Saturday, March 2, 2024
Weekday of Lent (2)
Office: Psalter Week 2
Mass prop. Preface of Lent
Vestment: Violet
Today’s Rosary: The Joyful Mystery
Click HERE for the Previous Catholic Daily Reading
Vespers I of the 3rd Sunday of Lent
First Scrutiny (3rd Sunday of Lent): The first Scrutiny of Catechumens takes place on this Sunday (cf RCIA, 150-156).t
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 forever 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/.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION 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.
Also Read: Daily Reading for Friday, March 1st, 2024
GOSPEL
“This your brother was dead, and is alive.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (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, forth is your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.”’
The Gospel of the Lord
TODAY’S REFLECTION
Jesus was “guilty” of fraternizing and socializing with the wrong kind of people: tax collectors and sinners. The “good people”, i.e. the Pharisees and scribes, were scandalized. In their mind, Jesus had no business keeping company with such deplorable people. They had forgotten the message of the Prophet Micah. Otherwise, they would have known that God was a merciful God, “pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression.” The parable of the “Prodigal Son” illustrates that perfectly. Today’s sinners can take heart from the fact that their sins will be forgiven the moment they leave the “far country” to return to the Father’s house, the moment they repent.
PERSONAL DEVOTIONAL FOR LENT
Pride, they say, goes before a fall and the more we try to rise without God, the more we get to our destination realising that we have done an exercise in futility. The way up, is down; and Jesus showed us that example when he humbled Himself and took our form in order to redeem us. (Phil 2:6-11) If we must be Christians after the mind of Christ, we must resolve to humble ourselves in words and action and do things the Jesus’ way.
Today, resolve to act humbly by speaking kindly to those who work with you and if possible give them a helping hand to do the things you would have barked or yelled at them to do.
Let us Pray,
Lord Jesus, give me a very large heart, purge away from me all bitterness, all past pains, all hatred and all forms of evil intentions against others. Amen.
Daily Reading for Saturday March 2, 2024
Reading 1, Micah 7:14-15, 18-20
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12
Gospel, Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
Reading 1, Micah 7:14-15, 18-20
14 With shepherd’s crook lead your people to pasture, the flock that is your heritage, living confined in a forest with meadow land all round. Let them graze in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old!
15 As in the days when you came out of Egypt, grant us to see wonders!
18 What god can compare with you for pardoning guilt and for overlooking crime? He does not harbour anger for ever, since he delights in showing faithful love.
19 Once more have pity on us, tread down our faults; throw all our sins to the bottom of the sea.
20 Grant Jacob your faithfulness, and Abraham your faithful love, as you swore to our ancestors from the days of long ago.
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12
1 [Of David] Bless Yahweh, my soul, from the depths of my being, his holy name;
2 bless Yahweh, my soul, never forget all his acts of kindness.
3 He forgives all your offences, cures all your diseases,
4 he redeems your life from the abyss, crowns you with faithful love and tenderness;
9 his indignation does not last for ever, nor his resentment remain for all time;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve, nor repay us as befits our offences.
11 As the height of heaven above earth, so strong is his faithful love for those who fear him.
12 As the distance of east from west, so far from us does he put our faults.
Gospel, Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
1 The tax collectors and sinners, however, were all crowding round to listen to him,
2 and the Pharisees and scribes complained saying, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’
3 So he told them this parable:
11 Then he said, ‘There was a man who had two sons.
12 The younger one said to his father, “Father, let me have the share of the estate that will come to me.” So the father divided the property between them.
13 A few days later, the younger son got together everything he had and left for a distant country where he squandered his money on a life of debauchery.
14 ‘When he had spent it all, that country experienced a severe famine, and now he began to feel the pinch;
15 so he hired himself out to one of the local inhabitants who put him on his farm to feed the pigs.
16 And he would willingly have filled himself with the husks the pigs were eating but no one would let him have them.
17 Then he came to his senses and said, “How many of my father’s hired men have all the food they want and more, and here am I dying of hunger!
18 I will leave this place and go to my father and say: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you;
19 I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired men.”
20 So he left the place and went back to his father. ‘While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran to the boy, clasped him in his arms and kissed him.
21 Then his son said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son.”
22 But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
23 Bring the calf we have been fattening, and kill it; we will celebrate by having a feast,
24 because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life; he was lost and is found.” And they began to celebrate.
25 ‘Now the elder son was out in the fields, and on his way back, as he drew near the house, he could hear music and dancing.
26 Calling one of the servants he asked what it was all about.
27 The servant told him, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the calf we had been fattening because he has got him back safe and sound.”
28 He was angry then and refused to go in, and his father came out and began to urge him to come in;
29 but he retorted to his father, “All these years I have slaved for you and never once disobeyed any orders of yours, yet you never offered me so much as a kid for me to celebrate with my friends.
30 But, for this son of yours, when he comes back after swallowing up your property — he and his loose women — you kill the calf we had been fattening.”
31 ‘The father said, “My son, you are with me always and all I have is yours.
32 But it was only right we should celebrate and rejoice, because your brother here was dead and has come to life; he was lost and is found.” ‘
