10 March 2026 (Tuesday) / Lenten Weekday / Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent

10 March 2026 (Tuesday)

Lenten Weekday.
Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent.

Readings from the Bible of the Roman Catholic Church:

First Reading: Daniel 3: 25, 34-43
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 25: 4‐6,7‐9
Verse Before the Gospel: Joel 2: 12-13
Gospel: Matthew 18: 21-35

First Reading : Daniel 3:25,34‐43

Azariah stood in the heart of the fire, and he began to pray:
Oh! Do not abandon us for ever,
for the sake of your name;
do not repudiate your covenant,
do not withdraw your favour from us,
for the sake of Abraham, your friend,
of Isaac your servant,
and of Israel your holy one,
to whom you promised descendants as countless as the stars of heaven
and as the grains of sand on the seashore.
Lord, now we are the least of all the nations,
now we are despised throughout the world, today, because of our sins.
We have at this time no leader, no prophet, no prince,
no holocaust, no sacrifice, no oblation, no incense,
no place where we can offer you the first‐fruits
and win your favour.
But may the contrite soul, the humbled spirit be as acceptable to you
as holocausts of rams and bullocks,
as thousands of fattened lambs:
such let our sacrifice be to you today,
and may it be your will that we follow you wholeheartedly,
since those who put their trust in you will not be disappointed.
And now we put our whole heart into following you,
into fearing you and seeking your face once more.
Do not disappoint us;
treat us gently, as you yourself are gentle
and very merciful.
Grant us deliverance worthy of your wonderful deeds,
let your name win glory, Lord.

Responsive Psalm : Psalm 24(25):4‐6,7‐9

Remember your mercy, Lord.
Lord, make me know your ways.
  Lord, teach me your paths.
Make me walk in your truth, and teach me:
  for you are God my saviour.
Remember your mercy, Lord.
Remember your mercy, Lord,
  and the love you have shown from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth.
  In your love remember me.
Remember your mercy, Lord.
The Lord is good and upright.
  He shows the path to those who stray,
He guides the humble in the right path,
  He teaches his way to the poor.
Remember your mercy, Lord.

Verse Before the Gospel: Joel 2: 12-13
12-13 Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart; for I am gracious and merciful.
(11. Yahweh's voice rings out at the head of his troops! For mighty indeed is his army, strong, the enforcer of his orders, for great is the Day of Yahweh, and very terrible -- who can face it?
12. 'But now -- declares Yahweh- come back to me with all your heart, fasting, weeping, mourning.'
13. Tear your hearts and not your clothes, and come back to Yahweh your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in faithful love, and he relents about inflicting disaster.
14. Who knows if he will not come back, relent and leave a blessing behind him, a cereal offering and a libation to be presented to Yahweh your God?)

Gospel : Matthew 18:21‐35

Peter went up to Jesus and said, ‘Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘Not seven, I tell you, but seventy‐seven times.
  ‘And so the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who decided to settle his accounts with his servants. When the reckoning began, they brought him a man who owed ten thousand talents; but he had no means of paying, so his master gave orders that he should be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, to meet the debt. At this, the servant threw himself down at his master’s feet. “Give me time” he said “and I will pay the whole sum.” And the servant’s master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and cancelled the debt. Now as this servant went out, he happened to meet a fellow servant who owed him one hundred denarii; and he seized him by the throat and began to throttle him. “Pay what you owe me” he said. His fellow servant fell at his feet and implored him, saying, “Give me time and I will pay you.” But the other would not agree; on the contrary, he had him thrown into prison till he should pay the debt. His fellow servants were deeply distressed when they saw what had happened, and they went to their master and reported the whole affair to him. Then the master sent for him. “You wicked servant,” he said “I cancelled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me. Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow servant just as I had pity on you?” And in his anger the master handed him over to the torturers till he should pay all his debt. And that is how my heavenly Father will deal with you unless you each forgive your brother from your heart.’

For our reflection today:

“Forgiveness! Christ taught us to forgive. Many times, and in various ways He spoke of forgiveness. When Peter asked him how many times he would have forgiven his neighbour, “As many as seven times?”, Jesus replied that he should forgive “seventy times seven” (Mt 18:21f). This means, in practice, always: in fact, the number “seventy times seven” is symbolic, and means, rather than a specific quantity, an incalculable, infinite quantity. Responding to the question of how one should pray, Christ uttered those magnificent words addressed to the Father: “Our Father who art in heaven”; and among the requests that make up this prayer, the last one speaks of forgiveness: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those” who are guilty towards us, who “trespass against us”. Finally, Christ himself confirmed the truth of these words on the Cross when, turning to the Father, he pleaded: “Forgive them!”, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34). (Saint John Paul II - General audience, 21 October 1981)

Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,
Pelayan Atasan Tertinggi / Most High Servant,
Yesus, Maria, Yusuf Pelayanan Kasih / Jesus, Mary, Joseph Ministry of Love 
(Blessed and Saints and the Nine Choirs of Angels)

My vocation is Blessed and Saints.

"I am the most humble of all the Saints in Heaven" Mary, Mother of God."

"I am the handmaid of the Lord, said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me."

Mother Mary is the most humble Saint in Heaven and she is also the Mother of God for us all
(Luke 1:38)