Saturday March 9, 2024
St Francis of Rome, Rel. (Opt. Commem.)
Office: Psalter Week 3
Mass prop., Preface of Lent
Vestment: Violet
Today’s Rosary: The Joyful Mystery
Vespers I of the 4th Sunday of Lent
Click HERE for the Previous Catholic Daily Reading
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 psalm 51:3-4.18-19.20-21ab
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/.
R/. I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.
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/.
Also Read: Daily Reading for Friday, March 8th, 2024
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION Psalm 95:7d.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.
TODAY’S SAINT AND QUOTE: St Dominic Savio – March 9th
This young Italian saint is the patron of choir boys.
-Nothing seems tiresome or painful when you are working for a Master who pays well; who rewards even a cup of cold water given for love of Him.
PERSONAL DEVOTIONAL FOR LENT
Idleness is one of the easiest way to ‘rot’ as a human being. God is not idle and he does not expect us to be either. When you let what your life becomes to be determined by others, you may end up being idle for the rest of your life, but when you take control of your life in a positive sense, you will see the need to work hard and not be idle. There is a lot you can do to keep yourself busy and when you are busy doing something worthwhile with your time, you will not have the chance to think of frivolities.
Today, try and engage yourself in something good and positive and never patronize idleness. By working hard today, you will leave a lasting legacy to our world when you depart.
Let us Pray,
Lord Jesus, teach me to be content with all I have, help me examine my heart diligently and root out my own demons rather than become possessed with those of others. Amen.
Daily Reading for Saturday March 9, 2024
Reading 1, Hosea 6:1-6
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 51:3-4, 18-19, 20-21
Gospel, Luke 18:9-14
Reading 1, Hosea 6:1-6
1 Come, let us return to Yahweh. He has rent us and he will heal us; he has struck us and he will bind up our wounds;
2 after two days he will revive us, on the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his presence.
3 Let us know, let us strive to know Yahweh; that he will come is as certain as the dawn. He will come to us like a shower, like the rain of springtime to the earth.
4 What am I to do with you, Ephraim? What am I to do with you, Judah? For your love is like morning mist, like the dew that quickly disappears.
5 This is why I have hacked them to pieces by means of the prophets, why I have killed them with words from my mouth, why my sentence will blaze forth like the dawn-
6 for faithful love is what pleases me, not sacrifice; knowledge of God, not burnt offerings.
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 51:3-4, 18-19, 20-21
3 For I am well aware of my offences, my sin is constantly in mind.
4 Against you, you alone, I have sinned, I have done what you see to be wrong, that you may show your saving justice when you pass sentence, and your victory may appear when you give judgement,
18 In your graciousness do good to Zion, rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then you will delight in upright sacrifices,-burnt offerings and whole oblations — and young bulls will be offered on your altar.
Gospel, Luke 18:9-14
9 He spoke the following parable to some people who prided themselves on being upright and despised everyone else,
10 ‘Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee stood there and said this prayer to himself, “I thank you, God, that I am not grasping, unjust, adulterous like everyone else, and particularly that I am not like this tax collector here.
12 I fast twice a week; I pay tithes on all I get.”
13 The tax collector stood some distance away, not daring even to raise his eyes to heaven; but he beat his breast and said, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”
14 This man, I tell you, went home again justified; the other did not. For everyone who raises himself up will be humbled, but anyone who humbles himself will be raised up.’
