Daily Catholic Mass Readings for March 24, 2019
First Reading: Exodus 3.1-8a, 13-15
1Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.2And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.3And Moses said, "I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned."4When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."5Then he said, "Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."6And he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.7Then the LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings,8and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.13Then Moses said to God, "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?"14God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"15God also said to Moses, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.
Psalm 103
1Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!2Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,3who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,4who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,5who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.6The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.7He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.8The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.9He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.10He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.11For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;12as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.13As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.14For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.15As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field;16for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.17But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children,18to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.19The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.20Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!21Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will!22Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul!
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 10.1-6, 10-12
1I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,2and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,3and all ate the same spiritual food,4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.5Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.6Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.10nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.11Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.12Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
Gospel: Luke 13.1-9
1There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.2And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way?3No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.4Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem?5No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."6And he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.7And he said to the vinedresser, 'Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?'8And he answered him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure.9Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'"
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter powerful reminders of God’s presence, His call to us, and the urgency of living a life of faith and repentance. The first reading from Exodus describes Moses’ encounter with God in the burning bush, a moment of profound revelation. God identifies Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and commissions Moses to lead His people out of slavery in Egypt. This passage emphasizes God’s initiative in salvation and the importance of responding to His call with faith and courage.
The second reading from 1 Corinthians connects the Israelites’ journey through the desert to our own spiritual journey. Paul reminds us that the Israelites’ experiences—both their blessings and their failures—serve as examples for us. He warns against taking God’s grace for granted and against indulging in sin, urging us instead to live with humility and gratitude. The Gospel from Luke reinforces this message of repentance and spiritual vigilance. Jesus responds to tragic events by emphasizing that suffering is not a sign of greater guilt but a call to repentance. His parable of the fig tree reminds us that God is patient and gives us time to bear fruit, but we must not presume upon His mercy.
These readings invite us to reflect on our own relationship with God. Like Moses, we are called to recognize God’s presence in our lives and to respond with faith and obedience. Like the Israelites, we must avoid the dangers of complacency and sin. And like the fig tree, we are called to bear fruit—fruit that comes from a life of prayer, repentance, and love. Let us ask ourselves: Am I attentive to God’s call? Am I living a life that reflects His grace? Am I bearing fruit that glorifies Him? May we embrace the gift of God’s patience and strive to live as His faithful and fruitful people.