Daily Catholic Mass Readings for March 31, 2022
First Reading: Exodus 32.7-14
7Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: "Go, descend. Your people, whom you led away from the land of Egypt, have sinned8They have quickly withdrawn from the way which you revealed to them. And they have made for themselves a molten calf, and they have worshiped it. And immolating victims to it, they have said: ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who led you away from the land of Egypt.’ 9And again, the Lord said to Moses: "I discern that this people is stiff-necked10Release me, so that my fury may be enraged against them, and I may destroy them, and then I will make of you a great nation.11Then Moses prayed to the Lord his God, saying: "Why, O Lord, is your fury enraged against your people, whom you led away from the land of Egypt, with great strength and with a mighty hand12I beg you, let not the Egyptians say, ‘He cleverly led them away, so that he could put them to death in the mountains and destroy them from the earth.’ Let your anger be quieted and appeased concerning the wickedness of your people13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your very self, saying: ‘I will multiply your offspring like the stars of heaven. And this entire land, about which I have spoken, I will give to your offspring. And you shall possess it forever.’ 14And the Lord was appeased from doing the evil which he had spoken against his people
Psalm 106
1Alleluia. Confess to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy is with every generation2Who will declare the powers of the Lord? Who make a hearing for all his praises3Blessed are those who keep judgment and who do justice at all times4Remember us, O Lord, with good will for your people. Visit us with your salvation5so that we may see the goodness of your elect, so that we may rejoice in the joy of your nation, so that you may be praised along with your inheritance6We have sinned, as have our fathers. We have acted unjustly; we have wrought iniquity7Our fathers did not understand your miracles in Egypt. They did not remember the multitude of your mercies. And they provoked you, while going up to the sea, even the Red Sea8And he saved them for the sake of his name, so that he might make known his power9And he rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up. And he led them into the abyss, as if into a desert10And he saved them from the hand of those who hated them. And he redeemed them from the hand of the enemy11And the water covered those who troubled them. Not one of them remained12And they believed his words, and they sang his praises13As soon as they had finished, they forgot his works, and they would not endure his counsel14And they coveted their desire in the desert, and they tempted God in a waterless place15And he granted to them their request, and he sent abundance into their souls16And they provoked Moses in the camp, and Aaron, the holy one of the Lord17The earth opened and swallowed Dathan, and it covered the congregation of Abiram18And a fire broke out in their congregation. A flame burned up the sinners19And they fashioned a calf at Horeb, and they adored a graven image20And they exchanged their glory for the likeness of a calf that eats hay21They forgot God, who saved them, who did great things in Egypt22miracles in the land of Ham, terrible things at the Red Sea23And he said that he would destroy them, yet Moses, his elect, stood firm before him in the breach, in order to avert his wrath, lest he destroy them24And they held the desirable land to be nothing. They did not trust in his word25And they murmured in their tabernacles. They did not heed the voice of the Lord26And he lifted up his hand over them, in order to prostrate them in the desert27and in order to cast their offspring among the nations, and to scatter them among the regions28And they were initiated into Baal of Peor, and they ate the sacrifices of the dead29And they provoked him with their inventions, and ruination was multiplied in them30Then Phinehas stood up and placated him: and so the violent disturbance ceased31And it was reputed to him unto justice, from generation to generation, even forever32And they provoked him at the Waters of Contradiction, and Moses was afflicted because of them33for they exasperated his spirit. And so he divided them with his lips34They did not destroy the nations, about which the Lord had spoken to them35And they were mixed among the Gentiles. And they learned their works36and they served their graven images, and it became a scandal to them37And they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons38And they shed innocent blood: the blood of their sons and of their daughters, which they sacrificed to the graven images of Canaan. And the land was infected with bloodshed39and was contaminated with their works. And they fornicated according to their own inventions40And the Lord became furiously angry with his people, and he abhorred his inheritance41And he delivered them into the hands of the nations. And those who hated them became rulers over them42And their enemies afflicted them, and they were humbled under their hands43Many times, he delivered them. Yet they provoked him with their counsel, and they were brought low by their iniquities44And he saw that they were in tribulation, and he heard their prayer45And he was mindful of his covenant, and he repented according to the multitude of his mercies46And he provided for them with mercies, in the sight of all those who had seized them47Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from the nations, so that we may confess your holy name and glory in your praise48Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, from ages past, even to all ages. And let all the people say: Amen. Amen
Gospel: John 5.18, 31-47
18And so, because of this, the Jews were seeking to kill him even more so. For not only did he break the Sabbath, but he even said that God was his Father, making himself equal to God31If I offer testimony about myself, my testimony is not true32There is another who offers testimony about me, and I know that the testimony which he offers about me is true33You sent to John, and he offered testimony to the truth34But I do not accept testimony from man. Instead, I say these things, so that you may be saved35He was a burning and shining light. So you were willing, at the time, to exult in his light36But I hold a greater testimony than that of John. For the works which the Father has given to me, so that I may complete them, these works themselves that I do, offer testimony about me: that the Father has sent me37And the Father who has sent me has himself offered testimony about me. And you have never heard his voice, nor have you beheld his appearance38And you do not have his word abiding in you. For the one whom he sent, the same you would not believe39Study the Scriptures. For you think that in them you have eternal life. And yet they also offer testimony about me40And you are not willing to come to me, so that you may have life41I do not accept glory from men42But I know you, that you do not have the love of God within you43I have come in the name of my Father, and you do not accept me. If another will arrive in his own name, him you will accept44How are you able to believe, you who accept glory from one another and yet do not seek the glory that is from God alone45Do not consider that I might accuse you with the Father. There is one who accuses you, Moses, in whom you hope46For if you were believing in Moses, perhaps you would believe in me also. For he wrote about me47But if you do not believe by his writings, how will you believe by my words?
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful moments of faith and unbelief. The first reading from Exodus tells the story of the Israelites’ rebellion against God while Moses is on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments. The people, impatient and fearful, turn to a golden calf, worshipping it as their savior. Their actions are a stark rejection of the God who had just delivered them from slavery in Egypt. Moses, however, stands as a mediator, pleading with God to spare His people, reminding Him of His promises to their ancestors. This passage highlights the tension between human weakness and God’s steadfast love, as well as the importance of intercession and trust in God’s faithfulness.
The Gospel reading from John presents a similar dynamic of belief and unbelief, but in a very different context. Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees, who are determined to kill Him because of His claims to divine sonship and His works, which they see as violations of the Sabbath. Jesus defends Himself by pointing to the testimony of John the Baptist, the works He performs, and the Father’s own witness. He laments that while the Pharisees study the Scriptures, they fail to recognize Him as the fulfillment of those Scriptures. This passage underscores the theme of spiritual blindness and the importance of seeking God’s glory rather than human approval.
Both readings invite us to reflect on our own relationship with God. The Israelites in Exodus turned to a false god because they lost sight of the true God who had delivered them. Similarly, the Pharisees in John failed to recognize Jesus because they were more committed to their own interpretations of the law than to seeking the truth. For us, this means being mindful of the ways we might turn away from God—whether through idolatry, spiritual complacency, or a refusal to see God’s presence in our lives. Like Moses, we are called to intercede for others and to trust in God’s promises, even when the world around us seems to have lost its way. And like Jesus, we are called to seek God’s glory and to open our hearts to the truth, even when it challenges our assumptions. May we, like the faithful remnant in both readings, remain steadfast in our commitment to God, trusting in His love and mercy, even when the world around us falters.