Thursday March 21, 2024
WEEKDAY OF LENT (B)
Office: Psalter Week 1
Mass prop., Preface of Passion I
Vestment: Violet
Today’s Rosary: The Luminous Mysteries
Click HERE for the Previous Catholic Daily Reading
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
Christ is mediator of a New Covenant, so that by means of his death, those who are called may receive the promise of an eternal inheritance.
COLLECT
Be near, O Lord, to those who plead before you, and look kindly on those who place their hope in your mercy, that, cleansed from the stain of their sins, they may persevere in holy living and be made full heirs of your promise. Through our Lord.
FIRST READING
“You shall be the father of a multitude of Nations.”
A reading from the Book of Genesis (Genesis 17.3-9)
In those days: Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come forth from you. And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. And I will give to you, and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.”
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM (Psalm 105:4-5.6-7.8-9 (R. 8a)
R/. The Lord remembers his covenant forever
Turn to the Lord and his strength;
constantly seek his face.
Remember the wonders he has done,
his marvels and his words of judgement. R/.
O children of Abraham, his servant,
O descendants of the Jacob he chose,
he, the Lord, is our God;
his judgements are in all the earth. R/.
R/. The Lord remembers his covenant forever
He remembers his covenant forever:
the promise he ordained for a thousand generations,
the covenant he made with Abraham,
the oath he swore to Isaac. R/.
Also Read: Daily Reading for Wednesday, March 20th, 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
“Your father Abraham rejoice that he was to see my day”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 8:51-59
Jesus said to the Jews, “Truly, truly, I say to you, if any one keeps my word, he will never see death.” The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, as did the prophets; and you say, ‘If any one keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you claim to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is your God. But you have not known him; I know him. If I said, I do not know him, I should be a liar like you; but I do know him and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day; he saw it and was glad.” The Jews then said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they took up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.
The Gospel of the Lord.
TODAY’S REFLECTION
What Jesus said was that Abraham saw his day and was glad. The Jews misunderstood him to mean that he saw Abraham physically. Abraham saw the day of Jesus in the descendants that God promised him in today’s First Reading. God sealed and everlasting covenant with Abraham to be God to him and to his descendants. Those descendants were rights there in the times of Jesus, and they were seeing the day of Jesus on behalf of their ancestor Abraham and on their own behalf. But, as Saint Paul would later say, the true descendants of Abraham are those who share in his faith in every age (Romans 4:16). They are the ones who have been the day of the Son of God, and are glad. They have subsequently become his disciples.
PERSONAL DEVOTIONAL FOR LENT
The spiritual life is a battle between light and darkness, good and evil. Those who are afraid to fight the battle will end up being the losers, but those who fight on the side of light and good will definitely be victorious. As followers of Jesus we should not expect anything less. If He could be tempted by the devil, then we also could face temptation and if He overcame the devil, we also could overcome him too.
This is a time to go into the desert and draw the spiritual energy and strength with which to continue to fight the spiritual battle. If we must keep the covenant we have with God, we must be ready to make a withdrawal from time to time to the desert where we will fight the battle on the side of good and overcome.
We have a pact with God and we must strive every day to keep to the covenant we have entered into by virtue of our baptism and when this is done in all sincerity we will definitely come out victorious in our spiritual battle with the forces of evil.
Let us Pray:
Lord Jesus, in my anguish I call to you, save me lest I perish. Amen.
Daily Reading for Thursday March 21, 2024
Reading 1, Genesis 17:3-9
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 105:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
Gospel, John 8:51-59
Reading 1, Genesis 17:3-9
3 And Abram bowed to the ground. God spoke to him as follows,
4 ‘For my part, this is my covenant with you: you will become the father of many nations.
5 And you are no longer to be called Abram; your name is to be Abraham, for I am making you father of many nations.
6 I shall make you exceedingly fertile. I shall make you into nations, and your issue will be kings.
7 And I shall maintain my covenant between myself and you, and your descendants after you, generation after generation, as a covenant in perpetuity, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
8 And to you and to your descendants after you, I shall give the country where you are now immigrants, the entire land of Canaan, to own in perpetuity. And I shall be their God.’
9 God further said to Abraham, ‘You for your part must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you, generation after generation.
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 105:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
4 Seek Yahweh and his strength, tirelessly seek his presence!
5 Remember the marvels he has done, his wonders, the judgements he has spoken.
6 Stock of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob whom he chose!
7 He is Yahweh our God, his judgements touch the whole world.
8 He remembers his covenant for ever, the promise he laid down for a thousand generations,
9 which he concluded with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.
Gospel, John 8:51-59
51 In all truth I tell you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.
52 The Jews said, ‘Now we know that you are possessed. Abraham is dead, and the prophets are dead, and yet you say, “Whoever keeps my word will never know the taste of death.”
53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? The prophets are dead too. Who are you claiming to be?’
54 Jesus answered: If I were to seek my own glory my glory would be worth nothing; in fact, my glory is conferred by the Father, by the one of whom you say, ‘He is our God,’
55 although you do not know him. But I know him, and if I were to say, ‘I do not know him,’ I should be a liar, as you yourselves are. But I do know him, and I keep his word.
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to think that he would see my Day; he saw it and was glad.
57 The Jews then said, ‘You are not fifty yet, and you have seen Abraham!’
58 Jesus replied: In all truth I tell you, before Abraham ever was, I am.
59 At this they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself and left the Temple.
