HOLY MASS READINGS FOR MARCH 3,2024

Third Sunday of Lent  (Purple)

LH: Office of the Third Sunday of Lent, Week III

Mass of the Third Sunday of Lent, Creed

Preface of Lent

FIRST READING
The law is given through Moses.
A reading form the Book of Exodus (Exodus 20:1-17)

In those days: God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. “you shall have no other gods before me, you shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing mercy to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labour, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God gives you. You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour. You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbour’s.”

The word of the Lord.

Or shorter Exodus 20:1-3, 7-8, 12-17

RESPONSORIAL PSALM 

Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11 (R.cf John 6:68c)

R/. Lord, you have the words of eternal life.

The law of the LORD is perfect;
It revives the soul.
The decrees of the LORD are steadfast;
They give wisdom to the simple. R/.

The precepts of the LORD are right;
They gladden the heart.
The command of the LORD is clear;
It gives light to the eyes. R/.

R/. Lord, you have the words of eternal life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
Abiding forever.
The judgements of the Lord are true;
They are, all of them, just. R/.

They are more to be desired than gold,
Than quantities of gold.
And sweater are they than honey,
Than honey flowing from the comb. R/.

SECOND READING
“We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to men, but to those who are called, the wisdom of God.”

A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 1:22-25)

Brethren: Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

The word of the Lord.

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL

 John 3:16

Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

God so loved the world that he gave his only son; that whoever believes in him should have eternal life.

Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

GOSPEL
“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John 2:13-25)

The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers at their business, and making a whip of cords, he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple; and he poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, “take these things away; you shall not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” His disciples remembered that it was written, “zeal for your house will consume me.” The Jews then said to him, “what sign have you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered them, “destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “it has taken forty-six years to builds this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” but he spoke of the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken. Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did; but Jesus did not trust himself to them, because he knew all men and needed no one to bear witness of man; for he himself knew what was in man.

The Gospel of the Lord.