Daily Catholic Mass Readings for March 31, 2018
First Reading: Genesis 1.1, 26-31a
1In the beginning, God created heaven and earth26And he said: "Let us make Man to our image and likeness. And let him rule over the fish of the sea, and the flying creatures of the air, and the wild beasts, and the entire earth, and every animal that moves on the earth.27And God created man to his own image; to the image of God he created him; male and female, he created them28And God blessed them, and he said, "Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and the flying creatures of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.29And God said: "Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant upon the earth, and all the trees that have in themselves the ability to sow their own kind, to be food for you30and for all the animals of the land, and for all the flying things of the air, and for everything that moves upon the earth and in which there is a living soul, so that they may have these on which to feed." And so it became31And God saw everything that he had made. And they were very good. And it became evening and morning, the sixth day
Psalm 104 or Psalm 33
1To David himself. Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are exceedingly great. You have clothed yourself with confession and beauty2you are dressed with light like a garment, while you stretch out heaven like a tent3You cover its heights with water. You set the clouds as your stairs. You walk upon the wings of the winds4You make your Angels a breath of life, and your ministers a burning fire5You founded the earth upon its stable base. It will not be bent from age to age6The abyss, like a garment, is its clothing. The waters will remain standing above the mountains7At your rebuke, they will flee. At the voice of your thunder, they will dread8The mountains ascend, and the plains descend, to the place which you have founded for them9You have set a limit that they will not cross. And they will not return to cover the earth10You spring forth fountains in steep valleys. The waters will cross through the midst of the mountains11All the wild beasts of the field will drink. The wild donkeys will anticipate in their thirst12Above them, the flying things of the air will dwell. From the midst of the rocks, they will utter voices13You irrigate the mountains from your heights. The earth will be satiated from the fruit of your works14producing grass for cattle and herbs for the service of men. So may you draw bread from the earth15and wine, in order to cheer the heart of man. Then he may gladden his face with oil, and bread will confirm the heart of man16The trees of the field will be saturated, along with the cedars of Lebanon, which he planted17There, the sparrows will make their nests. The leader of them is the house of the heron18The heights of the hills are for the deer; the rock is a refuge for the hedgehog19He has made the moon for seasons; the sun knows its setting20You appointed darkness, and it has become night; all the beasts of the forest will cross through it21The young lions will roar, while searching for and seizing their meal from God22The sun arose, and they were gathered together; and in their dens, they will lie down together23Man will go forth to his work and to his activities, until the evening24How great are your works, O Lord! You have made all things in wisdom. The earth has been filled with your possessions25This sea is great and its hands are spacious. There are creeping things without number: the small animals with the great26There, the ships will pass by this sea-serpent that you have formed to mock them27All these expect you to give them food in due time28What you give to them, they will gather. When you open your hand, they will all be filled with goodness29But if you turn your face away, they will be disturbed. You will take away their breath, and they will fail, and they will return to their dust30You will send forth your Spirit, and they will be created. And you will renew the face of the earth31May the glory of the Lord be for all ages. The Lord will rejoice in his works32He considers the earth, and he makes it tremble. He touches the mountains, and they smoke33I will sing to the Lord with my life. I will sing psalms to my God, as long as I am34May my speech be pleasing to him. Truly, I will take delight in the Lord35Let sinners fade away from the earth, along with the unjust, so that they may not be. Bless the Lord, O my soul
1A Psalm of David. Exult in the Lord, you just ones; together praise the upright2Confess to the Lord with stringed instruments; sing psalms to him with the psaltery, the instrument of ten strings3Sing to him a new song. Sing psalms to him skillfully, with loud exclamation4For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his works are in faith5He loves mercy and judgment. The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord6By the word of the Lord, the heavens were established, and all their power, by the Spirit of his mouth7gathering together the waters of the sea, as if in a container, placing the depths in storage8Let all the earth fear the Lord, and may all the inhabitants of the world quake before him9For he spoke, and they became. He commanded, and they were created10The Lord scatters the counsels of the nations. Moreover, he reproves the thoughts of the people, and he rejects the counsels of the leaders11But the counsel of the Lord remains for eternity, the thoughts of his heart from generation to generation12Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his inheritance13The Lord has looked down from heaven. He has seen all the sons of men14From his well-prepared dwelling place, he has gazed upon all who dwell on the earth15He has formed the hearts of each one of them; he understands all their works16The king is not saved by great power, nor will the giant be saved by his many powers17The horse is false safety; for he will not be saved by the abundance of his powers18Behold, the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him and on those who hope in his mercy19so as to rescue their souls from death and to feed them during famine20Our soul remains with the Lord. For he is our helper and protector21For in him, our heart will rejoice, and in his holy name, we have hoped22Let your mercy be upon us, O Lord, just as we have hoped in you
Second Reading: Romans 6.3-11
3Do you not know that those of us who have been baptized in Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death4For through baptism we have been buried with him into death, so that, in the manner that Christ rose from the dead, by the glory of the Father, so may we also walk in the newness of life5For if we have been planted together, in the likeness of his death, so shall we also be, in the likeness of his resurrection6For we know this: that our former selves have been crucified together with him, so that the body which is of sin may be destroyed, and moreover, so that we may no longer serve sin7For he who has died has been justified from sin8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live together with Christ9For we know that Christ, in rising up from the dead, can no longer die: death no longer has dominion over him10For in as much as he died for sin, he died once. But in as much as he lives, he lives for God11And so, you should consider yourselves to be certainly dead to sin, and to be living for God in Christ Jesus our Lord
Gospel: Mark 16.1-8
1And when the Sabbath had passed, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought aromatic spices, so that when they arrived they could anoint Jesus2And very early in the morning, on the first of the Sabbaths, they went to the tomb, the sun having now risen3And they said to one another, "Who will roll back the stone for us, away from the entrance of the tomb?4And looking, they saw that the stone was rolled back. For certainly it was very large5And upon entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, covered with a white robe, and they were astonished6And he said to them, "Do not become frightened. You are seeking Jesus of Nazareth, the Crucified One. He has risen. He is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him7But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you into Galilee. There you shall see him, just as he told you.8But they, going out, fled from the tomb. For trembling and fear had overwhelmed them. And they said nothing to anyone. For they were afraid
Sermon
In today's readings, we journey from creation to resurrection, tracing God's plan for humanity. The first reading from Genesis reminds us of our origin as beings created in God's image, entrusted with stewardship over the earth. This passage establishes our role as caretakers, reflecting God's love and wisdom in the world. The second reading from Romans shifts our focus to baptism, where we die to sin and rise anew in Christ. This spiritual rebirth calls us to live a life transformed by faith, no longer bound by sin but alive in God's grace. The Gospel from Mark culminates in the resurrection, where the women discover the empty tomb and receive the joyous news to spread. This moment is the pinnacle of God's plan, offering salvation and hope.
These readings interweave to reveal a narrative of creation, redemption, and mission. Genesis sets the stage with our original purpose, Romans reveals how Christ restores us, and Mark's Gospel commissions us to share this Good News. Together, they show how God's plan unfolds from creation to our call to live as new creations in Christ.
In daily life, this means embracing our role as stewards, living with purpose and integrity. We are called to spread the Gospel, not just in words, but through our actions and love. The resurrection reminds us of the power of faith and the hope it brings. Let us live as children of God, renewed and empowered, sharing the joy of Christ's victory over sin and death.