Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent
Reading 1 Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9
Moses spoke to the people and said:
"Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees
which I am teaching you to observe,
that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land
which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.
Therefore, I teach you the statutes and decrees
as the LORD, my God, has commanded me,
that you may observe them in the land you are entering to occupy.
Observe them carefully,
for thus will you give evidence
of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations,
who will hear of all these statutes and say,
'This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.'
For what great nation is there
that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us
whenever we call upon him?
Or what great nation has statutes and decrees
that are as just as this whole law
which I am setting before you today?
"However, take care and be earnestly on your guard
not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen,
nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live,
but teach them to your children and to your children's children."
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20
R. (12a) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
He spreads snow like wool;
frost he strews like ashes.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
Verse Before the Gospel See John 6:63c, 68c
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
You have the words of everlasting life.
Gospel Matthew 5:17-19
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”
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 11, 2026 // Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent
Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Matthew 5:17-19
Reflect on the Word //
As I came out of a season of deep anguish, I found it profoundly difficult to trust God again. The pain that I had experienced caused my heart to be suspicious of His voice and promises. I feared that He was out to take away everything I loved, which caused a whirlwind of self-reliance to take place within me. I kept my trust in Him at arm’s length. The assumptions that I created about Him, based on my pain, seemed easier to believe than the truth of Who He is. The depth of my wounds created a blockage around my heart. I wasn’t able to fully receive His Heart.
My suffering and confused heart created a fog, making it difficult for me to recognize His presence. In today’s Gospel, I was struck by Jesus’ words to His disciples: “I have come not to abolish but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17). Jesus does not come to take away, but to fulfill, and give abundantly. In my pain, He is not out to destroy or harm me, but to draw near, to love me exactly where I am. Jesus has a history with me, a history of leading and loving, just as God (including the Son Who became Man) had with the ancestors of the disciples He was speaking to in the Gospel. Jesus speaks to His disciples of the importance of following and believing in the law, the law the Lord gave them to help them become holy (see Matthew 5:19). Through this I am reminded of the importance of coming into agreement with His Word and promises. His Word will forever stay the same. He will never change.
Sister, Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel are true: He will fulfill, not abolish (see Matthew 5:17). The flame of His Sacred Heart will never be dimmed, nor diminished. His Heart that burns for you will never change. The Heart, love, and providence of Jesus are not scarce, but abundant. May we not become fearful of destitution, but instead, little by little, grow in confidence toward His providential abundance. Let us believe in Who He says He is.
Relate to the Lord // Remind yourself of Who God is today. What do you know to be true and unchanging about Him?
Bella Rol is a college student from Monterey, CA. She is studying Early Childhood Education as she pursues her dream of working with children and one day having her own to care for. In the meantime, she is the big sister to three younger brothers. In her free time she is usually found with her sketchbook and art supplies as she doodles away.
Be a Woman of the Word
