The 4th of March, 2023 is Saturday in the First Week of Lent. The Bible scriptures for the holy mass readings for this day came from the 2023 Liturgical Calendar.
Reading 1: DT 26:16-19
The first reading from the Book of Deuteronomy.
Today Yahweh your God commands you to do these statutes and ordinances. You shall therefore keep and do them with all your heart and with all your soul.
You have declared today that Yahweh is your God, and that you would walk in his ways, keep his statutes, his commandments, and his ordinances, and listen to his voice.
Yahweh has declared today that you are a people for his own possession, as he has promised you, and that you should keep all his commandments.
He will make you high above all nations that he has made, in praise, in name, and in honor, and that you may be a holy people to Yahweh your God, as he has spoken.
Responsorial Psalm: PS 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8
Response: Blessed are those who walk according to Yahweh’s law.
Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to Yahweh’s law.
Blessed are those who keep his statutes, who seek him with their whole heart.
R: Blessed are those who walk according to Yahweh’s law.
You have commanded your precepts, that we should fully obey them.
Oh that my ways were steadfast to obey your statutes!
R: Blessed are those who walk according to Yahweh’s law.
I will give thanks to you with uprightness of heart, when I learn your righteous judgments.
I will observe your statutes. Don’t utterly forsake me.
R: Blessed are those who walk according to Yahweh’s law.
Verse Before Gospel: 2 COR 6:2B
From the Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians.
Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
Gospel of the Day: MT 5:43-48
From the gospel verse according to Matthew.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?
If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?
Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
Other Celebration
An optional celebration on this day is the Commemoration of Saint Casimir.
