Daily Catholic Mass Readings for March 31, 2018
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, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.28God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."29Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.30And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground-everything that has the breath of life in it-I give every green plant for food." And it was so.31God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning-the sixth day.
Psalm 104 or Psalm 33
1Praise the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty.2He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent3and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.4He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.5He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.6You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.7But at your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;8they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them.9You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth.10He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains.11They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.12The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the branches.13He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work.14He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate- bringing forth food from the earth:15wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart.16The trees of the LORD are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.17There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the pine trees.18The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the coneys.19The moon marks off the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down.20You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl.21The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God.22The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens.23Then man goes out to his work, to his labor until evening.24How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.25There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number- living things both large and small.26There the ships go to and fro, and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.27These all look to you to give them their food at the proper time.28When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things.29When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust.30When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.31May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works-32he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke.33I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.34May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD.35But may sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more. Praise the LORD, O my soul. Praise the LORD.
1Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.2Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.3Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.4For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.5The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.6By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.7He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses.8Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him.9For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.10The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.11But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.12Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.13From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind;14from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth-15he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.16No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.17A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.18But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,19to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.20We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.21In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.22May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.
Second Reading: Romans 6.3-11
3Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.5If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--7because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.10The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.11In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Gospel: Mark 16.1-8
1When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body.2Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb3and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?"4But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.5As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.6"Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.7But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'"8Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
Sermon
In today's readings, we journey from creation to resurrection, tracing God's plan for humanity. The first reading from Genesis reminds us of our origin as beings created in God's image, entrusted with stewardship over the earth. This passage establishes our role as caretakers, reflecting God's love and wisdom in the world. The second reading from Romans shifts our focus to baptism, where we die to sin and rise anew in Christ. This spiritual rebirth calls us to live a life transformed by faith, no longer bound by sin but alive in God's grace. The Gospel from Mark culminates in the resurrection, where the women discover the empty tomb and receive the joyous news to spread. This moment is the pinnacle of God's plan, offering salvation and hope.
These readings interweave to reveal a narrative of creation, redemption, and mission. Genesis sets the stage with our original purpose, Romans reveals how Christ restores us, and Mark's Gospel commissions us to share this Good News. Together, they show how God's plan unfolds from creation to our call to live as new creations in Christ.
In daily life, this means embracing our role as stewards, living with purpose and integrity. We are called to spread the Gospel, not just in words, but through our actions and love. The resurrection reminds us of the power of faith and the hope it brings. Let us live as children of God, renewed and empowered, sharing the joy of Christ's victory over sin and death.