Daily Catholic Mass Readings for March 30, 2024
First Reading: Genesis 1.1, 26-31a
1In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.26Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.28And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."29And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.30And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so.31And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Psalm 104
1Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty,2covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent.3He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters; he makes the clouds his chariot; he rides on the wings of the wind;4he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire.5He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved.6You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.7At your rebuke they fled; at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.8The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed for them.9You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth.10You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills;11they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.12Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches.13From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.14You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth15and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man's heart.16The trees of the LORD are watered abundantly, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.17In them the birds build their nests; the stork has her home in the fir trees.18The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers.19He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting.20You make darkness, and it is night, when all the beasts of the forest creep about.21The young lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God.22When the sun rises, they steal away and lie down in their dens.23Man goes out to his work and to his labor until the evening.24O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.25Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great.26There go the ships, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it.27These all look to you, to give them their food in due season.28When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.29When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.30When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.31May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works,32who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke!33I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.34May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD.35Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more! Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD!
Second Reading: Romans 6.3-11
3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?4We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.6We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.7For one who has died has been set free from sin.8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.9We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.10For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.11So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Gospel: Mark 16.1-8
1When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.2And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.3And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?"4And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back--it was very large.5And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed.6And he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.7But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you."8And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. [Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9-20.]
Sermon
The readings today take us on a journey from creation to resurrection, inviting us to reflect on our identity, purpose, and ultimate hope. In the first reading from Genesis, we hear the beautiful account of God creating humanity in his own image and likeness. This passage reminds us of our inherent dignity and the special place we hold in God’s creation. We are called to steward the earth and all its creatures, not as masters who exploit, but as caretakers who honor the divine plan. The second reading from Romans deepens this understanding by revealing that our true identity is not just as creatures of God but as children of God, baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection. Through baptism, we die to sin and rise to new life, freed from the slavery of sin and called to live for God. The Gospel from Mark then brings us to the empty tomb, where the young man in white proclaims the Good News: Jesus has risen. The women, filled with fear and trembling, are sent to tell the disciples, embodying the Church’s mission to proclaim the Resurrection to the world.
These readings are deeply interconnected. In Genesis, we see the beginning of God’s plan for humanity. In Romans, we understand that this plan reaches its fulfillment in Christ, who through his death and resurrection, restores us to a new life. The Gospel of Mark then shows us the culmination of this plan in the Resurrection, which is the source of our hope and joy. Together, these readings remind us that we are not just creatures but sons and daughters of God, called to live in the light of the Resurrection.
In our daily lives, these readings invite us to live with a sense of purpose and hope. We are called to recognize our dignity as children of God and to live in a way that reflects this identity. We are to care for creation, to live free from sin, and to share the Good News of the Resurrection with others. The moral lesson is clear: we are not defined by our past sins or failures but by our new life in Christ. Let us, therefore, rise with him, walk in the light of his truth, and proclaim his victory over death to a world in need of hope.