Wednesday March 13, 2024
WEEKDAY OF LENT (4)
Office: Psalter Week 4
Mass prop., Preface of Lent
Vestment: Violet
Today’s Rosary: Glorious Mystery
Death anniversary: Archbishop John k. Aggey (Lagos) – 13/03/72
Click HERE for the Previous Catholic Daily Reading
FIRST READING
“I have given you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land.”
A reading from the Book of Isaiah (Isaiah 49:8-15)
Thus says the Lord: “In a time of favour I have answered you, in a day of salvation I have helped you; I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages; saying to the prisoners, ‘Come forth,’ to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’ They shall feed along the ways, on all bare heights shall be their pasture; they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them. And I will make all my mountains away, and my highways shall be raised up. Behold, these shall come from afar, and behold, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Syene.” Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the LORD has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his afflicted. But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me.” “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?” Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM (Psalm 145:8-9.13d-14.17-18 (R. 8a)
R/. The Lord is kind and full of compassion.
The Lord is kind and full of compassion,
slow to anger, abounding in mercy.
How good is the Lord to all,
compassionate to all his creatures. R/.
The Lord is faithful in all his words,
And holy in all his deeds.
The Lord supports all who fall,
and raises up all who are bowed down. R/.
R/. The Lord is kind and full of compassion.
The Lord is just in all his ways,
And holy in all his deeds.
The Lord is close to all who call him,
Who call on him in truth. R/.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION John 11:25a.26
Glory and praise to you, O Christ. I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord; he who believes in me shall never die. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
GOSPEL
“As the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John 5:17-30)
At that time: Jesus answered the Jews, “My Father is working still, and I am working.” This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but also called God his Father, making himself equal with God. Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son, and shows him all that he himself is doing; and greater works than these will he show him, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. The Father judges no one, but has given all judgement to the Son, that all may honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent him. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgement, but has passed from death to life. “Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself, and has given him authority to execute judgement, because he is the Son of man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgement. “I can do nothing on my own authority; as I hear, I judge; and my judgement is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
TODAY’S REFLECTION
One of the distinctive attributes of God for all believers is that he gives life. And only he can do that. Therefore, if you can give life, you must be divine. That was what Jesus wanted his critics to know. They accused him of blasphemy because he claimed to be the Son of God. If you are Son of God, then you are a divine person. Jesus had given back life to several persons who were dead. His critics had seen him do that. That was proof beyond doubt of his divinity. Still they did not believe. Jesus could not help their unbelief. The disciples of Jesus down through the ages have had no doubt about his divinity and his power to give life. They took to him to continue to give that life to all who call on him, and give it in abundance. That, according to him, was why he came into the world (John 10:10).
Also Read: Daily Reading for Tuesday, March 12th, 2024
PERSONAL DEVOTIONAL FOR LENT
When we toil without God, we can put in much energy and get very little gain to show for our effort. However, when we work hard and also let God be involved in what we do, He gives our effort a divine touch that produces a miraculous outflow of fruitfulness in abundance. It is for our advantage that we let God be involved in the things we do, because without Him we can definitely make no way in this life.
Today, make sure that you do not take the journey alone. Allow the Lord to go with you and by His help you will definitely witness success; be it in work, business, study, career, relationships, and faith experience e.t.c
Let Us Pray,
Lord Jesus, your coming as man was just too good to be true, may I not take your presence even now for granted. Amen.
Daily Reading for Wednesday March 13, 2024
Reading 1, Isaiah 49:8-15
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 145:8-9, 13-14, 17-18
Gospel, John 5:17-30
Reading 1, Isaiah 49:8-15
8 Thus says Yahweh: At the time of my favour I have answered you, on the day of salvation I have helped you. I have formed you and have appointed you to be the covenant for a people, to restore the land, to return ravaged properties,
9 to say to prisoners, ‘Come out,’ to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’ Along the roadway they will graze, and any bare height will be their pasture.
10 They will never hunger or thirst, scorching wind and sun will never plague them; for he who pities them will lead them, will guide them to springs of water.
11 I shall turn all my mountains into a road and my highways will be raised aloft.
12 Look! Here they come from far away, look, these from the north and the west, those from the land of Sinim.
13 Shout for joy, you heavens; earth, exult! Mountains, break into joyful cries! For Yahweh has consoled his people, is taking pity on his afflicted ones.
14 Zion was saying, ‘Yahweh has abandoned me, the Lord has forgotten me.’
15 Can a woman forget her baby at the breast, feel no pity for the child she has borne? Even if these were to forget, I shall not forget you.
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 145:8-9, 13-14, 17-18
8 Yahweh is tenderness and pity, slow to anger, full of faithful love.
9 Yahweh is generous to all, his tenderness embraces all his creatures.
13 Your kingship is a kingship for ever, your reign lasts from age to age. Yahweh is trustworthy in all his words, and upright in all his deeds.
14 Yahweh supports all who stumble, lifts up those who are bowed down.
17 Upright in all that he does, Yahweh acts only in faithful love.
18 He is close to all who call upon him, all who call on him from the heart.
Gospel, John 5:17-30
17 His answer to them was, ‘My Father still goes on working, and I am at work, too.’
18 But that only made the Jews even more intent on killing him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he spoke of God as his own Father and so made himself God’s equal.
19 To this Jesus replied: In all truth I tell you, by himself the Son can do nothing; he can do only what he sees the Father doing: and whatever the Father does the Son does too.
20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he himself does, and he will show him even greater things than these, works that will astonish you.
21 Thus, as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son gives life to anyone he chooses;
22 for the Father judges no one; he has entrusted all judgement to the Son,
23 so that all may honour the Son as they honour the Father. Whoever refuses honour to the Son refuses honour to the Father who sent him.
24 In all truth I tell you, whoever listens to my words, and believes in the one who sent me, has eternal life; without being brought to judgement such a person has passed from death to life.
25 In all truth I tell you, the hour is coming — indeed it is already here — when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and all who hear it will live.
26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself;
27 and, because he is the Son of man, has granted him power to give judgement.
28 Do not be surprised at this, for the hour is coming when the dead will leave their graves at the sound of his voice:
29 those who did good will come forth to life; and those who did evil will come forth to judgement.
30 By myself I can do nothing; I can judge only as I am told to judge, and my judging is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me.
