Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection March 14, 2025
Friday First Week of Lent
14th March 2025 (Friday)
Psalter: Week 1
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Ezekiel 18:21-28
Thus says the Lord GOD: If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed, if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and just, he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of the crimes he committed shall be remembered against him; he shall live because of the virtue he has practiced. Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked? says the Lord GOD. Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way that he may live? And if the virtuous man turns from the path of virtue to do evil, the same kind of abominable things that the wicked man does, can he do this and still live? None of his virtuous deeds shall be remembered, because he has broken faith and committed sin; because of this, he shall die. You say, “The LORD’s way is not fair!” Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair? When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die. But if the wicked, turning from the wickedness he has committed, does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life; since he has turned away from all the sins that he committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
Psalm 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-7a, 7bc-8 (R. 3)
R/. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
R/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
V/. Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the LORD, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
R/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
Gospel: Matthew 5:20-26
Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven. “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”
Daily Gospel Reflection
Friday – First Week of Lent
Main Point: In a world that always contents itself with the minimums, the disciples of Christ must go farther to the maximum. Minimums will not reach us to the kingdom
As followers of Christ, certainly we desire to enter heaven. Jesus gives us the way to make it. It is to make our righteousness exceed that of the Pharisees and scribes. Now their righteousness consisted of the observance of laws and traditions. It was righteousness confined to legalism, that is, to follow the letter of the law.
Instead, we must go beyond the letter to the spirit of the law. The letter gets caught with the details of the law. But the spirit goes behind and beneath, beyond and above, to the purpose and the aim of it. Their righteousness lacked the right intention and the depth of following the law. It was heartless and shallow.
True following of law blends together both the right intention and action, both the heart and life, both devotion and dedication, both faith and charity. In other words, it is going from the minimum to the maximum. The minimum is to be bothered only about how to keep the law. But the maximum is concerned about how to live the law. The minimum thinks only of avoiding the negative, what is prohibited. But the maximum seeks to fulfill the positive, what is required, praiseworthy and beneficial.
In the light of the gospel, the minimum is to avoid murder but the maximum is to avoid even the subtle forms of murder, like anger, humiliation, and offense. The minimum is to avoid or ignore the enemies or keep away from them, those who are not good to us. But the maximum is to take initiative to get reconciled to them.
In the light of the first reading from Ezekiel, the true righteousness is to repent over the evil, turn to good and persevere in the good. Anyone who does not continue faithful to the good but turns away from it will incur God’s judgment.
Even if one has been righteous for long and then turns away from good and turns toward evil, he is liable to God’s punishment. The point here is not a mathematical comparison of how much good or evil? Or how long? Or which is longer ? The whole issue is whether one turns away from evil and turns to good and remains steadfast in the good.
My Practice: We must constantly rise above practicing devotions to experiencing devotion, rise above observing laws to live their spirit. What is important is not following a religion but following the Lord
