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

 

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 their sins
which they have committed and keeps all my statutes
and does what is lawful and right, they shall surely live;
they shall not die.
None of the transgressions which they have committed shall be remembered against them;
for the righteousness which they have done, they shall live.
Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked,
says the Lord God,
and not rather that they should turn from their ways and live?
But when a righteous person turns away from their righteousness
and commits iniquity and does the same abominable things
that the wicked person does, shall they live?
None of the righteous deeds
which they have done shall be remembered;
for the treachery of which they are guilty and
the sin they have committed, they 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 their righteousness
and commits iniquity, they shall die for it;
for the iniquity which they have committed, they shall die.
Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness
they have committed and does what is lawful and right,
they shall save their life.
Because they considered and turned away
from all the transgressions which they had committed,
they shall surely live, they 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 should 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 should stand?

 

 

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 them 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.