Daily Catholic Mass Readings for March 20, 2023
First Reading: 2 Samuel 7.4-5a, 12-14a, 16
4But it happened in that night, behold, the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying5"Go, and say to my servant David: ‘Thus says the Lord: Should you build a house for me as a dwelling place12And when your days will have been fulfilled, and you will sleep with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who will go forth from your loins, and I will make firm his kingdom13He himself shall build a house to my name. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom, even forever14I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. And if he will commit any iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and with the wounds of the sons of men16And your house shall be faithful, and your kingdom shall be before your face, for eternity, and your throne shall be secure continuously.’
Psalm 89
1The understanding of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing the mercies of the Lord in eternity. I will announce your truth with my mouth, from generation to generation2For you have said: Mercy will be built in the heavens, unto eternity. Your truth will be prepared there3I have set up a covenant with my elect. I have sworn to David my servant4I will prepare your offspring, even in eternity. And I will build up your throne, from generation to generation5The heavens will confess your miracles, Lord, and also your truth, in the Church of the saints6For who among the clouds is equal to the Lord? Who among the sons of God is like God7God is glorified by the counsel of the saints. He is great and terrible above all those who are around him8O Lord, God of hosts, who is like you? You are powerful, Lord, and your truth is all around you9You rule over the power of the sea, and you even mitigate the movement of its waves10You have humbled the arrogant one, like one who has been wounded. You have scattered your enemies with the arm of your strength11Yours are the heavens, and yours is the earth. You founded the whole world in all its fullness12You created the north and the sea. Tabor and Hermon will exult in your name13Your arm acts with power. Let your hand be strengthened, and let your right hand be exalted14Justice and judgment are the preparation of your throne. Mercy and truth will precede your face15Blessed is the people that knows jubilation. They will walk in the light of your countenance, O Lord16and they will exult in your name all day long, and they will be exalted in your justice17For you are the glory of their virtue, and in your goodness, our horn will be exalted18For our assumption is of the Lord, and it is of our king, the holy one of Israel19Then you spoke in a vision to your holy ones, and you said: I have stationed help with the powerful one, and I have exalted the elect one from my people20I have found my servant David. I have anointed him with my holy oil21For my hand will assist him, and my arm will fortify him22The enemy will have no advantage over him, nor will the son of iniquity be positioned to harm him23And I will cut down his enemies before his face. And those who hate him, I will turn to flight24And my truth and my mercy will be with him. And his horn will be exalted in my name25And I will place his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers26He will invoke me: "You are my father, my God, and the support of my salvation.27And I will make him the first-born, preeminent before the kings of the earth28I will preserve my mercy for him eternally, and my covenant for him faithfully29And I will set his offspring from generation to generation, and his throne like the days of heaven30But if his sons abandon my law, and if they do not walk in my judgments31if they profane my justices, and if they do not keep my commandments32I will visit their iniquities with a rod, and their sins with a beating33But I will not scatter my mercy from him, and I will not do harm to my truth34And I will not profane my covenant, and I will not make void that which proceeds from my lips35I have sworn by my holiness one time: I will not lie to David36his offspring will remain for eternity. And his throne will be like the sun in my sight37and, like the moon, it is perfected in eternity, and it is a faithful witness in heaven38Yet, truly, you have rejected and despised, you have pushed away, my Christ39You have overthrown the covenant of your servant. You have profaned his sanctuary on earth40You have destroyed all his fences. You have made his territory dreadful41All who pass by the way have plundered him. He has become a disgrace to his neighbors42You have exalted the right hand of those who oppress him. You have brought joy to all his enemies43You have diverted the help of his sword, and you have not assisted him in battle44You have torn him away from cleansing, and you have smashed his throne down to the ground45You have reduced the days of his time. You have flooded him with confusion46How long, O Lord? Will you turn away unto the end? Will your wrath flare up like a fire47Remember what my substance is. For could you really have appointed all the sons of men in vain48Who is the man that will live, and yet not see death? Who will rescue his own soul from the hand of the underworld49O Lord, where are your mercies of antiquity, just as you swore to David in your truth50Be mindful, O Lord, of the disgrace of your servants (which I have sustained in my sinews) among many nations51With these, your enemies have reproached you, O Lord; with these, they have reproached the commutation of your Christ52Blessed is the Lord for all eternity. Amen. Amen
Second Reading: Romans 4.13, 16-18, 22
13For the Promise to Abraham, and to his posterity, that he would inherit the world, was not through the law, but through the justice of faith16Because of this, it is from faith according to grace that the Promise is ensured for all posterity, not only for those who are of the law, but also for those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all before God17in whom he believed, who revives the dead and who calls those things that do not exist into existence. For it is written: "I have established you as the father of many nations.18And he believed, with a hope beyond hope, so that he might become the father of many nations, according to what was said to him: "So shall your posterity be.22And for this reason, it was reputed to him unto justice
Gospel: Matthew 1.16, 18-21, 24a or Luke 2.41-51a
16And Jacob conceived Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ18Now the procreation of the Christ occurred in this way. After his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they lived together, she was found to have conceived in her womb by the Holy Spirit19Then Joseph, her husband, since he was just and was not willing to hand her over, preferred to send her away secretly20But while thinking over these things, behold, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in his sleep, saying: "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to accept Mary as your wife. For what has been formed in her is of the Holy Spirit21And she shall give birth to a son. And you shall call his name JESUS. For he shall accomplish the salvation of his people from their sins.24Then Joseph, arising from sleep, did just as the Angel of the Lord had instructed him, and he accepted her as his wife
41And his parents went every year to Jerusalem, at the time of the solemnity of Passover42And when he had become twelve years old, they ascended to Jerusalem, according to the custom of the feast day43And having completed the days, when they returned, the boy Jesus remained in Jerusalem. And his parents did not realize this44But, supposing that he was in the company, they went a day’s journey, seeking him among their relatives and acquaintances45And not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him46And it happened that, after three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, listening to them and questioning them47But all who listened to him were astonished over his prudence and his responses48And upon seeing him, they wondered. And his mother said to him: "Son, why have you acted this way toward us? Behold, your father and I were seeking you in sorrow.49And he said to them: "How is it that you were seeking me? For did you not know that it is necessary for me to be in these things which are of my Father?50And they did not understand the word that he spoke to them51And he descended with them and went to Nazareth. And he was subordinate to them. And his mother kept all these words in her heart
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter profound themes of faith, trust, and the fulfillment of God's promises. The first reading from 2 Samuel recounts Nathan's message to David, highlighting God's promise to establish David's kingdom forever and the future Messiah's role in building a house for God. This sets the stage for understanding God's covenant with His people.
The second reading from Romans expands on this promise, emphasizing that Abraham's faith, rather than adherence to the law, was the foundation of God's covenant. This underscores the universal nature of God's grace, extending beyond the Jewish people to all who have faith.
The Gospel from Matthew brings these themes to fruition through the story of Joseph. Joseph's trust in God's plan, despite the unexpected circumstances of Mary's pregnancy, exemplifies the kind of faith that accepts God's will without question. The angel's message assures Joseph that the child is of the Holy Spirit, reinforcing the divine nature of Jesus' mission to save humanity from sin.
These readings invite us to reflect on our own faith and trust in God's promises. Like Joseph, we are called to embrace God's plan, even when it challenges our understanding. In our daily lives, we can apply this by trusting in God's providence, even in uncertain times. The moral lesson here is clear: faith and trust in God's promises lead us to fulfill our role in His divine plan, just as they did for David, Abraham, and Joseph.
In conclusion, today's readings remind us that God's promises are fulfilled in unexpected ways, and our response should be one of unwavering faith and trust. Let us strive to emulate the examples of David, Abraham, and Joseph, trusting in God's plan and living out our faith in everyday life.