2024-03-6 | St. Mary, Queen of Peace Syro-Malankara Catholic Eparchy in USA and Canada

Mt 17:22-27

The Second Prediction of the Passion.^* 22^k As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men, 23and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were overwhelmed with grief.

Payment of the Temple Tax.^* 24^l When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax^* approached Peter and said, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” 25“Yes,” he said.^* When he came into the house, before he had time to speak, Jesus asked him, “What is your opinion, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax? From their subjects or from foreigners?” 26^* When he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him, “Then the subjects are exempt. 27But that we may not offend them,^* go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for me and for you.”

Nm 21:1-9

Victory over Arad. 1When the Canaanite, the king of Arad,^* who ruled over the Negeb,^a heard that the Israelites were coming along the way of Atharim, he engaged Israel in battle and took some of them captive. 2Israel then made this vow to the LORD: “If you deliver this people into my hand, I will put their cities under the ban.”^b 3The LORD paid attention to Israel and delivered up the Canaanites,^c and they put them and their cities under the ban. Hence that place was named Hormah.^*

The Bronze Serpent. 4From Mount Hor they set out by way of the Red Sea, to bypass the land of Edom, but the people’s patience was worn out by the journey; 5so the people complained^d against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness, where there is no food or water? We are disgusted with this wretched food!”^*

6So the LORD sent among the people seraph^* serpents, which bit^e the people so that many of the Israelites died. 7Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you. Pray to the LORD to take the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people, 8and the LORD said to Moses: Make a seraph and mount it on a pole, and everyone who has been bitten will look at it and recover.^* 9Accordingly Moses made a bronze serpent^* and mounted it on a pole, and whenever the serpent bit someone, the person looked at the bronze serpent and recovered.^f

1 Sm 7:5-9

5Samuel then gave orders, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, that I may pray to the LORD for you.”^b 6When they had gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out^* on the ground before the LORD, and they fasted that day, saying, “We have sinned against the LORD.” It was at Mizpah that Samuel began to judge the Israelites.^c

Rout of the Philistines. 7When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their leaders went up against Israel. Hearing this, the Israelites became afraid of the Philistines 8and appealed to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, to save us from the hand of the Philistines.”^d 9Samuel therefore took an unweaned lamb and offered it whole as a burnt offering to the LORD.^e He cried out to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him.

Ps 34:1-9

1Of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech,^* who drove him out and he went away.

2I will bless the LORD at all times;

his praise shall be always in my mouth.^a

3My soul will glory in the LORD;

let the poor hear and be glad.

4Magnify the LORD with me;

and let us exalt his name together.

5I sought the LORD, and he answered me,

delivered me from all my fears.

6Look to him and be radiant,

and your faces may not blush for shame.

7This poor one cried out and the LORD heard,

and from all his distress he saved him.

8The angel of the LORD encamps

around those who fear him, and he saves them.^b

9Taste and see that the LORD is good;

blessed is the stalwart one who takes refuge in him.^c

Zec 12:6-14

6On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a brazier of fire in the woodland and like a burning torch among sheaves, and they will devour right and left all the surrounding peoples; but Jerusalem will again inhabit its own place.^d

7The LORD will save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not be exalted over Judah. 8On that day the LORD will shield the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the weakest among them will be like David on that day; and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD before them.

9On that day I will seek the destruction of all nations that come against Jerusalem.^e 10I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of mercy and supplication, so that when they look on him whom they have thrust through,^* ^f they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and they will grieve for him as one grieves over a firstborn.^g

Catalogue of Mourners. 11On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo.^* 12And the land shall mourn, each family apart: the family of the house of David, and their women; the family of the house of Nathan, and their women; 13the family of the house of Levi, and their women; the family of Shimei, and their women; 14and all the rest of the families, each family apart, and the women apart.

Acts 15:22-33

Letter of the Apostles. 22Then the apostles and presbyters, in agreement with the whole church, decided to choose representatives and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. The ones chosen were Judas, who was called Barsabbas, and Silas, leaders among the brothers. 23This is the letter delivered by them: “The apostles and the presbyters, your brothers, to the brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia of Gentile origin: greetings. 24Since we have heard that some of our number [who went out] without any mandate from us have upset you with their teachings and disturbed your peace of mind, 25we have with one accord decided to choose representatives and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27So we are sending Judas and Silas who will also convey this same message by word of mouth: 28^k ‘It is the decision of the holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities, 29namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meats of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage. If you keep free of these, you will be doing what is right. Farewell.’”^l

Delegates at Antioch. 30And so they were sent on their journey. Upon their arrival in Antioch they called the assembly together and delivered the letter. 31When the people read it, they were delighted with the exhortation. 32Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, exhorted and strengthened the brothers with many words. 33After they had spent some time there, they were sent off with greetings of peace from the brothers to those who had commissioned them. [

1 Cor 10:1-13

Warning Against Overconfidence. 1^* I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea,^a 2and all of them were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.^b 3All ate the same spiritual food, 4and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them,^* and the rock was the Christ.^c 5Yet God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the desert.^d

6^* These things happened as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil things, as they did.^e 7And do not become idolaters, as some of them did, as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel.”^f 8Let us not indulge in immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell within a single day.^g 9Let us not test Christ^* as some of them did, and suffered death by serpents.^h 10Do not grumble as some of them did, and suffered death by the destroyer.ⁱ 11These things happened to them as an example, and they have been written down as a warning to us, upon whom the end of the ages has come.^* 12Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall.^* 13No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it.^j

Jn 3:13-21

13No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.ⁱ 14And just as Moses lifted up^* the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,^j 15^* so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

16For God so loved the world that he gave^* his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.^k 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn^* the world, but that the world might be saved through him.^l 18Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.^m 19^* And this is the verdict,ⁿ that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. 20For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed.^o 21But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.^p

St. Mary, Queen of Peace Syro-Malankara Catholic Eparchy in USA and Canada