24 March 2025 (Monday) / Monday of the 3rd week of Lent / Lenten Weekday.

24 March 2025 (Monday)

Monday of the 3rd week of Lent.

Lenten Weekday.

First Reading: Second Kings 5: 1-15

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 42: 2, 3; 43: 3, 4

Verse Before the Gospel: Psalms 130: 5, 7

Gospel: Luke 4: 24-30

First Reading : 2 Kings 5:1‐15

Naaman, army commander to the king of Aram, was a man who enjoyed his master’s respect and favour, since through him the Lord had granted victory to the Aramaeans. But the man was a leper. Now on one of their raids, the Aramaeans had carried off from the land of Israel a little girl who had become a servant of Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, ‘If only my master would approach the prophet of Samaria. He would cure him of his leprosy.’ Naaman went and told his master. ‘This and this’ he reported ‘is what the girl from the land of Israel said.’ ‘Go by all means,’ said the king of Aram ‘I will send a letter to the king of Israel.’ So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten festal robes. He presented the letter to the king of Israel. It read: ‘With this letter, I am sending my servant Naaman to you for you to cure him of his leprosy.’ When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his garments. ‘Am I a god to give death and life,’ he said ‘that he sends a man to me and asks me to cure him of his leprosy? Listen to this, and take note of it and see how he intends to pick a quarrel with me.’ When Elisha heard that the king of Israel had torn his garments, he sent word to the king, ‘Why did you tear your garments? Let him come to me, and he will find there is a prophet in Israel. ’So Naaman came with his team and chariot and drew up at the door of Elisha’s house. And Elisha sent him a messenger to say, ‘Go and bathe seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will become clean once more.’ But Naaman was indignant and went off, saying, ‘Here was I thinking he would be sure to come out to me, and stand there, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the spot and cure the leprous part. Surely Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, are better than any water in Israel? Could I not bathe in them and become clean?’ And he turned round and went off in a rage. But his servants approached him and said, ‘My father, if the prophet had asked you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? All the more reason, then, when he says to you, “Bathe, and you will become clean." So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, as Elisha had told him to do. And his flesh became clean once more like the flesh of a little child. Returning to Elisha with his whole escort, he went in and stood before him. ‘Now I know’ he said ‘that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel.’

Responsive Psalm : Psalm 41(42):2‐3,42:3‐4

My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life: when can I enter and see the face of God?

Like the deer that yearns for running streams,

so my soul is yearning for you, my God.

My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life: when can I enter and see the face of God?

My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life; when can I enter and see the face of God?

My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life: when can I enter and see the face of God?

O send forth your light and your truth; let these be my guide. Let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.

My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life: when can I enter and see the face of God?

And I will come to the altar of God, the God of my joy. My redeemer, I will thank you on the harp, O God, my God.

My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life: when can I enter and see the face of God?

Second Reading :

There is no Second Reading.

Verse Before the Gospel: Psalms 130: 5, 7

5, 7 I hope in the LORD, I trust in his word; with him there is kindness and plenteous redemption.

(4. But with you is forgiveness, that you may be revered.

5. I rely, my whole being relies, Yahweh, on your promise.

6. My whole being hopes in the Lord, more than watchmen for daybreak; more than watchmen for daybreak

7. let Israel hope in Yahweh. For with Yahweh is faithful love, with him generous ransom;

8. and he will ransom Israel from all its sins)

Gospel : Luke 4:24‐30

Jesus came to Nazara and spoke to the people in the synagogue: ‘I tell you solemnly, no prophet is ever accepted in his own country. ‘There were many widows in Israel, I can assure you, in Elijah’s day, when heaven remained shut for three years and six months and a great famine raged throughout the land, but Elijah was not sent to any one of these: he was sent to a widow at Zarephath, a Sidonian town. And in the prophet Elisha’s time there were many lepers in Israel, but none of these was cured, except the Syrian, Naaman.’ When they heard this everyone in the synagogue was enraged. They sprang to their feet and hustled him out of the town; and they took him up to the brow of the hill their town was built on, intending to throw him down the cliff, but he slipped through the crowd and walked away.

Words of the Holy Father:

These words reveal that Jesus’ failure was not entirely unexpected. He knew his people, he knew the heart of his people, he knew the risk he was running. He took rejection into account. And, so, we may ask ourselves: but if it was like this, if he foresaw a failure, why did he go to his home town all the same? Why do good to people who are not willing to accept you? It is a question that we too often ask ourselves. But it is a question that helps us understand God better. Faced with our closures, he does not withdraw: he does not put brakes on his love. Faced with our closures, he goes forward. We see a reflection of this in parents who are aware of the ingratitude of their children, but do not stop loving them and doing good to them, because of this. God is the same, but at a much higher level. And today he invites us too to believe in good, to leave no stone unturned in doing good. (Angelus, 30 January 2022)

Santa Katarina dari Swedia, Pengaku Iman.

Santa Katarina lahir di Ulfasa, Swedia pada tahun 1331. Ia adalah anak keempat Santa Brigita dari Swedia. Ketika berumur 13 tahun, ia menikah dengan Eggard van Kyren, seorang pemuda bangsawan Jerman. Meskipun demikian ia tetap tertarik dengan kehidupan membiara yang telah menjadi cita- citanya semenjak kecil.

Pada tahun 1349, setahun sebelum Eggard suaminya meninggal dunia, Katarina pergi ke Roma untuk mengunjungi ibunya Brigita yang sudah lama berada disana. Pertemuan dengan ibunya mengobarkan lagi panggilan hidup membiara yang dicita- citakannya. Tatkala suaminya meninggal, ia menggabungkan diri dalam perkumpulan yang didirikan ibunya untuk melaksanakan karya- karya cinta kasih. Tampaknya ia sungguh berbahagia dengan cara hidup ini.

Pada tahun 1373 sepeninggal ibunya, Katarina kembali ke Swedia dan berkarya di Vadstena sebagai pemimpin perkumpulan ibunya. Tahun berikutnya ia kembali lagi ke Roma. Ia berkarya disana selama lima tahun sampai waktu penggelaran ibunya sebagai Santa. Setelah itu ia kembali ke Vadstena dan berkarya disana hingga menghembuskan nafasnya pada tanggal 24 Maret 1381. Ia digelari Kudus pada tahun 1484 oleh Sri Paus Innocentius VIII (1484- 1492).

Hari biasa Pekan III Prapaskah

2Raj. 5:1-15a; Mzm. 42:2,3; Mzm. 43:3,4; 

Luk. 4:24-30

Warna Liturgi Ungu

2Raj 5:1 Naaman, panglima raja Aram, adalah seorang terpandang di hadapan tuannya dan sangat disayangi, sebab oleh dia TUHAN telah memberikan kemenangan kepada orang Aram. Tetapi orang itu, seorang pahlawan tentara, sakit kusta.

2Raj 5:2 Orang Aram pernah keluar bergerombolan dan membawa tertawan seorang anak perempuan dari negeri Israel. Ia menjadi pelayan pada isteri Naaman.

2Raj 5:3 Berkatalah gadis itu kepada nyonyanya: "Sekiranya tuanku menghadap nabi yang di Samaria itu, maka tentulah nabi itu akan menyembuhkan dia dari penyakitnya."

2Raj 5:4 Lalu pergilah Naaman memberitahukan kepada tuannya, katanya: "Begini-beginilah dikatakan oleh gadis yang dari negeri Israel itu."

2Raj 5:5 Maka jawab raja Aram: "Baik, pergilah dan aku akan mengirim surat kepada raja Israel." Lalu pergilah Naaman dan membawa sebagai persembahan sepuluh talenta perak dan enam ribu syikal emas dan sepuluh potong pakaian.

2Raj 5:6 Ia menyampaikan surat itu kepada raja Israel, yang berbunyi: "Sesampainya surat ini kepadamu, maklumlah kiranya, bahwa aku menyuruh kepadamu Naaman, pegawaiku, supaya engkau menyembuhkan dia dari penyakit kustanya."

2Raj 5:7 Segera sesudah raja Israel membaca surat itu, dikoyakkannyalah pakaiannya serta berkata: "Allahkah aku ini yang dapat mematikan dan menghidupkan, sehingga orang ini mengirim pesan kepadaku, supaya kusembuhkan seorang dari penyakit kustanya? Tetapi sesungguhnya, perhatikanlah dan lihatlah, ia mencari gara-gara terhadap aku."

2Raj 5:8 Segera sesudah didengar Elisa, abdi Allah itu, bahwa raja Israel mengoyakkan pakaiannya, dikirimnyalah pesan kepada raja, bunyinya: "Mengapa engkau mengoyakkan pakaianmu? Biarlah ia datang kepadaku, supaya ia tahu bahwa ada seorang nabi di Israel."

2Raj 5:9 Kemudian datanglah Naaman dengan kudanya dan keretanya, lalu berhenti di depan pintu rumah Elisa.

2Raj 5:10 Elisa menyuruh seorang suruhan kepadanya mengatakan: "Pergilah mandi tujuh kali dalam sungai Yordan, maka tubuhmu akan pulih kembali, sehingga engkau menjadi tahir."

2Raj 5:11 Tetapi pergilah Naaman dengan gusar sambil berkata: "Aku sangka bahwa setidak-tidaknya ia datang ke luar dan berdiri memanggil nama TUHAN, Allahnya, lalu menggerak-gerakkan tangannya di atas tempat penyakit itu dan dengan demikian menyembuhkan penyakit kustaku!

2Raj 5:12 Bukankah Abana dan Parpar, sungai-sungai Damsyik, lebih baik dari segala sungai di Israel? Bukankah aku dapat mandi di sana dan menjadi tahir?" Kemudian berpalinglah ia dan pergi dengan panas hati.

2Raj 5:13 Tetapi pegawai-pegawainya datang mendekat serta berkata kepadanya: "Bapak, seandainya nabi itu menyuruh perkara yang sukar kepadamu, bukankah bapak akan melakukannya? Apalagi sekarang, ia hanya berkata kepadamu: Mandilah dan engkau akan menjadi tahir."

2Raj 5:14 Maka turunlah ia membenamkan dirinya tujuh kali dalam sungai Yordan, sesuai dengan perkataan abdi Allah itu. Lalu pulihlah tubuhnya kembali seperti tubuh seorang anak dan ia menjadi tahir.

2Raj 5:15 Kemudian kembalilah ia dengan seluruh pasukannya kepada abdi Allah itu. Setelah sampai, tampillah ia ke depan Elisa dan berkata: "Sekarang aku tahu, bahwa di seluruh bumi tidak ada Allah kecuali di Israel. Karena itu terimalah kiranya suatu pemberian dari hambamu ini!"

Mzm 42:2 (42-3) Jiwaku haus kepada Allah, kepada Allah yang hidup. Bilakah aku boleh datang melihat Allah?

Mzm 42:3 (42-4) Air mataku menjadi makananku siang dan malam, karena sepanjang hari orang berkata kepadaku: "Di mana Allahmu?"

Mzm 43:3 Suruhlah terang-Mu dan kesetiaan-Mu datang, supaya aku dituntun dan dibawa ke gunung-Mu yang kudus dan ke tempat kediaman-Mu!

Mzm 43:4 Maka aku dapat pergi ke mezbah Allah, menghadap Allah, yang adalah sukacitaku dan kegembiraanku, dan bersyukur kepada-Mu dengan kecapi, ya Allah, ya Allahku!

Luk 4:24 Dan kata-Nya lagi: "Aku berkata kepadamu, sesungguhnya tidak ada nabi yang dihargai di tempat asalnya.

Luk 4:25 Dan Aku berkata kepadamu, dan kata-Ku ini benar: Pada zaman Elia terdapat banyak perempuan janda di Israel ketika langit tertutup selama tiga tahun dan enam bulan dan ketika bahaya kelaparan yang hebat menimpa seluruh negeri.

Luk 4:26 Tetapi Elia diutus bukan kepada salah seorang dari mereka, melainkan kepada seorang perempuan janda di Sarfat, di tanah Sidon.

Luk 4:27 Dan pada zaman nabi Elisa banyak orang kusta di Israel dan tidak ada seorangpun dari mereka yang ditahirkan, selain dari pada Naaman, orang Siria itu."

Luk 4:28 Mendengar itu sangat marahlah semua orang yang di rumah ibadat itu.

Luk 4:29 Mereka bangun, lalu menghalau Yesus ke luar kota dan membawa Dia ke tebing gunung, tempat kota itu terletak, untuk melemparkan Dia dari tebing itu.

Luk 4:30 Tetapi Ia berjalan lewat dari tengah-tengah mereka, lalu pergi.

Prepared and updated by:

Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,

Penampang, Sabah Malaysia.