Daily Catholic Mass Readings for March 24, 2024
First Reading: Isaiah 50.4-7
4The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.5The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I turned not backward.6I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.7But the Lord GOD helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame.
Psalm 22
1My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?2O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.3Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.4In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.5To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.6But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.7All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;8"He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!"9Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.10On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother's womb you have been my God.11Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.12Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me;13they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.14I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast;15my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.16For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet--17I can count all my bones--they stare and gloat over me;18they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.19But you, O LORD, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid!20Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog!21Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!22I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:23You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!24For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.25From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him.26The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD! May your hearts live forever!27All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.28For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations.29All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive.30Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;31they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.
Second Reading: Philippians 2.6-11
6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,7but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.9Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Gospel: Mark 15.1-39
1And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole Council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate.2And Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" And he answered him, "You have said so."3And the chief priests accused him of many things.4And Pilate again asked him, "Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you."5But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.6Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked.7And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas.8And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them.9And he answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?"10For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up.11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead.12And Pilate again said to them, "Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?"13And they cried out again, "Crucify him."14And Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Crucify him."15So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.16And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion.17And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him.18And they began to salute him, "Hail, King of the Jews!"19And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him.20And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.21And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.22And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull).23And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.24And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take.25And it was the third hour when they crucified him.26And the inscription of the charge against him read, "The King of the Jews."27And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.28See Footnote29And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, "Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,30save yourself, and come down from the cross!"31So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, "He saved others; he cannot save himself.32Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe." Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.33And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"35And some of the bystanders hearing it said, "Behold, he is calling Elijah."36And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down."37And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.38And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.39And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter profound reflections on faith, humility, and the ultimate sacrifice. The first reading from Isaiah introduces a figure who, despite suffering, remains steadfast in trust and obedience to God. This figure, often seen as a prefiguration of Christ, exemplifies perseverance and faith amidst adversity. The second reading from Philippians elaborates on the humility of Jesus, who emptied Himself to take on human form and obediently accepted death on the cross, leading to His exaltation by God. The Gospel from Mark vividly portrays Jesus' Passion, highlighting His silent endurance and the reactions of those around Him.
These readings are interconnected through the theme of humility and suffering. Isaiah’s prophecy foreshadows Jesus' role as the Suffering Servant, while Philippians explains the purpose and glory resulting from His humility. Mark’s narrative provides the historical fulfillment, showing Jesus living out this humility in His Passion. Together, they illustrate that true strength lies in humility and trust in God’s plan.
In our daily lives, these readings encourage us to embrace humility and perseverance. Just as Jesus trusted in God’s plan, we are called to do the same, even in challenging times. The moral lesson is clear: humility and trust in God lead to spiritual growth and alignment with His will. Let us strive to embody these virtues, finding strength in our faith and trust in God.