Sunday Mass Readings for March 18, 2018

"The Voice from on High"
-- by James Tissot

Fifth Sunday of Lent

FIRST READING: Jeremiah 31:31-34

---

31 Behold the days shall come, saith the Lord, and I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Juda:

32 Not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt: the covenant which they made void, and I had dominion over them, saith the Lord.

33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days, saith the Lord: I will give my law in their bowels, and I will write it in their heart: and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying: Know the Lord: for all shall know me from the least of them even to the greatest, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

PSALM: Psalms 51:3-4, 12-15

---

3 Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy. And according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my iniquity.

4 Wash me yet more from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

12 Create a clean heart in me, O God: and renew a right spirit within my bowels.

13 Cast me not away from thy face; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

14 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and strengthen me with a perfect spirit.

15 I will teach the unjust thy ways: and the wicked shall be converted to thee.

SECOND READING: Hebrews 5:7-9

---

7 Who in the days of his flesh, with a strong cry and tears, offering up prayers and supplications to him that was able to save him from death, was heard for his reverence.

8 And whereas indeed he was the Son of God, he learned obedience by the things which he suffered:

9 And being consummated, he became, to all that obey him, the cause of eternal salvation.

GOSPEL: John 12:20-33

---

20 Now there were certain Gentiles among them, who came up to adore on the festival day.

21 These therefore came to Philip, who was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying: Sir, we would see Jesus.

22 Philip cometh, and telleth Andrew. Again Andrew and Philip told Jesus.

23 But Jesus answered them, saying: The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.

24 Amen, amen I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground die,

25 Itself remaineth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world, keepeth it unto life eternal.

26 If any man minister to me, let him follow me; and where I am, there also shall my minister be. If any man minister to me, him will my Father honour.

27 Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. But for this cause I came unto this hour.

28 Father, glorify thy name. A voice therefore came from heaven: I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

29 The multitude therefore that stood and heard, said that it thundered. Others said: An angel spoke to him.

30 Jesus answered, and said: This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.

31 Now is the judgment of the world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to myself.

33 (Now this he said, signifying what death he should die.)

Daily Mass Readings for Saturday, March 17, 2018

"But No Man Laid Hands Upon Him"
-- by James Tissot

Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Optional Memorial of Saint Patrick, Bishop and Confessor

FIRST READING: Jeremiah 11:18-20

---

18 But thou, O Lord, hast shewn me, and I have known: then thou shewedst me their doings.

19 And I was as a meek lamb, that is carried to be a victim: and I knew not that they had devised counsels against me, saying: Let us put wood on his bread, and cut him off from the land of the living, and let his name be remembered no more.

20 But thou, O Lord of Sabaoth, who judgest justly, and triest the reins and hearts, let me see thy revenge on them: for to thee I have revealed my cause.

PSALM: Psalms 7:2-3, 9-12

---

2 O Lord my God, in thee have I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me.

3 Lest at any time he seize upon my soul like a lion, while there is no one to redeem me, nor to save.

9 The Lord judgeth the people. Judge me, O Lord, according to my justice, and according to my innocence in me.

10 The wickedness of sinners shall be brought to nought: and thou shalt direct the just: the searcher of hearts and reins is God.

11 Just is my help from the Lord: who saveth the upright of heart.

12 God is a just judge, strong and patient: is he angry every day?

GOSPEL: John 7:40-53

---

40 Of that multitude therefore, when they had heard these words of his, some said: This is the prophet indeed.

41 Others said: This is the Christ. But some said: Doth the Christ come out of Galilee?

42 Doth not the scripture say: That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and from Bethlehem the town where David was?

43 So there arose a dissension among the people because of him.

44 And some of them would have apprehended him: but no man laid hands on him.

45 The ministers therefore came to the chief priests and the Pharisees. And they said to them: Why have you not brought him?

46 The ministers answered: Never did man speak like this man.

47 The Pharisees therefore answered them: Are you also seduced?

48 Hath any one of the rulers believed in him, or of the Pharisees?

49 But this multitude, that knoweth not the law, are accursed.

50 Nicodemus said to them, (he that came to him by night, who was one of them:)

51 Doth our law judge any man, unless it first hear him, and know what he doth?

52 They answered, and said to him: Art thou also a Galilean? Search the scriptures, and see, that out of Galilee a prophet riseth not.

53 And every man returned to his own house.

Daily Mass Readings for Friday, March 16, 2018

Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent

FIRST READING: Wisdom 2:1, 12-22

---

1 For they have said, reasoning with themselves, but not right: The time of our life is short and tedious, and in the end of a man there is no remedy, and no man hath been known to have returned from hell.

12 Let us therefore lie in wait for the just, because he is not for our turn, and he is contrary to our doings, and upbraideth us with transgressions of the law, and divulgeth against us the sins of our way of life.

13 He boasteth that he hath the knowledge of God, and calleth himself the son of God.

14 He is become a censurer of our thoughts.

15 He is grievous unto us, even to behold: for his life is not like other men's, and his ways are very different.

16 We are esteemed by him as triflers, and he abstaineth from our ways as from filthiness, and he preferreth the latter end of the just, and glorieth that he hath God for his father.

17 Let us see then if his words be true, and let us prove what shall happen to him, and we shall know what his end shall be.

18 For if he be the true son of God, he will defend him, and will deliver him from the hands of his enemies.

19 Let us examine him by outrages and tortures, that we may know his meekness and try his patience.

20 Let us condemn him to a most shameful death: for there shall be respect had unto him by his words.

21 These things they thought, and were deceived: for their own malice blinded them.

22 And they knew not the secrets of God, nor hoped for the wages of justice, nor esteemed the honour of holy souls.

PSALM: Psalms 34:17-21, 23

---

17 But the countenance of the Lord is against them that do evil things: to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

18 The just cried, and the Lord heard them: and delivered them out of all their troubles.

19 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart: and he will save the humble of spirit.

20 Many are the afflictions of the just; but out of them all will the Lord deliver them.

21 The Lord keepeth all their bones, not one of them shall be broken.

23 The Lord will redeem the souls of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall offend.

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

---

1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for he would not walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him.

2 Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.

10 But after his brethren were gone up, then he also went up to the feast, not openly, but, as it were, in secret.

25 Some therefore of Jerusalem said: Is not this he whom they seek to kill?

26 And behold, he speaketh openly, and they say nothing to him. Have the rulers known for a truth, that this is the Christ?

27 But we know this man, whence he is: but when the Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.

28 Jesus therefore cried out in the temple, teaching, and saying: You both know me, and you know whence I am: and I am not come of myself; but he that sent me, is true, whom you know not.

29 I know him, because I am from him, and he hath sent me.

30 They sought therefore to apprehend him: and no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.

Daily Mass Readings for Thursday, March 15, 2018

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent

FIRST READING: Exodus 32:7-14

---

7 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Go, get thee down: thy people, which thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt, hath sinned.

8 They have quickly strayed from the way which thou didst shew them: and they have made to themselves a molten calf, and have adored it, and sacrificing victims to it, have said: These are thy gods, O Israel, that have brought thee out of the land of Egypt.

9 And again the Lord said to Moses: See that this people is stiffnecked:

10 Let me alone, that my wrath may be kindled against them, and that I may destroy them, and I will make of thee a great nation.

11 But Moses besought the Lord his God, saying: Why, O Lord, is thy indignation kindled against thy people, whom thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt, with great power, and with a mighty hand?

12 Let not the Egyptians say, I beseech thee: He craftily brought them out, that he might kill them in the mountains, and destroy them from the earth: let thy anger cease, and be appeased upon the wickedness of thy people.

13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou sworest by thy own self, saying: I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven: and this whole land that I have spoken of, I will give to you seed, and you shall possess it for ever.

14 And the Lord was appeased from doing the evil which he had spoken against his people.

PSALM: Psalms 106:19-23

---

19 They made also a calf in Horeb: and they adored the graven thing.

20 And they changed their glory into the likeness of a calf that eateth grass.

21 They forgot God, who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt,

22 Wondrous works in the land of Cham: terrible things in the Red Sea.

23 And he said that he would destroy them: had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach: To turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.

GOSPEL: John 5:31-47

---

31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.

32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.

33 You sent to John, and he gave testimony to the truth.

34 But I receive not testimony from man: but I say these things, that you may be saved.

35 He was a burning and a shining light: and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.

36 But I have a greater testimony than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to perfect; the works themselves, which I do, give testimony of me, that the Father hath sent me.

37 And the Father himself who hath sent me, hath given testimony of me: neither have you heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.

38 And you have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him you believe not.

39 Search the scriptures, for you think in them to have life everlasting; and the same are they that give testimony of me.

40 And you will not come to me that you may have life.

41 I receive glory not from men.

42 But I know you, that you have not the love of God in you.

43 I am come in the name of my Father, and you receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him you will receive.

44 How can you believe, who receive glory one from another: and the glory which is from God alone, you do not seek?

45 Think not that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one that accuseth you, Moses, in whom you trust.

46 For if you did believe Moses, you would perhaps believe me also; for he wrote of me.

47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?