Daily Readings for March 20, 2015

1ST READING

True wisdom will inevitably be attacked by the secular world, as it will always bring conversion of faith. The wisdom of God always leads people to salvation and will be in conflict with the world and the ways of sin. It is difficult to present a Christian perspective on an issue in a secular environment. It is like bringing an ice cube in the midst of a fire and expecting it not to melt.

Wisdom 2:1, 12-22

1 The wicked said among themselves, thinking not aright: 12 “Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us; he sets himself against our doings, reproaches us for transgressions of the law and charges us with violations of our training. 13 He professes to have knowledge of God and styles himself a child of the Lord. 14 To us he is the censure of our thoughts; merely to see him is a hardship for us, 15 because his life is not like that of others, and different are his ways. 16 He judges us debased; he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure. He calls blest the destiny of the just and boasts that God is his Father. 17 Let us see whether his words be true; let us find out what will happen to him. 18 For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him and deliver him from the hand of his foes. 19 With revilement and torture let us put him to the test that we may have proof of his gentleness and try his patience. 20 Let us condemn him to a shameful death; for according to his own words, God will take care of him.” 21 These were their thoughts, but they erred; for their wickedness blinded them, 22 and they knew not the hidden counsels of God; neither did they count on a recompense of holiness nor discern the innocent souls’ reward.

P S A L M

Psalm 34:17-18, 19-20, 21, 23

R: The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

16 [17] The Lord confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them from the earth. 17 [18] When the just cry out, the Lord hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them. (R) 18 [19] The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves. 19 [20] Many are the troubles of the just man, but out of them all the Lord delivers him. (R) 20 [21] He watches over all his bones; not one of them shall be broken. 22 [23] The Lord redeems the lives of his servants; no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him. (R)

GOSPEL

The Jews are plotting to kill Jesus. Why? Because the Gospel He preaches unsettles them and challenges the foundation of their religiosity. They discover that their religious practices only obscure their faith and do not sustain it. Jesus calls them to go back to the heart of their faith and be truly converted from within, and not just externally.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

1 Jesus moved about within Galilee; but he did not wish to travel in Judea, because the Jews were trying to kill him. 2 But the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near. 10 But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, he himself also went up, not openly but as it were in secret. 25 Some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said, “Is he not the one they are trying to kill? 26 And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him. Could the authorities have realized that he is the Christ? 27 But we know where he is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.” 28 So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said, “You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true. 29 I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.” 30 So they tried to arrest him, but no one laid a hand upon him, because his hour had not yet come.

Credits to: www.kerygmafamily.com

Daily Readings for March 19, 2015

Solemnity of Joseph, Husband of Mary

1ST READING

There are many prophecies in the Old Testament about the coming of the Messiah. To be a truly Messianic prophecy, it has to mention the Davidic line as the reading does. As far back as 1,000 years before the birth of Christ, there was already a prophecy about the coming of a Messiah. The Jews were an extremely patient people, even more so when you consider they are still waiting, albeit, in vain.

2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16

4 The Lord spoke to Nathan and said: 5 “Go, tell my servant David, 12 ‘When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm. 13 It is he who shall build a house for my name. And I will make his royal throne firm forever. 14 I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. 16 Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.’”

P S A L M

Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29

R: The son of David will live forever.

1 [2] The promise of the Lord I will sing forever; through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness, 2 [3] for you have said, “My kindness is established forever”; in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness. (R) 3 [4] “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant: 4 [5] forever will I confirm your posterity and establish your throne for all generations.” (R) 26 [27] “He shall say of me, ‘You are my father, my God, the Rock, my savior!’ (R) 28 [29] Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him, and my covenant with him stands firm.” (R)

2ND READING

Righteousness is not a matter of our works but is based on our faith in the promises of God. This is how Abraham became righteous. Faith is the same today as it has always been — and always will be. We cannot save ourselves no matter what we do. All we can do is trust in what Jesus has done for us in His passion, death and resurrection.

Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22

13 Brothers and sisters: It was not through the law that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants that he would inherit the world, but through the righteousness that comes from faith. 16 For this reason, it depends on faith, so that it may be a gift, and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants, not to those who only adhere to the law but to those who follow the faith of Abraham, who is the father of all of us, 17 as it is written, I have made you father of many nations. He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not exist. 18 He believed, hoping against hope, that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “Thus shall your descendants be.” 22 That is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”

GOSPEL

Let us spare a thought for St. Joseph today. It was not easy for him to accept what God was asking of him. It was an enormous privilege but it involved great suffering and hardship. He was exiled to Egypt with Mary and Jesus, and then he raises a child that he knew was not his. He was a good and upright man who wanted to do the right thing. Let us learn from his example.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Blessed are those who dwell in your house, O Lord; they never cease to praise you.

Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24 (or Luke 2: 41-51)

16 Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. 18 Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. 20 Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. 21 She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 24 When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.

Credits to: www.kerygmafamily.com

Daily Readings for March 18, 2015

1ST READING

It is impossible to think a mother would forget her child. God tells us that even if that is possible, He will never forget us. Let us never let go of this truth no matter what happens to us because this is the promise of God’s presence.

Isaiah 49:8-15

8 Thus says the Lord: In a time of favor I answer you, on the day of salvation I help you; and I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people, to restore the land and allot the desolate heritages, 9 saying to the prisoners: Come out! To those in darkness: Show yourselves! Along the ways they shall find pasture, on every bare height shall their pastures be. 10 They shall not hunger or thirst, nor shall the scorching wind or the sun strike them; for he who pities them leads them and guides them beside springs of water. 11 I will cut a road through all my mountains, and make my highways level. 12 See, some shall come from afar, others from the north and the west, and some from the land of Syene. 13 Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth, break forth into song, you mountains. For the Lord comforts his people and shows mercy to his afflicted. 14 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.” 15 Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.

P S A L M

Psalm 145:8-9, 13-14, 17-18

R: The Lord is gracious and merciful.

8 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. 9 The Lord is good to all and compassionate toward all his works. (R) 13 The Lord is faithful in all his words and holy in all his works. 14 The Lord lifts up all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. (R) 17 The Lord is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. 18 The Lord is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. (R)

GOSPEL

To receive the Gospel is to pass from death to life. We need to understand the radical nature of this truth. Without the Gospel, we are on our way to damnation. With the Word of God in our hearts, the gates of heaven are opened wide. This encourages us to urgently proclaim the Gospel. Unless we are fully committed in doing so, many men and women may never hear it.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord; whoever believes in me will never die.

John 5:17-30

17 Jesus answered the Jews, “My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.” 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God. 19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for what he does, the Son will do also. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything that he himself does, and he will show him greater works than these, so that you may be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes. 22 Nor does the Father judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to his Son, 23 so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life. 25 Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to the Son the possession of life in himself. 27 And he gave him power to exercise judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation. 30 “I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.”

Credits to: www.kerygmafamily.com

Daily Readings for March 17, 2015

1ST READING

God never lacks for abundance. Even in the wasteland of the wilderness, He has an abundance of blessings for us. It is in the wilderness that we see God and recognize His blessings as there is little there to distract us. Let us be willing to detour every now and then to the desert where we can commune with Him, away from the busyness of our day-to-day living.

Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12

1 Then angel brought me, Ezekiel, back to the entrance of the temple of the Lord, and I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the facade of the temple was toward the east; the water flowed down from the right side of the temple, south of the altar. 2 He led me outside by the north gate, and around to the outer gate facing the east, where I saw water trickling from the right side. 3 Then when he had walked off to the east with a measuring cord in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and had me wade through the water, which was ankle-deep. 4 He measured off another thousand and once more had me wade through the water, which was now knee-deep. Again he measured off a thousand and had me wade; the water was up to my waist. 5 Once more he measured off a thousand, but there was now a river through which I could not wade; for the water had risen so high it had become a river that could not be crossed except by swimming. 6 He asked me, “Have you seen this, son of man?” Then he brought me to the bank of the river, where he had me sit. 7 Along the bank of the river I saw very many trees on both sides. 8 He said to me, “This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah, and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh. 9 Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh. 12 Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine.”

P S A L M

Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9

R: The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.

1 [2] God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress. 2 [3] Therefore we fear not, though the earth be shaken and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea. (R) 4 [5] There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High. 5 [6] God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed; God will help it at the break of dawn. (R) 7 [8] The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob. 8 [9] Come! behold the deeds of the Lord, the astounding things he has wrought on earth. (R)

GOSPEL

We cannot follow Jesus on our own. There are times when we need help to receive the grace God wants to give us. Our faith is a communal reality. We are all saved as part of the Body of Christ, the community of the faithful. Let us be open to the needs of our brothers and sisters so that we can take every opportunity to help them and receive their assistance when we need it ourselves.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

A clean heart create for me, O God; give me back the joy of your salvation.

John 5:1-16

1 There was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep Gate a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes. 3 In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled. [4]4-5 One man was there who had been ill for  thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be well?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.” 9 Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked. Now that day was a sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who was cured, “It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry  your mat.” 11 He answered them, “The man who made me well told me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’ ” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who told you, ‘Take it up and walk’?” 13 The man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there. 14 After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him, “Look, you are well; do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went and told the Jews that Jesus was the one who had made him well. 16 Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus because he did this on a sabbath.

Credits to: www.kerygmafamily.com

Daily Readings for March 16, 2015

1ST READING

A people in exile always looks for signs of hope. Here, Isaiah prophesies of a time when Jerusalem will be the City of God , full of splendor and life. This vision gives hope to those who are far from their homeland, that there will be a time when they are able to return home and restart the life they once had. Prophecies of hope always promise a life that is better than the one before. God never holds back and always seeks to outdo Himself in His love for us.

Isaiah 65:17-21

17 Thus says the Lord: Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the things of the past shall not be remembered or come to mind. 18 Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness in what I create; for I create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight; 19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem and exult in my people. No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there, or the sound of crying; 20 no longer shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not round out his full lifetime; he dies a mere youth who reaches but a hundred years, and he who fails of a hundred shall be thought accursed. 21 They shall live in the houses they build, and eat the fruit of the vineyards they plant.

P S A L M

Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13

R: I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

1 [2] I will extol you, O Lord, for you drew me clear and did not let my enemies rejoice over me. 3 [4] O Lord, you brought me up from the nether world; you preserved me from among those going down into the pit. (R) 4 [5] Sing praise to the Lord, you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name. 5 [6] For his anger lasts but a moment; a lifetime, his good will. At nightfall, weeping enters in, but with the dawn, rejoicing. (R) 10 [11] “Hear, O Lord, and have pity on me; O Lord, be my helper.” 11 [12] You changed my mourning into dancing; 12 [13] O Lord, my God, forever will I give you thanks. (R)

GOSPEL

Jesus brings life from death and restores life to those who have died. This prepares us for His own resurrection when the Father raises Him from the dead. If death is under God’s control, then so is everything else. Mortal man fears death. He has no control over it. Death ends everything from a physical point of view. It is God alone who has power over death.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Seek good and not evil so that you may live, and the Lord will be with you.                                        

John 4:43-54

43 At that time Jesus left (Samaria) for Galilee. 44 For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his native place. 45 When he came into Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all he had done in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves had gone to the feast. 46 Then he returned to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, who was near death. 48 Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” 49 The royal official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus said to him and left. 51 While the man was on his way back, his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live. 52 He asked them when he began to recover. They told him, “The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.” 53 The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live,” and he and his whole household came to believe. 54 Now this was the second sign Jesus did when he came to Galilee from Judea.

Credits to: www.kerygmafamily.com