Wednesday March 27, 2024
Wednesday of Holy Week
Office: Psalter Week 2
Mass prop., Preface of the Passion II
Vestment: Violet
Today’s Rosary: The Glorious Mysteries
Click HERE for the Previous Catholic Daily Reading
TOMORROW, ONLY THE MASS OF CHRISM AND THE MASS OF THE LORD’S SUPPER MAY BE CELEBRATED. OTHER CELEBRATION EVEN FUNERAL MASSES ARE FORBIDDEN.
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON Cf. Phil 2: 10.8.11
At the name of Jesus, every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, for the Lord became obedient to death, death on a cross: therefore Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
COLLECT
O God, who willed your Son to submit for our sake to the yoke of the Cross, so that you might drive from us the power of the enemy, grant us, your servants, to attain the grace of the resurrection. Through our Lord…
FIRST READING
“I hid not my face from shame and spitting ” (Third song of the servant of the Lord)
A reading from the Book of Isaiah (Isaiah 50:4-9a)
The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him that is weary. Morning by morning he wakens, he wakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I turned not backward. I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I hid not my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been confounded; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame; he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near to me. Behold, the Lord God helps me; who will declare me guilty?
The word of the Lord.
Also Read: Daily Reading for Tuesday, March 26th, 2024
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps 69:8-10.21-22.31 and 33-34 (R. 14c, b)
R/. In your great mercy, answer me, O God.
For a time of your favour.
It is for you that I suffer taunts,
that shame has covered my face.
To my own kin I have become an outcast,
a stranger to the children of my mother.
Zeal for your house consumes me,
and taunts against you fall on me. R/.
Taunts have broken my heart; here I am in anguish.
I looked for solace, but there was none;
for consolers — not one could I find.
For food they gave me gall;
in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. R/.
Then I will praise God’s name with a song;
I will glorify him with thanksgiving.
The poor when they see it will be glad,
and God-seeking hearts will revive;
for the Lord listens to the needy,
and does not spurn his own in their chains. R/.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Glory and praise to you, O Christ. Hail, our King: you alone have had mercy on our failings! Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
Or the following:
Hail, our King, obedient to the Father; you were led to crucifixion like a meek lamb to the slaughter.
GOSPEL
“The Son of man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed!”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew 26: 14-25)
At that time: One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him. Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He said, “Go into the city to such a one, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.”’ And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover. When it was evening, he sat at table with the twelve disciples; and as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” And they were very sorrowful, and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me, will betray me. The Son of man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” Judas, who betrayed him, said, “Is it I, Master?” He said to him, “You have said so.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
TODAY’S REFLECTION
Isaiah’s Servant of God was subjected to suffering and humiliation unfairly. He had done no wrong that deserved such treatment. But he bore it all without bitterness, without retaliation. He was able to do that because God was with him all the time, giving him strength to endure his trials. Jesus was that Servant of God that Isaiah prophesied. One of his greatest pains must have been the knowledge that one of his own companions, one of the twelve whom he had been grooming to become Apostles, was planning to hand him over to his enemies. But, the Servant of God that he was, knew that his Father would see him through his trials and tribulations. God has continued to do that for his faithful and loyal servants.
PERSONAL DEVOTIONAL FOR LENT
We can have ambition in life, but we must make sure that it does not go contrary to what God wants for us. If we desire to occupy the highest position in life, then, we must be ready to get to it through the service we render to others. Jesus got to His position by serving the people and laying down His life for them. Therefore, anytime you desire to be counted as a great man or woman in the sight of God, be ready to lay down your life for others to live.
We will be happy more, when we let God lift us up than when we maneuver, scheme and trample upon others to get to a great position in life. Do not be jealous when God makes use of others to achieve something, rather, be happy with them, support them, then pray and wait for your own opportunity which must surely come
Let Us Pray,
Lord, help me and give me the grace to make good decision always.
Daily Reading for Wednesday March 27, 2024
Reading 1, Isaiah 50:4-9
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 69:8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34
Gospel, Matthew 26:14-25
Reading 1, Isaiah 50:4-9
4 Lord Yahweh has given me a disciple’s tongue, for me to know how to give a word of comfort to the weary. Morning by morning he makes my ear alert to listen like a disciple.
5 Lord Yahweh has opened my ear and I have not resisted, I have not turned away.
6 I have offered my back to those who struck me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; I have not turned my face away from insult and spitting.
7 Lord Yahweh comes to my help, this is why insult has not touched me, this is why I have set my face like flint and know that I shall not be put to shame.
8 He who grants me saving justice is near! Who will bring a case against me? Let us appear in court together! Who has a case against me? Let him approach me!
9 Look, Lord Yahweh is coming to my help! Who dares condemn me? Look at them, all falling apart like moth-eaten clothes!
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 69:8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34
8 I am estranged from my brothers, alienated from my own mother’s sons;
9 for I am eaten up with zeal for your house, and insults directed against you fall on me.
10 I mortify myself with fasting, and find myself insulted for it,
21 To eat they gave me poison, to drink, vinegar when I was thirsty.
22 May their own table prove a trap for them, and their abundance a snare;
31 for this will please Yahweh more than an ox, than a bullock horned and hoofed.
33 For God listens to the poor, he has never scorned his captive people.
34 Let heaven and earth and seas, and all that stirs in them, acclaim him!
Gospel, Matthew 26:14-25
14 Then one of the Twelve, the man called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
15 and said, ‘What are you prepared to give me if I hand him over to you?’ They paid him thirty silver pieces,
16 and from then onwards he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.
17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus to say, ‘Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?’
18 He said, ‘Go to a certain man in the city and say to him, “The Master says: My time is near. It is at your house that I am keeping Passover with my disciples.” ‘
19 The disciples did what Jesus told them and prepared the Passover.
20 When evening came he was at table with the Twelve.
21 And while they were eating he said, ‘In truth I tell you, one of you is about to betray me.’
22 They were greatly distressed and started asking him in turn, ‘Not me, Lord, surely?’
23 He answered, ‘Someone who has dipped his hand into the dish with me will betray me.
24 The Son of man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will, but alas for that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!’
25 Judas, who was to betray him, asked in his turn, ‘Not me, Rabbi, surely?’ Jesus answered, ‘It is you who say it.’
