Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection March 10, 2025
First Week of Lent
10th March 2025 (Monday)
Psalter: Week 1
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18
The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the whole assembly of the children of Israel and tell them: Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy. “You shall not steal. You shall not lie or speak falsely to one another. You shall not swear falsely by my name, thus profaning the name of your God. I am the LORD. “You shall not defraud or rob your neighbour. You shall not withhold overnight the wages of your day labourer. You shall not curse the deaf, or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the LORD. “You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment. Show neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty, but judge your fellow men justly. You shall not go about spreading slander among your kin; nor shall you stand by idly when your neighbour’s life is at stake. I am the LORD. “You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. Though you may have to reprove him, do not incur sin because of him. Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen. You shall love your neighbour as yourself. I am the LORD.”
Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15 (R. John 6:63b)
R/. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
R/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
V/. Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
R/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46
Jesus said to his disciples: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Daily Gospel Reflection
Monday – First Week of Lent
Main Point: Love for the other and charity to them is the ultimate criterion that decides the fate of the last judgment. Those who fail in the principle of charity will be liable to judgment and punishment
Very often, segregation is made between the spiritual domain and the actual. Accordingly, we see a lot of dichotomy between one’s devotion and action. Often we find people to be very spiritual but not integral, very prayerful but not charitable. It is in this context today’s liturgy of the Word affirms once again the inseparable harmony between holiness and goodness, between faith in God and charity to others.
In the first reading, God commands His people to be holy as He is holy. But, immediately all the later directives concern duties toward the neighbour. This implies that being good and just to others is the real expression of being holy and faithful to God.
In the gospel too, in the context and light of the last judgment, Jesus drives home that charity is the supreme principle and love in action is the ultimate criterion for the last judgment. The central focus of the last judgment is the bond of fraternity and the duty of charity. Charity to others especially in need becomes the concrete expression and testimony of the love of God in action.
Charity is a binding obligation on every disciple of Christ. It is the ultimate criterion that pivots the whole direction of divine justice. In the last judgment what is striking is that the acts of charity which express the love of neighbour are tantamount to the love of God itself.
In doing all those benevolent acts of love, one is loving God Himself (v. 40: “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ “; v. 45: “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me’”).
This love of neighbor is further so noble that it does all the good without any ulterior motive, so selfless even to the extent of not being aware of doing it for God; they are devoid of even this holy motive of doing everything to please God.
However, we need to bear in mind one important factor. It will be unfair to attest that God judges on the basis of actions, and so devotion and prayer are not primary matters. Even though the spiritual aspect is not explicitly mentioned, it is profoundly present. A true charity, a life of good actions is possible only when there is a deep spiritual foundation.
One who is prayerful cannot but be charitable. One who is genuinely and joyfully charitable and committed to good, cannot but be solidly rooted in God and prayer because it is there that he derives his motivation and strength. One cannot do good unless inspired and prompted by the Holy Spirit.
My Practice: Devotion without charity will be without flesh. That is why, the great Saint Francis de Sales exclaimed: “Charity is the perfection of devotion”, that is, the apex and culmination of devotion is the ecstasy of charity.
