Daily Catholic Mass Readings for March 14, 2018
First Reading: Isaiah 49.8-15
8This is what the LORD says: "In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances,9to say to the captives, 'Come out,' and to those in darkness, 'Be free!'"They will feed beside the roads and find pasture on every barren hill.10They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat upon them. He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.11I will turn all my mountains into roads, and my highways will be raised up.12See, they will come from afar- some from the north, some from the west, some from the region of Aswan. "13Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.14But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me."15"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!
Psalm 145
1I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.2Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.3Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.4One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.5They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works.6They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds.7They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.8The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.9The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.10All you have made will praise you, O LORD; your saints will extol you.11They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,12so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.13Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.14The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.15The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.16You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.17The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.18The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.19He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.20The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.21My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.
Gospel: John 5.16-30
16So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him.17Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."18For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.19Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.20For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.21For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.22Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,23that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.24"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.25I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come 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 to have life in himself.27And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.28"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice29and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.30By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter powerful messages of hope, redemption, and the divine nature of Jesus Christ. The first reading from Isaiah speaks of God’s covenant with His people, promising comfort and restoration. The prophet reassures those who feel abandoned, likening God’s love to that of a mother who cannot forget her child. This passage reminds us of God’s faithfulness and His plan to bring light to those in darkness, offering abundant life to all who trust in Him.
The Gospel from John deepens this message as Jesus defends His divine works, performed even on the Sabbath. Jesus reveals His unity with the Father, emphasizing that His actions are not His own but reflect the Father’s will. He speaks of His authority to give life and to judge, not out of self-interest, but in harmony with the Father’s plan. This passage challenges us to recognize Jesus’ divine role in our salvation and to honor Him as we honor the Father.
These readings remind us to trust in God’s providence, especially when we feel forgotten or lost. Like the people in Isaiah’s time, we are called to hope in God’s promises. From John, we learn that Jesus’ works and words reveal His divine mission to bring us from death to life. Let us live in faith, trusting that God is always working for our good, and may we honor Jesus as the source of eternal life, following His teachings and example in our daily lives.