Saturday of the Third Week of Lent
Reading I Hosea 6:1-6
“Come, let us return to the LORD,
it is he who has rent, but he will heal us;
he has struck us, but he will bind our wounds.
He will revive us after two days;
on the third day he will raise us up,
to live in his presence.
Let us know, let us strive to know the LORD;
as certain as the dawn is his coming,
and his judgment shines forth like the light of day!
He will come to us like the rain,
like spring rain that waters the earth.”
What can I do with you, Ephraim?
What can I do with you, Judah?
Your piety is like a morning cloud,
like the dew that early passes away.
For this reason I smote them through the prophets,
I slew them by the words of my mouth;
For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice,
and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 51:3-4, 18-19, 20-21ab
R. (see Hosea 6:6) It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.
Be bountiful, O LORD, to Zion in your kindness
by rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem;
Then shall you be pleased with due sacrifices,
burnt offerings and holocausts.
R. It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.
Verse before the Gospel Psalm 95:8
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
Gospel Luke 18:9-14
Jesus addressed this parable
to those who were convinced of their own righteousness
and despised everyone else.
“Two people went up to the temple area to pray;
one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself,
‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity —
greedy, dishonest, adulterous — or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week,
and I pay tithes on my whole income.’
But the tax collector stood off at a distance
and would not even raise his eyes to heaven
but beat his breast and prayed,
‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’
I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former;
for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
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.
Saturday, March 22, 2025
Happy Saturday, friend! We are so excited to share with you what's coming up this week as we all prepare our hearts by praying with readings for Sunday, the day of rest with our Lord.
Live Liturgically // This Week’s Feast Days
Sunday, March 23 // Third Sunday of Lent
Tuesday, March 25 // Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
Letter from the Editor //
Dear Sister,
On the Third Sunday of Lent, Jesus tells us a parable about a fig tree in an orchard, one that is bearing no fruit. When the owner of the orchard decides to cut it down, the gardener asks for another chance for the tree, saying, “I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future” (Luke 13:8-9). Sister, we are like fig trees in the orchard of the Church, and Jesus is our Gardener. During Lent especially, He wants to cultivate the ground of our hearts to fertilize us with His Word and grace. He wants to help us to repent of our old ways and bear fruit.
As we press on through the first half of Lent, let us be careful to not let the spiritual fertilizer being offered to us go to waste. We are warned by Saint Paul about how the Israelites were not faithful even as the Lord nourished them, grumbling and falling into temptation. The Lord knows our afflictions. He sees our struggles. Like He did for those in slavery in Egypt, “I AM who am,” Who is existence and the source of all created things, wants to lead us to “a good and spacious land” (Exodus 3:14, 3:8), to be united forever with Him. When we stay close to the Lord and His mercy, we will be able to join the Psalm and praise the Lord, Who “redeems your life from destruction, crowns you with kindness and compassion” (Psalm 103:4).
In Christ’s Love,
Susanna
Read the readings for the Third Sunday of Lent (Year C):
First Reading // Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15
Psalm // Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 11.
Second Reading // 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12
Gospel // Luke 13:1-9
Prayer Practice // What bad fruit is the Lord asking to prune in your heart and life this Lent? What good fruit is being cultivated?
Susanna Spencer holds a master's in Theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville and is the Content and Theological Editor for Blessed is She. She is a freelance writer, editor, and speaker living with her philosopher husband and four kids in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She loves reading theology, attending beautiful liturgies, cooking delicious food, and casually following baseball. She is the author of the Gospel Studies including Seek His Kingdom: A Meditation on Matthew; narrator for Found: Advent With the Good Shepherd and Rescued: Lent With the Lamb of God; a contributing author to our children’s devotional prayer book, Rise Up; and Theological Editor of the Blessed Conversations Studies. Find out more about her here.
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