March 11
Friday of the First Week of Lent
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Give a Mass Offering
Mass Intentions
7:45 AM – Parishioners of Holy Cross
Prayer for Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
Readings
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.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-7a, 7bc-8
R. (3) If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
LORD, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to my voice in supplication.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
If you, O LORD, mark iniquities,
LORD, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness,
that you may be revered.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
I trust in the LORD;
my soul trusts in his word.
My soul waits for the LORD
more than sentinels wait for the dawn.
Let Israel wait for the LORD.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
For with the LORD is kindness
and with him is plenteous redemption;
And he will redeem Israel
from all their iniquities.
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
Gospel Acclamation
Ezekiel 18:31
R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory!*
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. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory!*
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.”
“If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?”
Reflection
The readings today remind us of the importance of God’s standard of holiness. We have heard over and over again that as God is holy, so we should do everything in our power to be holy. What does this holiness look like? The holiness that God calls us to is a sincere love for him, and a sincere love for our neighbor. The acts of love that we accomplish in the world stand as evidence that we have made a choice to try to be as holy as we possibly can be. But all of these choices are made on a daily basis. We get up in the morning and decide to pursue holiness or we decide to pursue our own desires. We can’t do both.
In the reading from the Prophet Ezekiel, we are told that God does not rejoice when a wicked man makes the choice to continue his wickedness. God does not rejoice in the death of the wicked man but rejoices to see that person converted. More distasteful in his sight is a righteous man who makes the choice to turn to wicked ways. Those of us who want to attain holiness must make the right choice each and every day that we are alive.
In the gospel, we are told that our virtue must be more than the mere lip-service of the Pharisees—we must live and act from a sincere and deeply held faith and not just go through external motions. God sees the inmost heart and judges accordingly. Jesus also reminds us to be reconciled with our family for any wrong we have done to them or they have done to us. When we fall short on this we must take concrete steps towards conversion, acting with love to right whatever wrongs we may have committed. The choice is always ours to make—to choose the ways of God and live in eternal paradise in the next life or to choose our own ways and live somewhere that is not so pleasant.
God bless,
Deacon Dare
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