Daily Catholic Mass Readings for April 3, 2019
First Reading: Isaiah 49.8-15
8Thus says the LORD: "In a time of favor I have answered you; in a day of salvation I have helped you; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages,9saying to the prisoners, 'Come out,' to those who are in darkness, 'Appear.' They shall feed along the ways; on all bare heights shall be their pasture;10they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them.11And I will make all my mountains a road, and my highways shall be raised up.12Behold, these shall come from afar, and behold, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Syene."13Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! for the LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted.14But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me."15"Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.
Psalm 145
1I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.2Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.3Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.4One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.5On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.6They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness.7They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.8The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.9The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.10All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your saints shall bless you!11They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power,12to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.13Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations.[The LORD is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.]14The LORD upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.15The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.16You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.17The LORD is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.18The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.19He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.20The LORD preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.21My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
Gospel: John 5.16-30
16And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.17But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I am working."18This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.19So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.20For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.21For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.22The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,23that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.24Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.25"Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.26For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.27And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.28Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice29and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.30"I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter powerful expressions of God’s love and care for His people, as well as the profound unity and authority of Jesus Christ. The first reading from Isaiah paints a vivid picture of God’s providence and consolation. Speaking to a people in exile, Isaiah reassures them that God has not forgotten them. He describes how God will gather His scattered people, feed them, and guide them, even in the darkest of times. Zion, though feeling abandoned, is reminded that God’s love is far greater than any human love; even if a mother could forget her child, God never forgets His own.
The Gospel reading from John deepens this theme of divine love and care, but it also introduces a note of tension. Jesus, accused by the Pharisees for working on the Sabbath, defends His actions by revealing His intimate relationship with the Father. He explains that He does nothing on His own, but only what He sees the Father doing. This unity with the Father is the source of His authority to give life and to judge. Jesus emphasizes that His works are not His own, but the Father’s, and that those who honor Him honor the Father who sent Him. He also speaks of a time when the dead will hear His voice and come to life, a promise that extends beyond physical resurrection to the spiritual life He offers even now.
These readings invite us to reflect on our relationship with God and our trust in His providence. Like the exiled Israelites, we may sometimes feel forgotten or abandoned, but God’s love is unfailing. Like the Pharisees, we may question God’s ways or resist His truth, but Jesus reveals that His works are a manifestation of the Father’s love and will. Let us ask ourselves: Do we trust in God’s plan, even when it seems unclear? Do we honor Jesus as the Son of God, and do we listen to His voice, which calls us from death to life? May we find hope in God’s promises and may we live in the light of His truth, knowing that He is always working for our good.