Saturday, Third Week of Lent
Readings and Antiphons on p 267 of the Daily Missal

First Reading: Hosea 6:1-6

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Hosea

“Come, let us return to the Lord;
for he has torn, that he may heal us;
he has stricken, and he will bind us up.
After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him.
Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord;
his going forth is sure as the dawn;
he will come to us as the showers,
as the spring rains that water the earth.”

What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
What shall I do with you, O Judah?
Your love is like a morning cloud,
like the dew that goes early away.
Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets,
I have slain them by the words of my mouth,
and my judgment goes forth as the light.
For I desire mercy and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God, rather than burnt offerings.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51:3-4.18-19.20-21ab (R. see Hosea 6:6)

Let us pray the Responsorial Psalm:

R/. I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.

Have mercy on me , O God,
according to your merciful love;
according to your great compassion,
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me completely from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.

For in sacrifice you take no delight;
burnt offering from me would not please you.
My sacrifice to God, a broken spirit:
a broken and humbled heart, O God, you will not spurn.

In your good pleasure, show favour to Sion;
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will delight in right sacrifice,
burnt offerings wholly consumed.

R/. I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.

Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
Today, harden not your hearts, but listen to the voice of the Lord.
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

Gospel: Luke 18:9-14

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

At that time:

Jesus told this parable
to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous
and despised others:
“Two men went up into the temple to pray,
one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself,
‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people,
extortioners, unjust, adulterers,
or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.’

But the tax collector, standing far off,
would not even lift up his eyes to heaven,
but beat his breast, saying,
‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified
rather than the other;
for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Gospel of the Lord