Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection March 21, 2025

21st March 2025 (Friday)

Psalter: Week 2

Readings of the Day

First Reading: Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a

Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons, for he was the child of his old age; and he had made him a long tunic. When his brothers saw that their father loved him best of all his sons, they hated him so much that they would not even greet him. One day, when his brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flocks at Shechem, Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers, you know, are tending our flocks at Shechem. Get ready; I will send you to them.” So Joseph went after his brothers and caught up with them in Dothan. They noticed him from a distance, and before he came up to them, they plotted to kill him. They said to one another: “Here comes that master dreamer! Come on, let us kill him and throw him into one of the cisterns here; we could say that a wild beast devoured him. We shall then see what comes of his dreams.” When Reuben heard this, he tried to save him from their hands, saying, “We must not take his life. Instead of shedding blood,” he continued, “just throw him into that cistern there in the desert; but do not kill him outright.” His purpose was to rescue him from their hands and return him to his father. So when Joseph came up to them, they stripped him of the long tunic he had on; then they took him and threw him into the cistern, which was empty and dry. They then sat down to their meal. Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, their camels laden with gum, balm and resin to be taken down to Egypt. Judah said to his brothers: “What is to be gained by killing our brother and concealing his blood? Rather, let us sell him to these Ishmaelites, instead of doing away with him ourselves. After all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed. They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver.

Psalm 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21 (R. 5a)

R/. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.

Gospel Acclamation

V/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

R/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

V/. God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son; so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.

R/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

Gospel: Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: “”Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’ They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?”” They answered him, “”He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times.”” Jesus said to them, “”Did you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes? Therefore, I say to you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.”” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about them. And although they were attempting to arrest him, they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.

Daily Gospel Reflection

Friday – Second Week of Lent

Main Point: The world of today is torn apart by so much malice. At the root are greed and envy. One cannot see and tolerate the good of the other, and one cannot think and follow other than the good of one’s own self

There is so much evil and malice in our world. This causes enormous destruction. It destroys life in all its senses. People are killed; the beauty, the value and the dignity, the joy and peace of human life and human person are destroyed because evil destroys the good. The two stories in both readings show this destructive effect of evil.

In the first reading from Genesis, the brothers of Joseph sell their own brother into slavery. In the gospel, the tenants of the vineyard maltreat and kill the master’s servants and finally his own son. Joseph’s brothers become malicious because of jealousy. The tenants become evil because of greed. Thus jealousy and greed lead to the heights of evil.

Both the stories point to the evil conduct of the people of Israel. Particularly, Jesus is the Joseph and the son of the owner of the vineyard in the two stories respectively. He becomes the target of the evil and envy of the Jews. They cannot tolerate his rising popularity. They cannot accept him challenging their shallow legalism and hypocrisy.

All the more, they cannot bear that he challenges their authority, undervalues their knowledge and credibility. They cannot digest the fact that he becomes the champion of the poor, the sinful, and the despicable in society. Much more, it is just intolerable when he exalts those low class people over and above them. This reversal and subversion is highly inflammable.

This story of envy, greed, and evil is not only a thing of the past. It is a present reality. Immense harm is being done because of greed and envy. We too succumb often to their onslaughts. Therefore, we need to become more conscious and cautious about the sad fate they would bring upon us. All those who are envious and avaricious and act maliciously will incur God’s wrath.

“He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons”. “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits”. Failures in fidelity and especially in the fraternity will not go light in God’s sight.

My Practice: One cannot obtain God’s grace by force. One cannot force one’s entry into the kingdom of God by mere allegiance to a religion or by mere observance of some laws and activities. Ultimately all depends on one’s openness and fruitfulness