God calls us to Him. He forgives, welcomes & heals (readings for March 31, 2019 annotated)

Key

What these scriptures tell us about God

What these scriptures tell us to do

What the scriptures tell us not to do

Commentary

Hyperlink to additional resources

Today’s readings demonstrate God’s wonderfully loving nature. He freely forgives if we truly repent. He graciously welcomes us in spite of our sin. He heals us and makes us new. 

The love revealed in these scriptures is reflected in the very first paragraph of The Catechism of the Catholic Church:

 “God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Saviour. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life.”

Other scriptures describing God’s wonderful love are collected in Wisdom Principles—God Loves and Calls Us to Him, In Spite of our Sin. 

Reading 1  Joshua 5:9-12

The LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you.”

While the Israelites were encamped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth of the month. On the day after the Passover, they ate of the produce of the land in the form of unleavened cakes and parched grain. On that same day after the Passover, on which they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased. No longer was there manna for the Israelites, who that year ate of the yield of the land of Canaan.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 34:2-7

R. (9a)  Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Glorify the LORD with me, let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Reading 2 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Brothers and sisters:
Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come. And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation,  namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,  not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Verse Before the Gospel Luke 15:18

I will get up and go to my Father and shall say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

Gospel Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them Jesus addressed this parable:

“A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed,
but nobody gave him any. 

Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’ So he got up and went back to his father.

While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.

His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’

But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began.

Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ 

He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns
who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’

He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’”

What these scriptures tell us about God

I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you

the goodness of the Lord.
the lowly will hear me and be glad

the goodness of the Lord.
he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
the goodness of the Lord.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy

When the poor one called out, the LORD heard

from all his distress he saved him.
the goodness of the Lord.

Whoever is in Christ is a new creation

all this is from God

reconciled us to himself through Christ
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ

not counting their trespasses against them

entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin

we might become the righteousness of God in him.

I will get up and go to my Father and shall say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

This man welcomes sinners and eats with them

While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion.

He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.

But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was

dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found. 

everything I have is yours

we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found

What these scriptures tell us to do

Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
bless the LORD at all times

his praise shall be ever in my mouth.glory in the LORD
the lowly will hear me and be glad

Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
together extol his name
sought the LORD

Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Look to him 

Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

entrusting to us the message of reconciliation
be reconciled to God.

drawing near to listen to Jesus

I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you”

he got up and went back to his father.

His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you’

celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found

What these scriptures tell us not to do

a life of dissipation

He became angry

God comes to us. We should embrace His will (readings for March 26, 2019 annotated)

Key

What these scriptures tell us about God

What these scriptures tell us to do

Commentary

Hyperlink to additional resources

God comes to us, reaches out to us, in spite of His perfection and our deep imperfection. Great, inconceivable, goodness results when we respond to Him by embracing His always perfect will.  

Other scriptures addressing those dynamics are collected in Wisdom Principles—God Loves and Calls Us to Him, In Spite of our Sin and Wisdom Principles—True Piety.

Additional meditations on the annunciation can be accessed at What We Can Learn From Jesus' Nativity: The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) 

Reading 1  Isaiah 7:10-14, 8:10

The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying: Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!

But Ahaz answered, "I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!"

Then Isaiah said: Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary people, must you also weary my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us!" 

Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 40:7-11

R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not, but ears open to obedience you gave me. Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not; then said I, "Behold I come."
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me, to do your will, O my God, is my delight, and your law is within my heart!"
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly; I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Your justice I kept not hid within my heart; your faithfulnessand your salvation I have spoken of;  I have made no secret of your kindness and your truth in the vast assembly.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

Reading 2  Hebrews 10:4-10

It is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats take away sins. For this reason, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight. Then I said, 'As is written of me in the scroll, behold, I come to do your will, O God.'"

First he says, "Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delighted in." These are offered according to the law. Then he says, "Behold, I come to do your will." He takes away the first to establish the second. By this "will," we have been consecrated through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Verse Before the Gospel  John 1:14

The Word of God became flesh and made his dwelling among us; and we saw his glory.

Gospel  Luke 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be greatand will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of Davidhis father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end." But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" 

And the angel said to her in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God."

Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her. 

What these scriptures tell us about God

God is with us! 

Your justice

your faithfulness

your salvation

your kindness

your truth

Christ came into the world

we have been consecrated through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.

The Word of God became flesh and made his dwelling among us

we saw his glory

was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth

He will be great

Son of the Most High

God will give him the throne of David

he will rule over the house of Jacob forever

of his Kingdom there will be no end

the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God

nothing will be impossible for God

What these scriptures tell us to do

come to do your will
ears open to obedience 

come to do your will
to do your will, O my God, is my delight

come to do your will
announced your justice 

come to do your will
Your justice I kept not hid

your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken of

I have made no secret of your kindness and your truth in the vast assemblycome to do your will

I come to do your will, O God
I come to do your will

May it be done to me according to your word

God reaches out in spite of grumbling, sin, & incomprehension; blessing follows if we get past those things (Readings for March 24, 2019 annotated)

Key:

What these scriptures tell us about God

What these scriptures tell us to do

What the scriptures tell us not to do

Commentary

Hyperlink to additional resources

Today’s readings reflect several aspects of God’s abundant patience and grace towards us.  Other aspects of that patience are explored in Fear does not equal Failure and Doubt does not equal Disqualification. His grace is a well described in Paragraph 1 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

So how do we respond to that wonderful patience and grace? See below in green.  

Reading 1  Exodus 17:3-7

In those days, in their thirst for water, the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "Why did you ever make us leave Egypt? Was it just to have us die here of thirst with our children and our livestock?"

So Moses cried out to the LORD, "What shall I do with this people? a little more and they will stone me!"

The LORD answered Moses, "Go over there in front of the people, along with some of the elders of Israel, holding in your hand, as you go, the staff with which you struck the river. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock in Horeb. Strike the rock, and the water will flow from it for the people to drink."

This Moses did, in the presence of the elders of Israel. The place was called Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled there and tested the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD in our midst or not?"

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9

R. (8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD; let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation. Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the LORD who made us. For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice: "Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the desert, where your fathers tempted me; they tested me though they had seen my works."
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Reading 2  Romans 5:1-2, 5-8

Since we have been justified by faith,  we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith  to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God.

And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For Christ, while we were still helpless,  died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

Verse Before the Gospel Cf John 4:42, 15

Lord, you are truly the Savior of the world; give me living water, that I may never thirst again.

Gospel John 4:5-42

Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there. Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well. It was about noon.

A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.

The Samaritan woman said to him, "How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?"—For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.

Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, 'Give me a drink, ' you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

The woman said to him,  "Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep;  where then can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself with his children and his flocks?"

Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water."

Jesus said to her, "Go call your husband and come back."

The woman answered and said to him, "I do not have a husband."

Jesus answered her, "You are right in saying, 'I do not have a husband.' For you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true."

The woman said to him, "Sir, I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain; but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem."

Jesus said to her, "Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You people worship what you do not understand; we worship what we understand, because salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him. God is Spirit, andthose who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth."

The woman said to him, "I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Christ; when he comes, he will tell us everything."

Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one speaking with you."

At that moment his disciples returned, and were amazed that he was talking with a woman, but still no one said, "What are you looking for?" or "Why are you talking with her?"

The woman left her water jar and went into the town and said to the people, "Come see a man who told me everything I have done. Could he possibly be the Christ?" They went out of the town and came to him.

Meanwhile, the disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat." But he said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." So the disciples said to one another, "Could someone have brought him something to eat?"

Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work. Do you not say, 'In four months the harvest will be here'? I tell you, look up and see the fields ripe for the harvest. The reaper is already receiving payment and gathering crops for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together. For here the saying is verified that 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap what you have not worked for; others have done the work, and you are sharing the fruits of their work."

Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me everything I have done." When the Samaritans came to him, they invited him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. Many more began to believe in him because of his word, and they said to the woman, "We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that truly the savior of the world."

What these scriptures tell us about God

The LORD answered Moses

I will be standing there in front of you on the rock in Horeb

Strike the rock, and the water will flow from it 

the LORD in our midst

the LORD who made us.
he is our God

he shepherds

he guides.

we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
For Christ, while we were still helpless, died at the appointed time for the ungodly

God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

truly the Savior of the world

Jesus, tired from his journey

"If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, 'Give me a drink, ' you would have asked him and he would have given you living water
whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst

the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

the Father seeks such people to worship him

God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth.

I am he

the Christ

I have food to eat of which you do not know.

My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work. 

the sower and reaper can rejoice together

I sent you to reap what you have not worked for

truly the savior of the world.

What these scriptures tell us to do

cried out to the LORD

hear his voice

sing joyfully to the LORD

acclaim the Rock of our salvation.come into his presence with thanksgiving

joyfully sing psalms to him.
hear his voice

bow down in worship

hear his voice

hear his voice

hear his voice

justified by faith

gained access by faith

hope of the glory of God.hope does not disappoint

worship the Father in Spirit and truth
those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth

What these scriptures tell us to do

grumbled

harden not your hearts
harden not your hearts
harden not your hearts
Harden not your hearts 

harden not your hearts