Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Office: Psalter Week 2
Mass prop., Preface of the Passion II
Vestment: Violet
Today’s Rosary: The Sorrowful Mysteries
Click HERE for the Previous Catholic Daily Reading
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON cf. Ps 27: 12
Do not leave me to the will of my foes, O Lord, for false witnesses rise against me, and they breathe out violence.
COLLECT
Almighty, ever-living God, grant us to celebrate the mysteries of the Lord’s Passion so that we may merit to receive your pardon. Through our Lord…
FIRST READING
“I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” (Second song of the servant of the Lord)
A reading from the Book of Isaiah 49: 1-6
Listen to me, O Islands, and pay attention, you people’s from afar. The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name. He made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me away. And he said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” But I said, “I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my right is with the LORD, and my recompense with my God.” And now the Lord says, who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honoured in the eyes of the Lord, and my God has become my strength — he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 71: I -2.3-4a.5-6ab.l5ab and 17 (R. see 15ab)
R/. My mouth will tell of your salvation, Lord.
In you, O Lord, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice, rescue me, free me;
incline your ear to me and save me. R/.
Be my rock, my constant refuge,
a mighty stronghold to save me,
for you are my rock, my stronghold.
My God, free me from the hand of the wicked. R/.
R/. My mouth will tell of your salvation, Lord
It is you, O Lord, who are my hope,
my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
On you I have leaned from my birth;
from my mother’s womb, you have been my help. R/.
My mouth will tell of your justice,
and all the day long of your salvation.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and I proclaim your wonders still. R/.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Glory and praise to you, O Christ. Hail, our King, obedient to the Father; you were led to crucifixion like a meek lamb to the slaughter. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
Also Read: Daily Reading for Monday, March 25th, 2024
GOSPEL
“One of you will betray me. The cock will not crow, till you have denied me three times.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John1 3:21—33.36-38)
At that time: [Jesus, reclining with his disciples,] was troubled in spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was lying close to the breast of Jesus; so Simon Peter beckoned to him and said, “Tell us who it is of whom he speaks.” So lying thus, close to the breast of Jesus, he said to him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give this morsel when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Then after the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the money box, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast”; or, that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the morsel, he immediately went out; and it was night. When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of man glorified, and in him God is glorified; if God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come. ”’ Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now; but you shall follow afterward.” Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the cock will not crow, till you have denied me three times.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
TODAY’S REFLECTION
Jesus had twelve companions, carefully chosen, after a long night of prayer (Luke 6:12). For three years, he formed them to become Apostles, men who would continue his mission after him, only for one of them to go and “sell” him to his enemies for thirty pieces of silver. Even when Jesus gave him a chance to withdraw from his evil intent by revealing that he knew what Judas was planning, he did not take it. Another one was a loud mouth. He boasted that he would lay down his life for Jesus. Jesus predicted correctly that he would do not such thing. Indeed, before daybreak the next morning, he would have denied him three times. If the friends of Jesus could do that to him, should it be any surprise if some of our friends of Jesus could do that to him, should it be any surprise if some of our friends do the same to us?
PERSONAL DEVOTIONAL FOR LENT
In one way or the other in life we are like teachers to other people who are looking up to us for inspiration or guide. Jesus was very clear from the very beginning who He is and what he represents. He gave His disciples an example to follow and all who followed it till the end found eternal life.
He achieved this because He never compromised His mission. He practiced what He preached. If we are going to be true Disciples of Christ we must lead by example. We must inspire others more when there is a correspondence and wonderful blend between what we say and what we do.
If we eloquently teach people about being humble and we are far from being humble in our attitude and behaviour, our teaching will make less impact than it could have when they see us live it out on a daily basis. Strive more every day to teach and lead by example and you will be a good teacher and you will win more souls for Christ.
Let Us Pray,
Teach us the way Lord, and remove from us the spirit of being arrogance give us the will to follow you to the end, no matter the circumstances life throws at us.
Daily Reading for Tuesday March 26, 2024
Reading 1, Isaiah 49:1-6
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15, 17
Gospel, John 13:21-33, 36-38
Reading 1, Isaiah 49:1-6
1 Coasts and islands, listen to me, pay attention, distant peoples. Yahweh called me when I was in the womb, before my birth he had pronounced my name.
2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword, he hid me in the shadow of his hand. He made me into a sharpened arrow and concealed me in his quiver.
3 He said to me, ‘Israel, you are my servant, through whom I shall manifest my glory.’
4 But I said, ‘My toil has been futile, I have exhausted myself for nothing, to no purpose.’ Yet all the while my cause was with Yahweh and my reward with my God.
5 And now Yahweh has spoken, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him and to re-unite Israel to him;-I shall be honoured in Yahweh’s eyes, and my God has been my strength.-
6 He said, ‘It is not enough for you to be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel; I shall make you a light to the nations so that my salvation may reach the remotest parts of earth.’
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15, 17
1 In you, Yahweh, I take refuge, I shall never be put to shame.
2 In your saving justice rescue me, deliver me, listen to me and save me.
3 Be a sheltering rock for me, always accessible; you have determined to save me, for you are my rock, my fortress.
4 My God, rescue me from the clutches of the wicked, from the grasp of the rogue and the ruthless.
5 For you are my hope, Lord, my trust, Yahweh, since boyhood.
6 On you I have relied since my birth, since my mother’s womb you have been my portion, the constant theme of my praise.
15 My lips shall proclaim your saving justice, your saving power all day long.
17 God, you have taught me from boyhood, and I am still proclaiming your marvels.
Gospel, John 13:21-33, 36-38
21 Having said this, Jesus was deeply disturbed and declared, ‘In all truth I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.’
22 The disciples looked at each other, wondering whom he meant.
23 The disciple Jesus loved was reclining next to Jesus;
24 Simon Peter signed to him and said, ‘Ask who it is he means,’
25 so leaning back close to Jesus’ chest he said, ‘Who is it, Lord?’
26 Jesus answered, ‘It is the one to whom I give the piece of bread that I dip in the dish.’ And when he had dipped the piece of bread he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot.
27 At that instant, after Judas had taken the bread, Satan entered him. Jesus then said, ‘What you are going to do, do quickly.’
28 None of the others at table understood why he said this.
29 Since Judas had charge of the common fund, some of them thought Jesus was telling him, ‘Buy what we need for the festival,’ or telling him to give something to the poor.
30 As soon as Judas had taken the piece of bread he went out. It was night.
31 When he had gone, Jesus said: Now has the Son of man been glorified, and in him God has been glorified.
32 If God has been glorified in him, God will in turn glorify him in himself, and will glorify him very soon.
33 Little children, I shall be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and, as I told the Jews, where I am going, you cannot come.
36 Simon Peter said, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ Jesus replied, ‘Now you cannot follow me where I am going, but later you shall follow me.’
37 Peter said to him, ‘Why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’
38 ‘Lay down your life for me?’ answered Jesus. ‘In all truth I tell you, before the cock crows you will have disowned me three times.’
