Thursday of the Third Week of Lent
Reading 1 Jeremiah 7:23-28
Thus says the LORD:
This is what I commanded my people:
Listen to my voice;
then I will be your God and you shall be my people.
Walk in all the ways that I command you,
so that you may prosper.
But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed.
They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts
and turned their backs, not their faces, to me.
From the day that your fathers left the land of Egypt even to this day,
I have sent you untiringly all my servants the prophets.
Yet they have not obeyed me nor paid heed;
they have stiffened their necks and done worse than their fathers.
When you speak all these words to them,
they will not listen to you either;
when you call to them, they will not answer you.
Say to them:
This is the nation that does not listen
to the voice of the LORD, its God,
or take correction.
Faithfulness has disappeared;
the word itself is banished from their speech.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
R. (8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
"Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works."
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Verse Before the Gospel Joel 2:12-13
Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart,
for I am gracious and merciful.
Gospel Luke 11:14-23
Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute,
and when the demon had gone out,
the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed.
Some of them said, "By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,
he drives out demons."
Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
But he knew their thoughts and said to them,
"Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
and house will fall against house.
And if Satan is divided against himself,
how will his kingdom stand?
For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.
If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul,
by whom do your own people drive them out?
Therefore they will be your judges.
But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,
then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
When a strong man fully armed guards his palace,
his possessions are safe.
But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him,
he takes away the armor on which he relied
and distributes the spoils.
Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters."
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 12, 2026 // Thursday of the Third Week of Lent
Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Luke 11:14-23
Reflect on the Word //
I cried on my son’s third birthday. Right there, in the only place that a mother can truly be alone, I felt hot, fat tears roll down my cheeks as I lathered shampoo into my hair.
I didn’t intend for the outburst of emotions that day, but I suppose that is how trauma works—it creeps up in the middle of the joy and celebration and reminds you of the fact that hurt and fear still reside within you.
It was the remembrance of that day that did me in, the reminder of my unexpected uterine rupture and the doctors who scurried around me in a panic as they told me to count backwards and then sent me into the blackness of medicated sleep. It was the midwife whom I awoke to with her somber face and resolute instruction for us to avoid having children at all costs, despite our ardent desire for the contrary.
I know the oppression that can overtake a person—the fear, the sorrow, the trauma it all leaves in its wake. Today’s Gospel is a beautiful reminder that we are not meant to live in the captivity of our suffering. Luke 11:22 tells us that there is One Who is stronger that can overcome, One Who seeks to free and restore us. He is with us, at our side always, working for our good, even in the midst of life’s trials.
I don’t know what sort of strongholds you are living with, whether it is depression that is enslaving your mind or addiction that is grappling for your soul. I don’t know if you feel lost or scared or lonely, but we have a Savior Who is stronger than the torment you are facing, One Who seeks to break the chains of the oppression on our hearts. We may feel divided within ourselves, but He can make us whole.
So, turn to Him, sweet sister. In your fear, in your weakness, in your hurt—let His love set you free.
Relate to the Lord // Share your fears with Jesus, in the chapel or the shower. Turn to Him and talk to Him from your heart.
Brittany Calavitta is an enthusiastic advocate for a good book, strong coffee, and a hopeful heart. After battling years of infertility, she and her husband welcomed their first child on September 11, 2016. While balancing time between life with a preschooler and a husband who travels for ministry, Brittany dances professionally all over Southern California where her family currently resides. She was a contributing author to Here Too: Where We Find God and Made New: 52 Devotions for Catholic Women. Find out more about her here.
Be a Woman of the Word
