Saturday, March 14

Saturday of the Third Week of Lent 

First Reading – Hosea 6:1-6

“Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn, that he may heal us; he has stricken, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord; his going forth is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.” What shall I do with you, O E′phraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes early away. Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of my mouth, and my judgment goes forth as the light. For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God, rather than burnt offerings.

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 51:3-4, 18-19, 20-21

℟ It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless in your judgment.

℟ It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.

For you take no delight in sacrifice; were I to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.

The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

℟ It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.

Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,

Then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

℟ It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.

Verse Before the Gospel – Psalm 95:8

Harden not your hearts, as at Mer′ibah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness.

Gospel – Luke 18:9-14

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition, Ignatius Press, Copyright ⓒ 2006.