Daily Readings for March 21, 2015

1ST READING

The life of a prophet is always difficult because he speaks the truth in a world that does not honor it. This enrages people more than appease them. Jesus calls us to be beacons of truth in a world that is slowly de-Christianizing itself. Over the years, more and more laws reflect secular understanding of moral issues and not the truth. Should we give up? No! But to fight the trend will involve marginalizing ourselves from mainstream public life.

Jeremiah 11:18-20

18 I knew their plot because the Lord informed me; at that time you, O Lord, showed me their doings. 19 Yet, I, like a trusting lamb led to slaughter, had not realized that they were hatching plots against me: “Let us destroy the tree in its vigor; let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name will be spoken no more.” 20 But you, O Lord of hosts, O just Judge, searcher of mind and heart, let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause!

P S A L M

Psalm 7:2-3, 9-10, 11-12

R: O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.

1 [2] O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and rescue me, 2 [3] lest I become like the lion’s prey, to be torn to pieces, with no one to rescue me. (R) 8 [9] Do me justice, O Lord, because I am just, and because of the innocence that is mine. 9 [10] Let the malice of the wicked come to an end, but sustain the just, O searcher of heart and soul, O just God. (R) 10 [11] A shield before me is God, who saves the upright of heart; 11 [12] a just judge is God, a God who punishes day by day. (R)

GOSPEL

The people recognize the radical words of Jesus because the words of their religious leaders have been compromised for so long. They have become used to the line of thinking of the scribes and Pharisees. The Gospel contradicts much of what the Pharisees are saying about the Jewish faith. The words of Jesus offer hope to the people, something the Pharisees do not do. They are in a dilemma about who to follow. This is why the Pharisees want to get rid of Jesus.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance.

John 7:40-53

40 Some in the crowd who heard these words of Jesus said, “This is truly the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Christ.” But others said, “The Christ will not come from Galilee, will he? 42 Does not Scripture say that the Christ will be of David’s family and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?” 43 So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. 44 Some of them even wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. 45 So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The guards answered, “Never before has anyone spoken like this man.” 47 So the Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? 48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed.” 50 Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them, 51 “Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?” 52 They answered and said to him, “You are not from Galilee also, are you? Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.” 53 Then each went to his own house.

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