAY’S REFLECTION IS A MESSAGE FROM LAZARUS
My name is Lazarus, I am sure you still recognize me. My body was always covered with sores, your house dogs loved licking my sores. I was always there by your gate, and I knew you had more than enough to eat and drink, every day you had a party in this house.  You always invited people to come and dine with you. You invited senators, governors, and the richest businessmen and women but you never looked at me. You did not consider me a human being because I was poor.

Each time you saw me, you pretended as if I don’t exist. You wished I could just disappear. You thought I was simply lazy or that I was being cursed for living in such an impoverished condition. You blamed my condition on the government and everybody else but never saw yourself as capable of helping me. You didn’t realize I was a gift to you. When I died, I went to heaven and was taken to Abraham’s side but your Oga also died and was taken to Hell Fire. From the midst of hell, he saw me and begged Abraham to ask me to dip my finger in water to cool his tongue.

In life, he had gallons of water to drink and waste and here he was begging for just one drop. And he couldn’t get the drop so he begged Abraham to send me to you to warn you. Your Oga still loves you, he doesn’t want you to come and experience hell fire so I am here to warn you. Hell is real, please do your best to avoid it! Be kind and generous to the poor and needy.
Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, Jesus says, that you do unto me. Don’t share your food only with the rich, also invite poor people to the table. You can afford to spray dollars at the occasion and people like me are scattered all over the place unable to eat even one meal a day. Above all, I want you to know that God sees everything that happens. For years I was there at your gate, God was giving you countless opportunities to change your heart and do something but you refused. I warn you now before it is too late.

Although Abraham told your Oga that even if someone rises from the dead, you will not believe, I decided to come all the same. Believe me or not, my name is Lazarus and this is my message to you!

Readings and Reflection for March 8, Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent

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Readings and Reflection for March 8, Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent

FIRST READING
“Come, let us strike him.”
A reading from the Book of Jeremiah 18: 18-20

They said, “Come, let us make plots against Jeremiah, for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not heed any of his words.” Give heed to me, O Lord, and listen to my plea. Is evil a recompense for good? Yet they have dug a pit for my life. Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them.
The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 31:5-6.14.15-16 (R. see 17b)
R/. Save me, O Lord, in your merciful love.

Release me from the snare they have hidden,
for you indeed are my refuge.
Into your hands I commend my spirit.
You will redeem me, O Lord, O faithful God. R/.

I have heard the slander of the crowd;
terror all around me,
as they plot together against me,
as they plan to take my life. R/.

R/. Save me, O Lord, in your merciful love.

But as for me, I trust in you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my God.
My lot is in your hands, deliver me
from the hands of my enemies
and those who pursue me.” R/.

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL John 8: 12
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord; he who follows me will have the light of life.
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

GOSPEL
“They will condemn him to death.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 20: 17-28

At that time: As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him, with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Command that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the chalice that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will drink my chalice, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” And when the Ten heard it they were indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave; even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

TODAY’S REFLECTION
The shortest road to greatness is service and this is secret many people do not know. We all want to get ahead in life but we fail to realize that going higher does not happen by bringing people down but by bringing oneself down before others. If indeed respect begets respect, then service begets promotion.

By serving others, we may not make as much money as we would want, but we make something far more valuable than money. If Joseph had not been a slave, there was no way he would have functioned well as a Prime Minister. Life’s greatest lessons are not taught in the comfort of our classroom desks but in tears, sweat, and blood. No wonder Denzel Washington said: “Ease is a greater threat to progress than adversity.” If it was easy, there would be no stars in this world. God himself who created us did not make life easy not because he likes stress but because he knows that if we are not stressed, the gifts and talents he deposited in us for the continued development of this world will not shine out.

Do not think you are doing your children a favor when you employ housemaids and houseboys to do all the work in the house while your kids simply eat, sleep and play. You are deforming your children, taking away their opportunities for creativity and personal development. As Fr. George Ehusani puts it: “If because of your suffering, you became wise, your attempt to prevent your children from suffering will make them fools.”
There is more honor in being a servant than in being served by others. If Jesus Christ, our Lord, and God could afford to come to this world to serve mankind, why should I be ashamed of serving others?

Readings and Reflection for March 7, Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent

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Readings and Reflection for March 7, Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent

FIRST READING
“Learn to do good, seek justice.”
A reading from the Book of Isaiah 1:10.16-20

Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah! Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 50:8-9.16bc-17.21 and 23 (R. 23bc)
R/. To one whose way is blameless, I will show the salvation of God.

“I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices;
your offerings are always before me.
I do not take more bullocks from your farms,
nor goats from among your herds.” R/.

“How can you recite my commandments,
and take my covenant on your lips,
you who despise correction,
and cast my words behind you.” R/.

R/. To one whose way is blameless, I will show the salvation of God.

“You do this, and should I keep silence?
Do you think that I am like you?
I accuse you, lay the charge before you.
A sacrifice of praise gives me honour,
and to one whose way is blameless,
I will show the salvation of God.” R/.

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL Ezekiel 18:31
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, says the Lord, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

GOSPEL
“They preach, but do not practice.”
A reading from the ho y Gospel according to Matthew 23:1-12

At that time: Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice. They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honour at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, and salutations in the market places, and being called rabbi by men. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brethren. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ. He who is greatest among you shall be your servant; whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

TODAY’S REFLECTION
Today, Jesus goes straight against the teachers of the Law and Pharisees who parade themselves as models and demand public recognition. They love teaching others but do not practice what they teach. He does not condemn their teaching, because he knows they are true, but he does condemn their conduct because it is false and erroneous. True piety or religion is conforming our actions to our faith perception. We cannot believe in one thing and do exactly the opposite. For instance, one cannot say one believes in one God and then make use of fetish charms. Some Christians do precisely that. Being proficient in their training, they can explain the faith very well but are largely found lacking in practice. Jesus condemns this attitude.

Readings and Reflection for March 6, Monday of the Second Week of Lent

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Readings and Reflection for March 6, Monday of the Second Week of Lent

FIRST READING
“We have sinned and done wrong.”
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Daniel (Daniel 9:4b-10)

O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and merciful love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and ordinances; we have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us confusion of face, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those that are near and those that are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery which they have committed against you. To us, O Lord, belongs confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness; because we have rebelled against him, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by following his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps 79:8.9.11. 13 (R. see Ps103: 10a)
R/. O Lord, do not treat us according to our sins.

Do not remember against us
the guilt of former times.
Let your compassion hasten to meet us;
for we have been brought very low. R/.

Help us, O God our saviour,
for the sake of the glory of your name.
Free us and forgive us our sins,
because of your name. R/.
R/. O Lord, do not treat us according to our sins.
.
Let the groans of the prisoners
come before you,
your strongarm reprieve those
condemned to die. R/.

Then we, your people, the flock
of your pasture,
will give you thanks forever and ever.
From age to age we will recount
your praise. 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
“Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 6:36-38

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”
The Gospel of the Lord.

TODAY’S REFLECTION
Mercy is forgiveness. Jesus says “forgive and you will be forgiven.” God’s mercy is clearly revealed in the largeness of his heart to forgive. Ezekiel 33:11 says: “As I live, says the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel?” Once more we must note that forgiveness is not the same thing as condoning evil.  If we do not forgive, we become worse than our enemies in the sense that we try to use evil to cure evil. It never works.

Mercy as Jesus describes in Luke 6:36-38 is charity; giving – helping the needy. To be merciful is to put oneself in the shoes of another. It is being able to feel the pains of others as our own pains and doing something to alleviate their plight. Jesus says “the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” This statement is quite similar to the parable of Jesus in Matthew 25:34-36: “Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.”

Being merciful is such an important virtue because without it, we cannot claim to be children of God nor can we be assured of entrance into Paradise on the last day. Your best possible life can only happen when you are merciful. Be merciful, do not hold up hatred in your heart, do not be stingy with your gifts and your life will surely make a difference in this world.

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