2016-03-02 | St. Mary, Queen of Peace Syro-Malankara Catholic Eparchy in USA and Canada

Lk 9:21-27

21He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

The First Prediction of the Passion. 22He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”^l

The Conditions of Discipleship.^m 23Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily^* and follow me.ⁿ 24For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.^o 25What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself? 26Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.^p 27Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

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

Ps 106:12-23

12Then they believed his words

and sang his praise.^g

II

13But they soon forgot all he had done;

they had no patience for his plan.

14In the desert they gave in to their cravings,

tempted God in the wasteland.^h

15So he gave them what they asked

and sent a wasting disease against them.ⁱ

III

16In the camp they challenged Moses^j

and Aaron, the holy one of the LORD.

17The earth opened and swallowed Dathan,

it closed on the followers of Abiram.

18Against their company the fire blazed;

flames consumed the wicked.

IV

19At Horeb they fashioned a calf,^k

worshiped a metal statue.

20They exchanged their glory^*

for the image of a grass-eating bull.

21They forgot the God who had saved them,

who had done great deeds in Egypt,^l

22Amazing deeds in the land of Ham,

fearsome deeds at the Red Sea.

23He would have decreed their destruction,

had not Moses, his chosen one,

Withstood him in the breach^*

to turn back his destroying anger.^m

V

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.

Is 45:9-16

9Woe to anyone who contends with their Maker;^d

a potsherd among potsherds of the earth!^*

Shall the clay say to the potter, “What are you doing?”

or, “What you are making has no handles”?

10Woe to anyone who asks a father, “What are you begetting?”

or a woman, “What are you giving birth to?”

11Thus says the LORD,

the Holy One of Israel, his maker:

Do you question me about my children,

tell me how to treat the work of my hands?

12It was I who made the earth

and created the people upon it;

It was my hands that stretched out the heavens;

I gave the order to all their host.

13It was I who stirred him^* up for justice;

all his ways I make level.

He shall rebuild my city

and let my exiles go free

Without price or payment,

says the LORD of hosts.

14Thus says the LORD:

The earnings of Egypt, the gain of Ethiopia,

and the Sabeans,^* tall of stature,

Shall come over to you and belong to you;

they shall follow you, coming in chains.

Before you they shall bow down,

saying in prayer:

“With you alone is God; and there is none other,

no other god!^e

15Truly with you God is hidden,^*

the God of Israel, the savior!^f

16They are put to shame and disgrace, all of them;

they go in disgrace who carve images.

Acts 2:22-28

22You who are Israelites, hear these words. Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.^j 23This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him.^k 24But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it.^l 25For David says of him:

‘I saw the Lord ever before me,^m

with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.

26Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted;

my flesh, too, will dwell in hope,

27because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,

nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption.ⁿ

28You have made known to me the paths of life;

you will fill me with joy in your presence.’

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