Eze 18:21-28; Matthew 5

First Week of Lent.
Readings and Antiphons on p. 215 of the Daily Missal.

Entrance Antiphon.

Set me free from my distress, O Lord. See my lowliness and suffering, and take away all my sins.

 

First Reading: Ezekiel 18:21-28

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel.

Thus says the Lord God:
“If a wicked person turns away
from all his sins which he has committed
and keeps all my statutes
and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live;
he shall not die.
None of the transgressions which he has committed
shall be remembered against him;
for the righteousness which he has done, he shall live.
Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked,
says the Lord God,
and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?
But when a righteous person
turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity
and does the same abominable things that the wicked person does,
shall he live?
None of the righteous deeds which he has done
shall be remembered;
for the treachery of which he is guilty
and the sin he has committed, he shall die.

“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’
Hear now, O house of Israel:
Is my way not just?
Is it not your ways that are not just?
When a righteous person
turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity,
he shall die for it;
for the iniquity which he has committed, he shall die.
Again, when a wicked person
turns away from the wickedness he has committed
and does what is lawful and right,
he shall save his life.
Because he considered and turned away
from all the transgressions which he had committed,
he shall surely live, he shall not die.

The Word of the Lord.

 

 

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 130:1-2.3-4.5-7a.7bc-8 (R. 3)

Let us now pray the Responsorial Psalm:

R/. If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice!
O let your ears be attentive
to the sound of my pleading.

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
But with you is found forgiveness,
that you may be revered.

I long for you, O Lord,
my soul longs for his word.
My soul hopes in the Lord
more than watchmen for daybreak.
More than watchmen for daybreak,
let Israel hope for the Lord.

For with the Lord there is mercy,
in him is plentiful redemption.
It is he who will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities.

R/. If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?

Please stand for the Gospel.

Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, says the Lord, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

 

 

Gospel: Matthew 5:20-26

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.

At that time:
Jesus said to his disciples,
“Unless your righteousness
exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

“You have heard that it was said to the people of old,
‘You shall not kill;
and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.’
But I say to you
that everyone who is angry with his brother or sister
shall be liable to judgment;
whoever insults his brother or sister shall be liable to the council,
and whoever says, ‘You fool!’
shall be liable to the hell of fire.
So if you are offering your gift at the altar,
and there remember that your brother or sister
has something against you,
leave your gift there before the altar and go;
first, be reconciled to your brother or sister,
and then come and offer your gift.
Make friends quickly with your accuser,
while you are going with him to court,
lest your accuser hand you over to the judge,
and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison;
truly, I say to you, you will never get out
till you have paid the last penny.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Communion Antiphon.
As I live, says the Lord, I do not desire the death of the sinner, but rather that he turn back and live.