March 2, 2013

USCCB »  Bible »  Daily Readings

 « March 1  |  March 3 »

Saturday of the Second Week of Lent 
Lectionary: 235

Reading 1MI 7:14-15, 18-20

Shepherd your people with your staff,
the flock of your inheritance,
That dwells apart in a woodland,
in the midst of Carmel.
Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead,
as in the days of old;
As in the days when you came from the land of Egypt,
show us wonderful signs.

Malachi prays to God that He will restore the Jews to their previous relationship with Him.

Guide us Lord.  Guide us because we are lost in the forest of Carmel.  Bring us back to our home in Bashan and Gilead. As when you saved us from the land of Egypt.

Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt
and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance;
Who does not persist in anger forever,
but delights rather in clemency,
And will again have compassion on us,
treading underfoot our guilt?

There is no one like you Lord.  No one who forgives like you, who is kind like you and who grants mercy like you.  And will again have mercy on us.

You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins;
You will show faithfulness to Jacob,
and grace to Abraham,
As you have sworn to our fathers
from days of old.

You will discard all of our sins and keep your promises to Jacob and Abraham and all our forefathers. 

Responsorial PsalmPS 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12

R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

God is good and compassionate.
Praise the Lord with my spirit and remember all He has done for me.

He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

He forgives all our sins and saves us from death.  And He grants us His mercy and kindness.

He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

God isn't always angry.  He doesn't punish as we deserve.

For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

God's mercy is beyond the heavens.  And He forgives our sins and washes them away.

GospelLK 15:1-3, 11-32

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

The Pharisees complained because tax collectors and sinners were seeking Jesus.

So to them Jesus addressed this parable.
“A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them.

So Jesus told them a story.  There was a man with two sons.  The younger wanted to receive his inheritance.  So the father gave it to him.

After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings  and set off to a distant country
where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.  When he had freely spent everything,
a severe famine struck that country,
and he found himself in dire need.

So the boy left home with his money and spent it frivolously.  Being far away, a famine struck and he was stuck.

So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens
who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.
And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any.

So he got a job feeding swine.  But he was so hungry, he would have eaten the swine's food if anyone had given him any.

Coming to his senses he thought,
‘How many of my father’s hired workers
have more than enough food to eat,
but here am I, dying from hunger.
I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him,
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
I no longer deserve to be called your son;
treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’

Then he thought about it and said,  "how many of my father's workers have more food than they need?  And here I am starving.  I'm going to go home and ask my father to forgive me and to treat me like one of his employees."

So he got up and went back to his father.
While he was still a long way off,
his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion.
He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.

But when he was still far away, his father saw him and ran to him and hugged him and kissed him.

His son said to him,
‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you;
I no longer deserve to be called your son.’

And the son said, "Father, I don't deserve your love, I have sinned against you and against heaven."

But his father ordered his servants,
‘Quickly, bring the finest robe and put it on him;
put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.
Then let us celebrate with a feast,
because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again;
he was lost, and has been found.’

But his father called everyone together and threw a great feast saying, "My son was dead but now he is alive again!"

Then the celebration began.
Now the older son had been out in the field
and, on his way back, as he neared the house,
he heard the sound of music and dancing.
He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.
The servant said to him,
‘Your brother has returned
and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.’
He became angry,
and when he refused to enter the house,
his father came out and pleaded with him.

His other son noticed the commotion and became angry.  Because the misbehaving son was being greeted like a hero come home.  So he refused to come home.  But his father came to him also and begged him.

He said to his father in reply,
‘Look, all these years I served you
and not once did I disobey your orders;
yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.
But when your son returns
who swallowed up your property with prostitutes,
for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’

The son said to his father, "Your son who robbed you and threw away your wealth, you welcome with a feast.  But I have been faithful to you and you have never even made a toast with me."

He said to him,
‘My son, you are here with me always;
everything I have is yours.
But now we must celebrate and rejoice,
because your brother was dead and has come to life again;
he was lost and has been found.’”

But the father said to him, "My son, you have always remained with me and everything that I have is yours.  Now, be happy with me, because your brother was dead, but he is now alive.  He was lost and is now found."