Liturgical Readings for : Monday, 19th February, 2024
Monday of the First Week of Lent
The gospel reminds us that Jesus came to preach good news to the poor
and we get a reminder that good works are essential for our proper observance of this season.
FIRST READING
A reading from the book of Leviticus 19: 1-2, 11-18
You must pass judgement on your neighbour according to justice.
The Lord spoke to Moses; he said:
‘Speak to the whole community of the sons of Israel and say to them:
“Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.
You must not steal nor deal deceitfully or fraudulently with your neighbour.
You must not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God. I am the Lord.
You must not exploit or rob your neighbour.
You must not keep back the labourer’s wage until next morning.
You must not curse the dumb, nor put an obstacle in the blind man’s way,
but you must fear your God. I am the Lord.
“You must not be guilty of unjust verdicts. You must neither be partial to the little man nor overawed by the great; you must pass judgement on your neighbour according to justice.
You must not slander your own people, and you must not jeopardise your neighbour’s life. I am the Lord. You must not bear hatred for your brother in your heart.
You must openly tell him, your neighbour, of his offence; this way you will not take a sin upon yourself.
You must not exact vengeance, nor must you bear a grudge against the children of your people.
You must love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord.’”
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps. 18:8-10. 15
Response Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life
1. The law of the Lord is perfect, it revives the soul.
The rule of the Lord is to be trusted, it gives wisdom to the simple. Response
2. The precepts of the Lord are right, they gladden the heart.
The command of the Lord is clear, it gives light to the eyes. Response
3. The fear of the Lord is holy, abiding for ever.
The decrees of the Lord are truth and all of them just. Response
4. May the spoken words of my mouth, the thoughts of my heart,
win favour in your sight, O Lord, my rescuer, my rock! Response
Gospel Acclamation Ezek 18:31
Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory!
Shake off all your sins – it is the Lord who speaks – and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory!
or 2 Cor 6:2
Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory!
Now is the favourable time; this is the day of salvation
Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 25: 31-46 Glory to you, O Lord
In so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All the nations will be assembled before him and he will separate men one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.
Then the King will say to those on his right hand,
“Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.”
Then the virtuous will say to him in reply,
“Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?”
And the King will answer,
“I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.”
Next he will say to those on his left hand,
“Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you never gave me food; I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink; I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, naked and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me.”
Then it will be their turn to ask,
“Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or naked, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?“
Then he will answer,
“I tell you solemnly, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.”
And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the virtuous to eternal life.’
The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Gospel Reflection Monday 27th Feb, First Week of Lent, Matthew 25:31-46
In one of the beatitudes Jesus declares, ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy’. In today’s gospel reading, Jesus outlines what being merciful entails. It means standing with the most vulnerable and responding to their need for the basic necessities of life such as food, water, welcome, clothing, healing and companionship. We have here what has often been termed the six corporal works of mercy. A seventh has been added in the tradition of the church, burying the dead. These are the works of mercy that open us up to receive God’s mercy.
Jesus makes the striking statement that whenever we perform such works of mercy for someone, we are performing them for him, and whenever we fail to perform them for someone we fail to perform them for him. He identifies himself completely with those in greatest need. Jesus has both a special relationship with God, he is Emmanuel, God-with-us, and a special relationship with the most vulnerable. It is God, God-with-us, we meet in those whose great need calls out to us. Even the smallest act of service done for someone in need has enormous significance, because it is God we are engaging with. The here and the now is what matters, because so often the here is holy ground and the now is holy time, the place and the time where God meets us and calls out to us. We don’t have to search for ‘Sacred Space’; it is all around us.
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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd.
