The 24th of February, 2021 is Wednesday in the First Week of Lent. The Holy Bible verses for the mass readings for this day came from the Liturgical Calendar Year 2021.
Reading 1: JON 3:1-10
The first reading from the Book of Jonah.
Yahweh’s word came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I give you.”
So Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh, according to Yahweh’s word. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey across.
Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried out, and said, “In forty days, Nineveh will be overthrown!”
The people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from their greatest even to their least.
The news reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
He made a proclamation and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, “Let neither man nor animal, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed, nor drink water; but let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and animal, and let them cry mightily to God. Yes, let them turn everyone from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.
Who knows whether God will not turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we might not perish?”
God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. God relented of the disaster which he said he would do to them, and he didn’t do it.
Responsorial Psalm: PS 51:1-2, 10-11, 16-17
Response: O God, you will not despise a broken and contrite heart.
Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity. Cleanse me from my sin.
R: O God, you will not despise a broken and contrite heart.
Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.
Don’t throw me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.
R: O God, you will not despise a broken and contrite heart.
For you don’t delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it. You have no pleasure in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. O God, you will not despise a broken and contrite heart.
R: O God, you will not despise a broken and contrite heart.
Verse Before Gospel: JL 2:12-13
From the Book of Joel.
“Yet even now,” says Yahweh, “turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.”
Tear your heart and not your garments, and turn to Yahweh, your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity.
Gospel of the Day: LK 11:29-32
From the gospel verse according to Luke.
When the multitudes were gathering together to Jesus, he began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks after a sign. No sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet.
For even as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so the Son of Man will also be to this generation.
The Queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and will condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, one greater than Solomon is here.
The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, one greater than Jonah is here.”
