Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection April 03, 2025

03rd April 2025 (Thursday)

Psalter: Week 4

Readings of the Day

First Reading: Exodus 32:7-14

In those days: The Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.” But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.

Psalm 106:19-20, 21-22, 23 (R. 4a)

R/. O Lord, remember us with the favour you show to your people

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; that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

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

Gospel: John 5:31-47

At that time: Jesus said to the Jews, “If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. I do not receive glory from people. But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

Daily Gospel Reflection

Thursday – Fourth Week of Lent

Main Point: How true it is that we vex God often with our stiff-neckedness! But thanks to the same God who is so flexible to relent and be benevolent yet again!

1. Really it is a sad thing that not seldom many people test God’s patience and benevolence with a spirit of obstinacy and closedness toward God. How painfully God laments over the people of Israel. For, so easily they forget the marvels that God has worked in their lives. They forget the mighty liberation.

2. They become ungrateful and attribute all the credit to mere idols. They turned aside from the way of the true God. They corrupt themselves. They are truly stiff-necked. But, Moses is deeply concerned for them. He makes an enormous effort to tone down God’s wrath. He tries to evoke sympathy in their favour.

3. It is not playing down their wrongdoings and infidelity, but elevating God’s fidelity. In simple, he clearly attests that God’s fidelity is not conditioned or reversed by the people’s infidelity. He is stable and steadfast. What a nobility and power of intercession!

4. The same stubbornness of the Jews confronts and torments Jesus. He takes the role of Moses: on one hand, he constantly speaks the truth; he urges the people to accept and follow it. He challenges their lack of transparency.

5. On the other hand, he bears testimony to God’s love and fidelity. He calls them earnestly to believe him by calling different sources as his testimonies. These are Moses and his teachings, the sacred Scripture, John the Baptist, the Father Himself and Jesus’ own works.

6. These are authentic witnesses to his divine identity and divine mission. But, sadly no witness can convince them. Because they are so closed and blind and hard. We are invited and summoned to believe and change.

My Practice: God goes on speaking to us, enlightening and calling us to know God and to get closer to Him. Let us believe Him and live with and for Him