Wednesday, February 28, 2024
Weekday of Lent 2
Office- Psalter Week 2
Mass prop. Preface of Lent II
Vestment: Violet
Today’s Rosary: The Glorious Mystery
Click HERE for the Previous Catholic Daily Reading
FIRST READING
“Come, let us strike him.”
A reading from the Book of Jeremiah 18: 18-20
They said, “Come, let us make plots against Jeremiah, for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not heed any of his words.” Give heed to me, O Lord, and listen to my plea. Is evil a recompense for good? Yet they have dug a pit for my life. Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 31:5-6.14.15-16 (R. see17b)
R/. Save me, O Lord, in your merciful love.
Release me from the snare they have hidden,
For you indeed are my refuge.
Into your hands I commend my spirit.
You will redeem me, O Lord, O faithful God. R/.
I have heard the slander of the crowd;
terror all around me,
as they plot together against me,
as they plan to take my life. R/.
But as for me, I trust in you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my God.
My lot is in your hands, deliver me
from the hands of my enemies and those
who pursue me.” R/.
Also Read: Daily Reading for Tuesday, February 27th, 2024
VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL John 8:12
Glory and praise to you, O Christ. I am the light of the world, says the Lord; he who follows me will have the light of life. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
GOSPEL
“They will condemn him to death.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 20: 17-28
At that time: As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him, with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Command that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the chalice that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will drink my chalice, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” And when the Ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave; even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
TODAY’S REFLECTION
Jesus is going to Jerusalem where he will accomplish his mission. He has been through all the surrounding districts of Jerusalem and especially in his native Galilee whence he began his ministry. He also preached outside of Jewish cities such as the Decapolis, Tyre and Sidon. Everybody comes to know about him. Now it is time for Jerusalem where he will be crucified. And he intimates his disciples about that. Those teachers of the Law and the Pharisees he denounced would be the ones to condemn him and hand him over to foreigners (Roman authorities) for torture and eventual death. But, for the mother of James and John, the opportunity for elevation of her sons had come. So she made the demand that they both sit by his side, one at his left and the other on his right. This is raw ambition. The other disciples were but naturally indignant. However, this provided Jesus the platform to talk about Christian leadership, which he summed up as service. If you are a leader, serve.
PERSONAL DEVOTIONAL FOR LENT
The switch on the wall in a house is meant for control, that is, to put on the light or to put it off. When the light is on, we see well and when it is off we cannot see. The switch however, cannot work on its own except it is activated by someone through a process. Know it now, that you can switch on to do good and switch off from doing evil or vice versa. It is about the choice you make. This season is a time to flick the switch on for goodness especially helping the needy. When this is done, your light will shine and you will dispel the darkness in our world.
Today, flick the switch of darkness of stinginess off and try to see how that your little bread, gift or possession could be shared among all who needs it and automatically bring joy and light to their lives.
Let us Pray,
Lord Jesus, give me the same mind as you had to humble myself and serve others. Take away from me my pride, my longing to exult myself. May I be poor in spirit Lord. Amen.
Daily Reading for Wednesday February 28, 2024
Reading 1, Jeremiah 18:18-20
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 31:5-6, 14, 15-16
Gospel, Matthew 20:17-28
Reading 1, Jeremiah 18:18-20
18 ‘Come on,’ they said, ‘let us concoct a plot against Jeremiah, for the Law will not perish for lack of priests, nor advice for lack of wise men, nor the word for lack of prophets. Come on, let us slander him and pay no attention to anything he says.’
19 Pay attention to me, Yahweh, hear what my adversaries are saying.
20 Should evil be returned for good? Now they are digging a pit for me. Remember how I pleaded before you and spoke good of them, to turn your retribution away from them.
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 31:5-6, 14, 15-16
5 to your hands I commit my spirit, by you have I been redeemed. God of truth,
6 you hate those who serve useless idols; but my trust is in Yahweh:
14 But my trust is in you, Yahweh; I say, ‘You are my God,’
15 every moment of my life is in your hands, rescue me from the clutches of my foes who pursue me;
16 let your face shine on your servant, save me in your faithful love.
Gospel, Matthew 20:17-28
17 Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, and on the road he took the Twelve aside by themselves and said to them,
18 ‘Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man is about to be handed over to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn him to death
19 and will hand him over to the gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised up again.’
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came with her sons to make a request of him, and bowed low;
21 and he said to her, ‘What is it you want?’ She said to him, ‘Promise that these two sons of mine may sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your kingdom.’
22 Jesus answered, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?’ They replied, ‘We can.’
23 He said to them, ‘Very well; you shall drink my cup, but as for seats at my right hand and my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted by my Father.’
24 When the other ten heard this they were indignant with the two brothers.
25 But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that among the gentiles the rulers lord it over them, and great men make their authority felt.
26 Among you this is not to happen. No; anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant,
27 and anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave,
28 just as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’
