Monday, February 26, 2024
Weekday of Lent 2
Office- Psalter Week 2
Mass prop. Preface of Lent II
Vestment: Violet
Today’s Rosary: The Joyful Mystery
Click HERE for the Previous Catholic Daily Reading
SAINT ALEXANDER OF ALEXANDRIA, Bishop.
Alexander played an important role in the growth of the catechetical school at Alexandria. When he was made bishop, he continued in his efforts to educate the faithful in the faith. He encountered serious challenges especially from Arius, a priest who was teaching that Jesus was only human and not divine. Alexander called bishops together to deal with Arius who remained incorrigible in his position even after excommunicated. Alexander died in 328, at the age of seventy-eight.
FIRST READING
“We have sinned and done wrong.”
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Daniel (Daniel 9:4b-10)
O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and merciful love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and ordinances; we have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us confusion of face, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those that are near and those that are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery which they have committed against you. To us, O Lord, belongs confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness; because we have rebelled against him, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by following his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.
The word of the Lord.
Also Read: Daily Reading for Saturday, February 25th, 2024
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps 79:8.9.11.13(R.seePs103:10a)
R/. O Lord, do not treat us according to our sins.
Do not remember against us the guilt of former times.
Let your compassion hasten to meet us;
For we have been brought very low. R/.
Help us, O God our saviour,
for the sake of the glory of your name.
Free us and forgive us our sins,
Because of your name. R/.
R/. O Lord, do not treat us according to our sins.
Let the groans of the prisoners come before you,
Your strong arm reprieve those condemned to die. R/.
Then we, your people, the flock of your pasture,
will give you thanks forever and ever.
From age to age we will recount your praise. R/.
VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL John 6:63c.68c
Glory and praise to you, O Christ. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life; you have the words of eternal life. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
GOSPEL
“Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 6:36-38
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
TODAY’S REFLECTION
It is yet again lesson time for Jesus and his disciples. Jesus brings an enviable quality of the Father to bear on their minds: The Father is merciful; God is merciful. The disciples are to be merciful like the Father, Jesus contradicts the teaching of vengefulness especially against one’s enemies which for the Jews is considered alright. He goes on to show other kinds of kindness that the disciples ought to show, such as tolerance and permissiveness, instead of condemnation and being judgemental; forgiveness and acceptance, instead of vengeance and rejection, and generosity, instead of stinginess. All these acts of goodness and goodwill, when taken for granted or overlooked, have their consequences. The disciple should rather do things in accordance with the desires of the loving Father – “For the measure you use for others will be the measure God will use for you.” They will not say they have not been instructed, likewise, be kind to everyone because of the loving God.
PERSONAL DEVOTIONAL FOR LENT
There is no way you can make progress in your spiritual Journey if you do not aim to be like Jesus, and one of the ways we could be like Him is by being humble. Humility is a virtue which if you possess it will make you look little in the eyes of people, but great in the eyes of God. You are nothing without God, therefore, do not brag about anything in this life, but simply set aside your ‘ego’, knock down the attitude of pride and wear the garment of humility as you strive to be like Jesus to all men and women around you.
Today, do not mind your position as the boss of your establishment or group, simply bring yourself down like Jesus and see where you can act humbly to your subordinates and make them feel special and loved.
Let us Pray,
Lord Jesus, take away my heart of stone and give me a merciful and humble heart like yours. Amen.
Daily Reading for Monday February 26, 2024
Reading 1, Daniel 9:4-10
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 79:8, 9, 11, 13
Gospel, Luke 6:36-38
Reading 1, Daniel 9:4-10
4 I pleaded with Yahweh my God and made this confession: ‘O my Lord, God great and to be feared, you keep the covenant and show faithful love towards those who love you and who observe your commandments:
5 we have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly, we have betrayed your commandments and rulings and turned away from them.
6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our chief men, our ancestors and all people of the country.
7 Saving justice, Lord, is yours; we have only the look of shame we wear today, we, the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the whole of Israel, near and far away, in every country to which you have dispersed us because of the treachery we have committed against you.
8 To us, our kings, our chief men and our ancestors, belongs the look of shame, O Yahweh, since we have sinned against you.
9 And it is for the Lord our God to have mercy and to pardon, since we have betrayed him,
10 and have not listened to the voice of Yahweh our God nor followed the laws he has given us through his servants the prophets.
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 79:8, 9, 11, 13
8 Do not count against us the guilt of former generations, in your tenderness come quickly to meet us, for we are utterly weakened;
9 help us, God our Saviour, for the glory of your name; Yahweh, wipe away our sins, rescue us for the sake of your name.
11 May the groans of the captive reach you, by your great strength save those who are condemned to death!
13 And we, your people, the flock that you pasture, will thank you for ever, will recite your praises from age to age.
Gospel, Luke 6:36-38
36 ‘Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate.
37 Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven.
38 Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap; because the standard you use will be the standard used for you.’
