Thursday March 7, 2024
Ss PERPETUA & FELICITY, Mm (Opt. Commem.)
Office: Psalter Week 3
Mass prop., Preface of Lent
Vestment: Violet
Today’s Rosary: The Luminous Mystery
Click HERE for the Previous Catholic Daily Reading
FIRST READING
“This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord their God.”
A reading from the Book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 7:23-28)
Thus says the Lord: “This command I gave my people, ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people; and walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you. ’ But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt to this day, I have persistently sent all my servants the prophets to them, day after day; yet they did not listen to me, or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers. “So you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. You shall call to them, but they will not answer you. And you shall say to them, ‘This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the LORD their God, and did not accept discipline; truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips.”’
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 95:1-2.6-7abc.7d-9(R.7d-8a)
R/. O that today you would listen to his voice!
Harden not your hearts.
Come, let us ring out our joy to the Lord;
hail the rock who saves us.
Let us come into his presence, giving thanks;
let us hail him with a song of praise. R/.
O come; let us bow and bend low.
Let us kneel before the God who made us,
for he is our God and we
the people who belong to his pasture,
the flock that is led by his hand. R/.
R/. O that today you would listen to his voice!
Harden not your hearts.
O that today you would listen to his voice!
“Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as on that day at Massah in the desert
when your forebears put me to the test;
when they tried me, though they saw my work.” R/.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION Joel 2:12-13
Glory and praise to you, O Christ. Even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, for I am gracious and merciful. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
Also Read: Daily Reading for Wednesday, March 6th, 2024
Gospel
“He who is not with rue is against me. ”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to (Luke 11:14-23)
At that time: Jesus was casting out a demon that was mute; when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marvelled. But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons”; while others, to test him, sought from him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and house falls upon house. And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strongman, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace; but when one stronger than he assails him and overcomes him, he takes away his armour in which he trusted, and divides his spoil. He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
TODAY’S REFLECTION
Listening is a virtue in itself, for it is only when we listen that we can learn and understand. Listening to the voice of God keeps us informed, wise and safe. Rebellious people never listen because they are stubborn. The Lord rejects those who harden their hearts and rebuff His voice but He blesses those who listen and adhere to His voice. Today God calls us to believe in Him and to gather with Him. Let us therefore heed the voice of God and lead holy lives as a people. “O that today you would listen to His voice harden not your hearts!”
PERSONAL DEVOTIONAL FOR LENT
What makes you to want to have everything to yourself even when you know that what you have will be enough for everyone is simply greed and selfishness. A selfish person only thinks of himself and in doing that, he or she feels that inner joy and satisfaction comes from having everything all to yourself, but in most cases the end result is emptiness and pain. You can end up packing all the food in the buffet table in panic that it will not get to you and fill your plate, only to realise later that a fresh and sumptuous portion has been given to those you thought you played a smart one upon.
Today, try as much as you can to consider others and share with them the good things of life that come to your way. Let it go round and you will be much happy and satisfied in the end.
Let us Pray,
Lord Jesus, help me remain committed to the truth and contented in all you have given me as I share with my neigbours. Amen.
Daily Reading for Thursday March 7, 2024
Reading 1, Jeremiah 7:23-28
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
Gospel, Luke 11:14-23
Reading 1, Jeremiah 7:23-28
23 My one command to them was this: Listen to my voice, then I will be your God and you shall be my people. In everything, follow the way that I mark out for you, and you shall prosper.
24 But they did not listen, they did not pay attention; they followed their own devices, their own stubborn and wicked inclinations, and got worse rather than better.
25 From the day your ancestors left Egypt until today, I have sent you all my servants the prophets, persistently sending them day after day.
26 But they have not listened to me, have not paid attention; they have deliberately resisted, behaving worse than their ancestors.
27 So you will tell them all this, but they will not listen to you; you will call them, but they will not answer you.”
28 Then you are to say to them, “This is the nation that will neither listen to the voice of Yahweh its God nor take correction. Sincerity is no more, it has vanished from their mouths.
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
1 Come, let us cry out with joy to Yahweh, acclaim the rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving, acclaim him with music.
6 Come, let us bow low and do reverence; kneel before Yahweh who made us!
7 For he is our God, and we the people of his sheepfold, the flock of his hand. If only you would listen to him today!
8 Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, as at the time of Massah in the desert,
9 when your ancestors challenged me, put me to the test, and saw what I could do!
Gospel, Luke 11:14-23
14 He was driving out a devil and it was dumb; and it happened that when the devil had gone out the dumb man spoke, and the people were amazed.
15 But some of them said, ‘It is through Beelzebul, the prince of devils, that he drives devils out.’
16 Others asked him, as a test, for a sign from heaven;
17 but, knowing what they were thinking, he said to them, ‘Any kingdom which is divided against itself is heading for ruin, and house collapses against house.
18 So, too, with Satan: if he is divided against himself, how can his kingdom last? – since you claim that it is through Beelzebul that I drive devils out.
19 Now if it is through Beelzebul that I drive devils out, through whom do your own sons drive them out? They shall be your judges, then.
20 But if it is through the finger of God that I drive devils out, then the kingdom of God has indeed caught you unawares.
21 So long as a strong man fully armed guards his own home, his goods are undisturbed;
22 but when someone stronger than himself attacks and defeats him, the stronger man takes away all the weapons he relied on and shares out his spoil.
23 ‘Anyone who is not with me is against me; and anyone who does not gather in with me throws away.
