Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Reading 1 Isaiah 49:8-15
Thus says the LORD:
In a time of favor I answer you,
on the day of salvation I help you;
and I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people,
To restore the land
and allot the desolate heritages,
Saying to the prisoners: Come out!
To those in darkness: Show yourselves!
Along the ways they shall find pasture,
on every bare height shall their pastures be.
They shall not hunger or thirst,
nor shall the scorching wind or the sun strike them;
For he who pities them leads them
and guides them beside springs of water.
I will cut a road through all my mountains,
and make my highways level.
See, some shall come from afar,
others from the north and the west,
and some from the land of Syene.
Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth,
break forth into song, you mountains.
For the LORD comforts his people
and shows mercy to his afflicted.
But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me."
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 145:8-9, 13cd-14, 17-18
R. (8a) The Lord is gracious and merciful.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.
Verse Before the Gospel John 11:25a, 26
I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord;
whoever believes in me will never die.
Gospel John 5:17-30
Jesus answered the Jews:
"My Father is at work until now, so I am at work."
For this reason they tried all the more to kill him,
because he not only broke the sabbath
but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.
Jesus answered and said to them,
"Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own,
but only what he sees the Father doing;
for what he does, the Son will do also.
For the Father loves the Son
and shows him everything that he himself does,
and he will show him greater works than these,
so that you may be amazed.
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life,
so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes.
Nor does the Father judge anyone,
but he has given all judgment to the Son,
so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.
Whoever does not honor the Son
does not honor the Father who sent him.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word
and believes in the one who sent me
has eternal life and will not come to condemnation,
but has passed from death to life.
Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here
when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God,
and those who hear will live.
For just as the Father has life in himself,
so also he gave to the Son the possession of life in himself.
And he gave him power to exercise judgment,
because he is the Son of Man.
Do not be amazed at this,
because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs
will hear his voice and will come out,
those who have done good deeds
to the resurrection of life,
but those who have done wicked deeds
to the resurrection of condemnation.
"I cannot do anything on my own;
I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just,
because I do not seek my own will
but the will of the one who sent me."
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
March 18, 2026 // Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent // Optional Memorial of Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Isaiah 49:8-15
Reflect on the Word //
The shivers ran up and down my spine. My jaw clenched. Every muscle in my body tensed. I froze. Even with my eyes squeezed shut I knew the distinct sound of the plate sliding off the ledge, hitting the tile floor, and the scattering of glass shards skipping about the sanctuary. This wasn’t the first time my haste and efficiency ended this way.
I’ve been called “Sister Save-a-Trip,” carrying as much as possible to achieve efficiency. Often making life harder for myself in the process—and sometimes leaving shattered pieces in my stubborn wake.
The Lord, though, doesn’t want that for me. He wants me to rely on Him, to receive all He desires to give. He longs to provide pastures when I encounter barren heights, springs of water when I trudge through deserts, easy paths while I scale steep heights (see Isaiah 49:9-11). Seeking my own path, how often do I echo the words of Daughter Zion, “The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me” (Isaiah 49:14).
As I look back on my Lent, so far, I have to ask myself: Am I trying to make my own way through this desert? Have I asked the Lord to guide me? Have I heeded His voice to come out of darkness into light, out of the prison of my stubbornness into His freedom? (see Isaiah 49:9)
If we’ve been living Lent on our own terms, it’s not too late to make a change. If we’ve forgotten the Lord (see Isaiah 49:15), He hasn’t forgotten us. If we’ve been carrying the burdens of life on our own, leaving the shards of our anger, frustration, impatience, and pride scattered across the sanctuaries of our lives, it’s not too late. “The Lord comforts his people and shows mercy to his afflicted” (Isaiah 49:13), even if it’s our fault.
We’re not alone, our Lord does not forget us or leave us forsaken (see Isaiah 49:15). Turn to Him. He answers, He helps, He restores (see Isaiah 49:8).
Relate to the Lord // Look back on your Lent with Sister’s questions. Ask yourself: Am I trying to make my own way through this desert? Have I asked the Lord to guide me? Have I heeded His voice to come out of darkness into light, out of the prison of my stubbornness into His freedom?
Sister Maria Fatima grew up in Rhode Island and entered the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist in 2005. She holds a MA in Theology from the Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity. Sister is in her eleventh year of enlightening middle school minds and drawing hearts to Jesus while teaching religion and history. She currently resides at the motherhouse in Ann Arbor, MI, having previously taught in Texas, Florida, and Ohio. She is a contributing author to our Lent devotional All She Had.
Be a Woman of the Word
