Daily Readings for March 12, 2016

1ST READING

Jeremiah is not naïve. He obeys the Lord’s call and embraces the life of a prophet, knowing full well that he will suffer. However, he does not always recognize those conspiring against him. We will experience the same as we persevere in doing God’s call for us. It is a challenge to travel a path that we know will bring us suffering, but if it was good enough for Jesus, then it should be good enough for us.

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 not 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

Jesus speaks the truth even though the people would not want to hear it. This is the role of a prophet. This is what defines them as men and women who fearlessly embrace God’s message and call. Let us pray for the grace and strength to be prophets for our age — living and proclaiming the Gospel of repentance and conversion so that all may come to know the grace of salvation.

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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