Daily Reading for Saturday, February 24th, 2024

Saturday, February 24, 2024
Weekday of Lent (1)
Office- Psalter Week 1
Mass prop. Preface of Lent I
Vestment: Violet
Today’s Rosary: The Joyful Mystery
Vespers I of the Second Sunday of Lent

Click HERE for the Previous Catholic Daily Reading

Benin: Tomorrow is the 18th Anniversary of the episcopal ordination of Most Revd. Augustine Akubeze 25st February 2006.

FIRST READING
“You shall be a people holy to the Lord your God.”
A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 26:16-19)

Moses spoke to the people, saying: “This day the Lord your God commands you to do these statutes and ordinances; you shall therefore be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul. You have declared this day concerning the Lord that he is your God, and that you will walk in his ways, and keep his statutes and his commandments and his ordinances, and will obey his voice; and the Lord has declared this day concerning you that you are a people for his own possession, as he has promised you, and that you are to keep all his commandments, that he will set you high above all nations that he has made, in praise and in fame and in honour, and that you shall be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he has spoken.”

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 119:1-2.4-5.7-8 (R. 1b)
R/. Blessed are those who walk in the law of the Lord!

Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep his decrees!
With all their hearts they seek him. R/.

You have laid down your precepts
to be carefully kept.
May my ways be firm
in keeping your statutes. R/.

R/. Blessed are those who walk in the law of the Lord!

I will thank you with an upright heart,
as I learn your just judgements.
I will keep your statutes;
do not ever forsake me. R/.

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL 2 Corinthians 6:2b
Glory and praise to you, O Christ. Behold, now is the acceptable time, behold, now is the day of salvation. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

Also Read: Daily Reading for Friday, February 23rd, 2024

GOSPEL
“Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew 5:43-48)

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

TODAY’S REFLECTION
The greatest scandal of Christianity today is that the qualities for which that small community at Antioch were given the name “Christian” are no longer found amongst many so called Christian communities today. Basically, there seems to be no line of distinction today between Christians, Non-believers, Agnostics and even Atheists other than the fact that each Sunday, we go to Church.

What made that first community so unique? What earned them the name “Christian”? It was the Christ-like Love that existed among them; a love that is capable of forgiving one’s enemies right on the cross; a love that does not select its beneficiaries; a love that is purely sacrificial not expecting anything in return. In all honesty, the only love found in our so-called Christian communities today is the business love; a love that is purely based on give and take; a love that is concerned only about those who are capable or willing to reciprocate it; a love that demands much more than it gives; a selective love.

We say we are Christians, yet we fight each other just as non-believers do, sometimes even bloodier than non-believers. We drag ourselves to law courts. We even present our cases before traditional rulers some of whom do not share our faith. In truth, if the people of that community at Antioch behaved like us, they wouldn’t have been called Christians but simply church-goers.
What makes us Christians? It is our ability to rise above the traditional church-goer mentality. It is doing more than the tax collectors who love only those that love them. It is doing more than the Gentiles who greet only those that greet them. It is stepping out of the box, is acting in a manner that is really different from what our society regards as normal. It is doing thing just as Jesus would do if He were to walk this earth again.

Being a Christian is practicing what I would call non-selective goodness. It is being kind to people not because they deserve it but because of who you are; a child whose Father does not discriminate who to benefit or not from his rain.

PERSONAL DEVOTIONAL FOR LENT
As human beings we expect God to treat us well, to give us His blessings, show us mercy and protect us always. However, when it is time for us to do the same to our fellow brothers and sisters we are unwilling to do the same and we make excuses. Know it today once again, that the measure you give will be the measure you shall receive. If you want peace, love, kindness, forgiveness, mercy and so on, you must be willing and ready to give the same to others.

Today, get into your consciousness that you cannot expect to be happy, while all that you do by your words and action is to cause others pain. Therefore, turn a new leaf and become a channel of joy to others so that your own joy will come to you from God.

Let us Pray,
Lord Jesus, make me more and more like you. Amen.

Reading 1, Deuteronomy 26:16-19

¹⁶ ‘Yahweh your God commands you today to observe these laws and customs; you must keep and observe them with all your heart and with all your soul.

¹⁷ ‘Today you have obtained this declaration from Yahweh: that he will be your God, but only if you follow his ways, keep his statutes, his commandments, his customs, and listen to his voice.

¹⁸ And today Yahweh has obtained this declaration from you: that you will be his own people — as he has said — but only if you keep all his commandments;

¹⁹ then for praise and renown and honour, he will raise you higher than every other nation he has made, and you will be a people consecrated to Yahweh, as he has promised.’

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8

¹ How blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the Law of Yahweh!

² Blessed are those who observe his instructions, who seek him with all their hearts,

⁴ You lay down your precepts to be carefully kept.

⁵ May my ways be steady in doing your will.

⁷ I thank you with a sincere heart for teaching me your upright judgements.

⁸ I shall do your will; do not ever abandon me wholly.

Gospel, Matthew 5:43-48

⁴³ ‘You have heard how it was said, You will love your neighbour and hate your enemy.

⁴⁴ But I say this to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you;

⁴⁵ so that you may be children of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on the bad as well as the good, and sends down rain to fall on the upright and the wicked alike.

⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even the tax collectors do as much?

⁴⁷ And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional?

⁴⁸ Do not even the gentiles do as much? You must therefore be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’