13 March 2025 (Thursday) / Thursday of the 1st week of Lent / Lenten Weekday.

13 March 2025 (Thursday)

Thursday of the 1st week of Lent.

Lenten Weekday.

First Reading: Esther C: 12, 14-16, 23-25

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 138: 1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8

Verse Before the Gospel: Psalms 51: 12a,14a

Gospel: Matthew 7: 7-12

First Reading : 

Esther 4:17

Queen Esther took refuge with the Lord in the mortal peril which had overtaken her. She besought the Lord God of Israel in these words:

‘My Lord, our King, the only one, come to my help, for I am alone and have no helper but you and am about to take my life in my hands. ‘I have been taught from my earliest years, in the bosom of my family, that you, Lord, chose Israel out of all the nations and our ancestors out of all the people of old times to be your heritage for ever; and that you have treated them as you promised. ‘Remember, Lord; reveal yourself in the time of our distress. ‘As for me, give me courage, King of gods and master of all power. Put persuasive words into my mouth when I face the lion; change his feeling into hatred for our enemy, that the latter and all like him may be brought to their end. ‘As for ourselves, save us by your hand, and come to my help, for I am alone and have no one but you, Lord.’

Responsive Psalm : 

Psalm 137(138):1‐3,7‐8

On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord. 

I thank you, Lord, with all my heart: you have heard the words of my mouth. In the presence of the angels I will bless you. I will adore before your holy temple. 

On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.

I thank you for your faithfulness and love, which excel all we ever knew of you. On the day I called, you answered; you increased the strength of my soul.

On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.

You stretch out your hand and save me, your hand will do all things for me. Your love, O Lord, is eternal, discard not the work of your hands.

On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.

Second Reading :

There is no Second Reading.

Verse Before the Gospel: Psalms 51: 12a,14a

12a, 14a A clean heart create for me, O God; give me back the joy of your salvation.

(12. Give me back the joy of your salvation, sustain in me a generous spirit.

13. I shall teach the wicked your paths, and sinners will return to you.

14. Deliver me from bloodshed, God, God of my salvation, and my tongue will acclaim your saving justice.

15. Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will speak out your praise).

Gospel : 

Matthew 7:7‐12

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. Is there a man among you who would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or would hand him a snake when he asked for a fish? If you, then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! ‘So always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.’

Words of the Holy Father:

We pray with courage, because when we pray we normally have a need. God is a friend, a rich friend, who has bread, who has what we need. It is as if Jesus were saying: ‘In prayer, be persistent, do not grow weary’. Don't get tired of what? Of asking. Ask and it will be given to you. Because it is a job, a job that asks us for will, asks us for constancy, asks us to be determined, without shame. Why? Because I am knocking on my friend's door. God is a friend, and with a friend I can do this. Constant, intrusive prayer. (...) And a friend always gives good, he gives more: I ask him to solve this problem, and he solves it and also gives you the Holy Spirit. He gives more. Let's think a little: how do I pray? Like a parrot? Do I pray with need in my heart? Do I wrestle with God in prayer to give me what I need, if it is right? Let us learn from this Gospel passage how to pray. (Santa Marta, 11 October 2018)

Santa Eufrasia / Eupraxia, Pengaku Iman.

Santa Eufrasia hidup antara tahun 382-412. Di lingkungan masyarakat Konstantinopel, keluarganya tergolong kaya raya. Ia dikenal sebagai puteri bangsawan yang murah hati kepada kaum fakir miskin dengan menyumbangkan harta bendanya. Karena bercita-cita menjadi seorang pertapa, ia memutuskan hubungan pertunangannya dengan anak seorang senator, lalu menjalani pertapaan di padang gurun Mesir. Ia mengalami banyak godaan di biara itu untuk kembali ke dunia ramai. Namun berkat ketekunannya dalam doa dan matiraga dengan melaksanakan pekerjaan-pekerjaan kasar dan hina dalam biara, ia berhasil mengatasi godaan-godaan itu. Eufrasia kadangkala berpuasa satu minggu lamanya, sehingga menimbulkan iri hati di kalangan rekan-rekannya. Namun ia bisa menenangkan rekan-rekannya itu dengan sikap dan budi bahasanya yang halus dan sopan.

Hari biasa Pekan I Prapaskah

T.Est. 4:10a,10c-12,17-19; Mzm. 138:1-2a,2bc-3,7c-8; Mat. 7:7-12

Warna Liturgi Ungu

Est 4:10  Akan tetapi Ester menyuruh Hatah memberitahukan kepada Mordekhai:

Est 4:10 Akan tetapi Ester menyuruh Hatah memberitahukan kepada Mordekhai:

Est 4:11 "Semua pegawai raja serta penduduk daerah-daerah kerajaan mengetahui bahwa bagi setiap laki-laki atau perempuan, yang menghadap raja di pelataran dalam dengan tiada dipanggil, hanya berlaku satu undang-undang, yakni hukuman mati. Hanya orang yang kepadanya raja mengulurkan tongkat emas, yang akan tetap hidup. Dan aku selama tiga puluh hari ini tidak dipanggil menghadap raja."

Est 4:12 Ketika disampaikan orang perkataan Ester itu kepada Mordekhai,

Est 4:17 Maka pergilah Mordekhai dan diperbuatnyalah tepat seperti yang dipesankan Ester kepadanya.

Mzm 138:1 Dari Daud. Aku hendak bersyukur kepada-Mu dengan segenap hatiku, di hadapan para allah aku akan bermazmur bagi-Mu.

Mzm 138:2 Aku hendak sujud ke arah bait-Mu yang kudus dan memuji nama-Mu, oleh karena kasih-Mu dan oleh karena setia-Mu; sebab Kaubuat nama-Mu dan janji-Mu melebihi segala sesuatu.

Mzm 138:2 Aku hendak sujud ke arah bait-Mu yang kudus dan memuji nama-Mu, oleh karena kasih-Mu dan oleh karena setia-Mu; sebab Kaubuat nama-Mu dan janji-Mu melebihi segala sesuatu.

Mzm 138:3 Pada hari aku berseru, Engkaupun menjawab aku, Engkau menambahkan kekuatan dalam jiwaku.

Mzm 138:7 Jika aku berada dalam kesesakan, Engkau mempertahankan hidupku; terhadap amarah musuhku Engkau mengulurkan tangan-Mu, dan tangan kanan-Mu menyelamatkan aku.

Mzm 138:8 TUHAN akan menyelesaikannya bagiku! Ya TUHAN, kasih setia-Mu untuk selama-lamanya; janganlah Kautinggalkan perbuatan tangan-Mu!

Mat 7:7 "Mintalah, maka akan diberikan kepadamu; carilah, maka kamu akan mendapat; ketoklah, maka pintu akan dibukakan bagimu.

Mat 7:8 Karena setiap orang yang meminta, menerima dan setiap orang yang mencari, mendapat dan setiap orang yang mengetok, baginya pintu dibukakan.

Mat 7:9 Adakah seorang dari padamu yang memberi batu kepada anaknya, jika ia meminta roti,

Mat 7:10 atau memberi ular, jika ia meminta ikan?

Mat 7:11 Jadi jika kamu yang jahat tahu memberi pemberian yang baik kepada anak-anakmu, apalagi Bapamu yang di sorga! Ia akan memberikan yang baik kepada mereka yang meminta kepada-Nya."

Mat 7:12 "Segala sesuatu yang kamu kehendaki supaya orang perbuat kepadamu, perbuatlah demikian juga kepada mereka. Itulah isi seluruh hukum Taurat dan kitab para nabi.

Prepared and updated by:

Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,

Penampang, Sabah Malaysia.