Daily Catholic Mass Readings for March 6, 2019
First Reading: Joel 2.12-18
12"Yet even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;13and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.14Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God?15Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly;16gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber.17Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep and say, "Spare your people, O LORD, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'"18Then the LORD became jealous for his land and had pity on his people.
Psalm 51
1Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!3For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.4Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.5Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.6Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.8Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.9Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.10Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.11Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.12Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.13Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.15O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.16For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.18Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem;19then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5.20 – 6.2
Gospel: Matthew 6.1-6, 16-18
1"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.2"Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,4so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.5"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.6But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.16"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.17But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,18that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of true conversion, reconciliation, and the authenticity of our relationship with God. In the first reading from Joel, we hear a call to return to the Lord with our whole heart. Joel emphasizes that true repentance is not about external displays but about an internal transformation: "Rend your hearts, not your garments." This plea comes in a time of crisis, urging the people to seek God’s mercy and spare them from disgrace. The prophet’s words remind us that conversion is not a superficial act but a deep, heartfelt turning back to God.
The second reading from 2 Corinthians reinforces this message. Paul describes himself and other believers as ambassadors for Christ, entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation. He implores us not to receive God’s grace in vain, reminding us that the time for salvation is now. This passage emphasizes the urgency of living out our faith with sincerity and purpose, for God’s grace is not to be taken lightly. Paul’s words challenge us to examine how we respond to God’s invitation to reconciliation in our daily lives.
In the Gospel, Matthew presents Jesus teaching about the proper way to practice justice, prayer, and fasting. He warns against performing these acts of piety for the sake of appearances, as the hypocrites do. Instead, Jesus calls us to live these virtues in secret, so that our actions are seen by God alone. This teaching underscores the importance of authenticity in our spiritual lives. True devotion to God is not about seeking human approval but about fostering a deep, personal relationship with Him.
These readings together remind us that our faith must be lived with sincerity and humility. Joel calls us to rend our hearts, Paul urges us to embrace reconciliation, and Jesus teaches us to avoid hypocrisy. In our daily lives, let us ask ourselves: Are our actions motivated by a genuine love for God, or are they driven by a desire to be seen by others? Let us strive to live our faith with authenticity, knowing that God sees what is hidden and will reward it. May we turn to Him with whole hearts, embracing His grace and living as true ambassadors of Christ.