Usccb Mass Readings 3rd April 2023

Dear Brother and Sister in Christ,

Welcome to Catholic Mass Readings in Biblemsg.com. We are on the April 3rd, 2023 in the Holy Monday. Usccb Mass Readings Today is Isaiah 42:1-7; John 12:1-11.

Catholic Mass Readings

Today’s Readings

First Reading	Isaiah 42:1-7
Gospel Reading	John 21:1-11

First Reading

Isaiah 42:1-7

¹ Here is my servant whom I uphold,
    my chosen one with whom I am pleased.
Upon him I have put my spirit;
    he shall bring forth justice to the nations.
² He will not cry out, nor shout,
    nor make his voice heard in the street.
³ A bruised reed he will not break,
    and a dimly burning wick he will not quench.
    He will faithfully bring forth justice.
⁴ He will not grow dim or be bruised
    until he establishes justice on the earth;
    the coastlands will wait for his teaching.

⁵ Thus says God, the Lord,
    who created the heavens and stretched them out,
    who spread out the earth and its produce,
Who gives breath to its people
    and spirit to those who walk on it:
⁶ I, the Lord, have called you for justice,
    I have grasped you by the hand;
I formed you, and set you
    as a covenant for the people,
    a light for the nations,
⁷ To open the eyes of the blind,
    to bring out prisoners from confinement,
    and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 27:1, 2, 3, 13-14 (R. 1a)

Response: The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Gospel

John 21:1-11

The Anointing at Bethany. ¹ Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ² They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. ³ Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. ⁴ Then Judas the Iscariot, one [of] his disciples, and the one who would betray him, said, ⁵ “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages and given to the poor?” ⁶ He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions. ⁷ So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. ⁸ You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

⁹ [The] large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came, not only because of Jesus, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ¹⁰ And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too, ¹¹ because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him.

Catholic Homily for Today

Focus: Both the categories, that is, persons of God and faith, and persons away from God and faith encounter the same grace in the same situations and opportunities. But the difference is how they respond and react to them. The first category responds positively and the latter, negatively

1.      We have at first positive figures in the intimate family of Bethany – Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. We also have some Jews on the positive side. They believe in Jesus, experiencing the power and impact of Jesus’ presence, words and actions.

2.      They are always so open and welcoming. They give immense value to the person and the presence of Jesus. They nurture a profound bonding with him, in intimacy and loyalty. They relish his company and his teachings. Jesus too feels totally at home with them. He feels a sense of belonging and warmth with them

3.      How intimate are our families with Jesus? How freely and frequently Jesus is invited to be a welcome guest and family friend? How much does Jesus feel at home with us in our families?

4.      We have the figure of Mary. She spends so much on perfume for Jesus. True love counts no cost. Person and love are more important than money and material concerns. She anoints his feet with the perfume and wipes his feet with her hair. These are truly signs and expressions of intense love for Jesus

5.      How personal, deep, and intense is our love for Jesus? What and how much do I spend on him – my time, my talent, my energies, my money, and resources, my goodness? Am I generous toward Jesus or do I become very calculative and stingy when it is a matter of giving to the Lord?

6.      We have Martha who does serving to the Lord. She is so hospitable and treats the Lord in the best way possible with the best dishes. How do I serve the Lord? Do I offer him the best, and prepare the best dish for him? Do I feel happy to wait on the Lord promptly and eagerly?

7.      We have Lazarus, an intimate friend of Jesus. He sits with Jesus at the table. He receives new life from Jesus. Do I share company with Jesus? Do I sit together with him and experience his companionship? Do I carry within me the new life that I have received from Jesus?

8.      Then, we have the negative figures: First, Judas Iscariot, the traitor finds fault with Mary’s gesture of love. He is so much dominated by monetary interests and fails to appreciate the love that goes far beyond. He also pretends a false concern for the poor, a hypocritical show of goodness

9.      What about our love and loyalty to the Lord? Three years in the intimate vicinity of the Lord as a disciple does not guarantee honesty and fidelity. Are we also the same as Judas, so self-interested and unstable, unfaithful and betraying?

10.  The Pharisees and scribes get hardened and become evil-intentioned and criminal. They plot to terminate Jesus, out of jealousy and malice. What is our attitude and approach toward good persons and the good of others? 

Direction: Let our hearts and families be welcome homes for Jesus. Let us nurture a deep personal love for him, in passionate Intimacy with him and fidelity to him

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.