14 March 2025 (Friday) / Friday of the 1st week of Lent / Lenten Weekday, Day of Abstinence from Meat (Age 14 and up)

14 March 2025 (Friday)

Friday of the 1st week of Lent.

Lenten Weekday, Day of Abstinence from Meat (Age 14 and up)

First Reading: Ezekiel 18: 21-28

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 130: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

Verse Before the Gospel: Ezekiel 18: 31

Gospel: Matthew 5: 20-26

First Reading : 

Ezekiel 18:21‐28

Thus says the Lord:

‘If the wicked man renounces all the sins he has committed, respects my laws and is law‐abiding and honest, he will certainly live; he will not die. All the sins he committed will be forgotten from then on; he shall live because of the integrity he has practised. What! Am I likely to take pleasure in the death of a wicked man – it is the Lord who speaks – and not prefer to see him renounce his wickedness and live?

‘But if the upright man renounces his integrity, commits sin, copies the wicked man and practises every kind of filth, is he to live? All the integrity he has practised shall be forgotten from then on; but this is because he himself has broken faith and committed sin, and for this he shall die. But you object, “What the Lord does is unjust.” Listen, you House of Israel: is what I do unjust? Is it not what you do that is unjust? When the upright man renounces his integrity to commit sin and dies because of this, he dies because of the evil that he himself has committed. When the sinner renounces sin to become law‐abiding and honest, he deserves to live. He has chosen to renounce all his previous sins; he shall certainly live; he shall not die.’

Responsive Psalm : 

Psalm 129(130)

If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt, Lord, who would survive?

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord, Lord, hear my voice! O let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleading.

If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt, Lord, who would survive?

If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt, Lord, who would survive? But with you is found forgiveness: for this we revere you.

If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt, Lord, who would survive?

My soul is waiting for the Lord. I count on his word. My soul is longing for the Lord more than watchman for daybreak.

(Let the watchman count on daybreak and Israel on the Lord.)

If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt, Lord, who would survive?

Because with the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption, Israel indeed he will redeem from all its iniquity.

If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt, Lord, who would survive?

Second Reading :

There is no Second Reading.

Verse Before the Gospel: Ezekiel 18: 31

31 Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the LORD, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.

(19.' Now, you say, "Why doesn't the son bear his father's guilt?" If the son has been law-abiding and upright, has kept all my laws and followed them, most certainly he will live.

20. The one who has sinned is the one who must die; a son is not to bear his father's guilt, nor a father his son's guilt. The upright will be credited with his uprightness, and the wicked with his wickedness.

21. 'If the wicked, however, renounces all the sins he has committed, respects my laws and is law-abiding and upright, he will most certainly live; he will not die.

22. None of the crimes he committed will be remembered against him from then on; he will most certainly live because of his upright actions.

23. Would I take pleasure in the death of the wicked -- declares the Lord Yahweh -- and not prefer to see him renounce his wickedness and live?

24. 'But if the upright abandons uprightness and does wrong by copying all the loathsome practices of the wicked, is he to live? All his upright actions will be forgotten from then on; for the infidelity of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, he will most certainly die.

25. 'Now, you say, "What the Lord does is unjust." Now listen, House of Israel: is what I do unjust? Is it not what you do that is unjust?

26. When the upright abandons uprightness and does wrong and dies, he dies because of the wrong which he himself has done.

27. Similarly, when the wicked abandons wickedness to become law-abiding and upright, he saves his own life.

28. Having chosen to renounce all his previous crimes, he will most certainly live: he will not die.

29. And yet the House of Israel says, "What the Lord does is unjust." Is what I do unjust, House of Israel? Is it not what you do that is unjust?

30. So in future, House of Israel, I shall judge each of you by what that person does -- declares the Lord Yahweh. Repent, renounce all your crimes, avoid all occasions for guilt.

31. Shake off all the crimes you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why die, House of Israel?

32. I take no pleasure in the death of anyone -- declares the Lord Yahweh -- so repent and live!').

Gospel : 

Matthew 5:20‐26

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

‘You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not kill; and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I say this to you: anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it before the court; if a man calls his brother “Fool” he will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and if a man calls him “Renegade” he will answer for it in hell fire. So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.’

Words of the Holy Father:

In all of this we see that Jesus does not give importance simply to disciplinary compliance and exterior conduct. He goes to the Law’s roots focusing, first and foremost, on the intention and the human heart, from which our good and bad actions originate. To obtain good and honest conduct, legal rules are not enough. We need a deep motivation, an expression of a hidden wisdom, God’s wisdom, which can be received through the Holy Spirit. Through faith in Christ, we can open ourselves to the action of the Spirit which enable us to experience divine love. In the light of Christ’s teaching, every precept reveals its full meaning as a requirement of love, and they all come together in the greatest commandment: to love God with all of your heart and to love your neighbour as yourself. (Angelus, 16 February 2014)

Santa Matilda, Pengaku Iman.

Santa Matilda lahir kira-kira pada tahun 895. Ia kemudian menikah dengan Henry I, putra Adipati Saxon, yang menjadi raja Jerman pada tahun 919. Tuhan menganugerahkan kepada mereka anak-anak yang cerdas: Otto, yang kemudian menjadi Otto I, kaisar Jerman dan Kaisar Romawi Suci; Henry, yang menjadi adipati Bavaria; Bruno, yang menjadi uskup Agung di Cologne dan kemudian dihormati oleh Gereja sebagai orang Kudus; dan Gerberga, yang menikah dengan Raja Loius IV dari Perancis.

Ketika suaminya meninggal pada tahun 936, Matilda membaktikan dirinya kepada karya-karya cinta kasih. Ia lebih banyak memperhatikan kehidupan rohaninya. Ia mendirikan biara-biara di Nordhausen, Quedlinburg dan di Engern. Anak-anaknya, Henry dan Otto sering memarahi ibunya karena sangat banyak memboroskan harta kekayaan untuk membantu orang-orang fakir miskin. Meskipun demikian, mereka tetap menghormati Matilda, ibu mereka. Hal ini terlihat dengan tindakan Otto terhadap ibunya,. Ketika Otto pergi ke Roma untuk dimahkotai sebagai Kaisar Roma, ia menyerahkan kekuasaan Kerajaan Jerman kepada ibunya. Matilda memimpin Kerajaan Jerman hingga kematiannya pada tanggal 14 Maret 968 di sebuah biara yang didirikannya di Quedlinburg.

Yeh 18:21 Tetapi jikalau orang fasik bertobat dari segala dosa yang dilakukannya dan berpegang pada segala ketetapan-Ku serta melakukan keadilan dan kebenaran, ia pasti hidup, ia tidak akan mati.

Yeh 18:22 Segala durhaka yang dibuatnya tidak akan diingat-ingat lagi terhadap dia; ia akan hidup karena kebenaran yang dilakukannya.

Yeh 18:23 Apakah Aku berkenan kepada kematian orang fasik? demikianlah firman Tuhan ALLAH. Bukankah kepada pertobatannya supaya ia hidup?

Yeh 18:24 Jikalau orang benar berbalik dari kebenarannya dan melakukan kecurangan seperti segala kekejian yang dilakukan oleh orang fasik?apakah ia akan hidup? Segala kebenaran yang dilakukannya tidak akan diingat-ingat lagi. Ia harus mati karena ia berobah setia dan karena dosa yang dilakukannya.

Yeh 18:25 Tetapi kamu berkata: Tindakan Tuhan tidak tepat! Dengarlah dulu, hai kaum Israel, apakah tindakan-Ku yang tidak tepat ataukah tindakanmu yang tidak tepat?

Yeh 18:26 Kalau orang benar berbalik dari kebenarannya dan melakukan kecurangan sehingga ia mati, ia harus mati karena kecurangan yang dilakukannya.

Yeh 18:27 Sebaliknya, kalau orang fasik bertobat dari kefasikan yang dilakukannya dan ia melakukan keadilan dan kebenaran, ia akan menyelamatkan nyawanya.

Yeh 18:28 Ia insaf dan bertobat dari segala durhaka yang dibuatnya, ia pasti hidup, ia tidak akan mati.

Mzm 130:1 Nyanyian ziarah. Dari jurang yang dalam aku berseru kepada-Mu, ya TUHAN!

Mzm 130:2 Tuhan, dengarkanlah suaraku! Biarlah telinga-Mu menaruh perhatian kepada suara permohonanku.

Mzm 130:3 Jika Engkau, ya TUHAN, mengingat-ingat kesalahan-kesalahan, Tuhan, siapakah yang dapat tahan?

Mzm 130:4 Tetapi pada-Mu ada pengampunan, supaya Engkau ditakuti orang.

Mzm 130:4 Tetapi pada-Mu ada pengampunan, supaya Engkau ditakuti orang.

Mzm 130:5 Aku menanti-nantikan TUHAN, jiwaku menanti-nanti, dan aku mengharapkan firman-Nya.

Mzm 130:6 Jiwaku mengharapkan Tuhan lebih dari pada pengawal mengharapkan pagi, lebih dari pada pengawal mengharapkan pagi.

Mzm 130:7 Berharaplah kepada TUHAN, hai Israel! Sebab pada TUHAN ada kasih setia, dan Ia banyak kali mengadakan pembebasan.

Mzm 130:8 Dialah yang akan membebaskan Israel dari segala kesalahannya.

Mat 5:20 Maka Aku berkata kepadamu: Jika hidup keagamaanmu tidak lebih benar dari pada hidup keagamaan ahli-ahli Taurat dan orang-orang Farisi, sesungguhnya kamu tidak akan masuk ke dalam Kerajaan Sorga.

Mat 5:21 Kamu telah mendengar yang difirmankan kepada nenek moyang kita: Jangan membunuh; siapa yang membunuh harus dihukum.

Mat 5:22 Tetapi Aku berkata kepadamu: Setiap orang yang marah terhadap saudaranya harus dihukum; siapa yang berkata kepada saudaranya: Kafir! harus dihadapkan ke Mahkamah Agama dan siapa yang berkata: Jahil! harus diserahkan ke dalam neraka yang menyala-nyala.

Mat 5:23 Sebab itu, jika engkau mempersembahkan persembahanmu di atas mezbah dan engkau teringat akan sesuatu yang ada dalam hati saudaramu terhadap engkau,

Mat 5:24 tinggalkanlah persembahanmu di depan mezbah itu dan pergilah berdamai dahulu dengan saudaramu, lalu kembali untuk mempersembahkan persembahanmu itu.

Mat 5:25 Segeralah berdamai dengan lawanmu selama engkau bersama-sama dengan dia di tengah jalan, supaya lawanmu itu jangan menyerahkan engkau kepada hakim dan hakim itu menyerahkan engkau kepada pembantunya dan engkau dilemparkan ke dalam penjara.

Mat 5:26 Aku berkata kepadamu: Sesungguhnya engkau tidak akan keluar dari sana, sebelum engkau membayar hutangmu sampai lunas.

Prepared and updated by:

Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,

Penampang, Sabah Malaysia.