Dear Brother and Sister in Christ,

Welcome to Catholic Mass Readings in Biblemsg.com. We are on the April 05, 2023 in the Holy Week. Today’s Mass readings and reflection on Isaiah 50:4-9a; Matthew 26:14-25.

Catholic Mass Readings

Main Theme of the Day: The Betrayal

Today’s Readings

First ReadingIsaiah 50:4-9a
Gospel ReadingMatthew 26:14-25

First Reading

Isaiah 50:4-9a

4 The Lord God has given me
    a well-trained tongue,
That I might know how to answer the weary
    a word that will waken them.
Morning after morning
    he wakens my ear to hear as disciples do;
5 The Lord God opened my ear;
    I did not refuse,
    did not turn away.
6 I gave my back to those who beat me,
    my cheeks to those who tore out my beard;
My face I did not hide
    from insults and spitting.

7 The Lord God is my help,
    therefore I am not disgraced;
Therefore I have set my face like flint,
    knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
8 He who declares my innocence is near.
    Who will oppose me?
    Let us appear together.
Who will dispute my right?
    Let them confront me.
9 See, the Lord God is my help;
    who will prove me wrong?

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 69:8-10, 21-22, 31 and 33-34 (R. 14c, b)

Response: Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Gospel

Matthew 26:14-25

The Betrayal by Judas. 14 Then one of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver, 16 and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.

Preparations for the Passover. 17 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The teacher says, “My appointed time draws near; in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.” 19 The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover.

The Betrayer. 20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the Twelve. 21 And while they were eating, he said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 Deeply distressed at this, they began to say to him one after another, “Surely it is not I, Lord?” 23 He said in reply, “He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me. 24 The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born.” 25 Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” He answered, “You have said so.”

Catholic Homily for Today

Focus: Adversities and afflictions will certainly assail us, especially when we stand with and for Jesus. But blessed is he who does not falter and defect from the path of the Lord!

1.      We have a vivid picture of the suffering servant of Yahweh in the first reading from Isaiah. He faces enormous suffering and persecution. But he does not retaliate. He does not lose heart. He does not give up. Because he is deeply convinced that he is chosen and consecrated by God. He knows that it is God’s mission he is entrusted with. He knows that he will be guided and fortified by God’s own light and power. He is firmly rooted in God and is totally surrendered to Him. When God does assist him, nobody can resist him

2.      Like the suffering servant, Jesus too is firmly rooted in God and committed to his mission. When God is his help, no opposition or affliction can deter him or shatter him. Jesus’ confrontation with the Pharisees gets intensified and aggravated. While Jesus’ conviction to walk the way of his mission gets stronger, the evil intention of the Jewish authorities to persecute and kill him also gets more and more confirmed

3.      Jesus very clearly analyses the grounds and reasons for his pathetic fate. The greatest reason is the contrast between them and him: they are from below, he is from above; they belong to the world, he belongs to God; they do not listen to God, do not please Him, while he listens to the Father and does what is pleasing to Him; they are enslaved to sin and die in sin, while he is the truth that sets us free and he gives the life of grace

4.      Those who are focused on Jesus, raised on the cross, will live for eternity, while those who are caught up with the world, will remain bound and unliberated. Unless we live contrasting lives like Jesus, we cannot be liberated and receive salvation.

Direction: Suffering in itself is not meritorious. We suffer not because we are miserable people. But our suffering on behalf of God and good is meritorious and praiseworthy because it is salvific and relieves the burden of sin

Note

Hope you had a good experience reading the catholic reflection for the day. With another inspiring message we shall meet in the next post. Stay Tuned in Biblemsg.com Thank You.