Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection February 20, 2026
Friday – Friday after Ash Wednesday
20th February 2026 (Friday)
Psalter: Week 4
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Isaiah 58:1-9a
Thus says the Lord God: “Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God. ‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’ Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord? “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’
Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 18-19 (R. 19bc))
R/. A broken and humbled heart, O God, you will not spurn
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ
R/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ
V/. Repent, says the Lord, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
R/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ
Gospel: Matthew 9:14-15
At that time: The disciples of John came to Jesus, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.
Daily Gospel Reflection
Friday – Friday after Ash Wednesday
Main Point: Fasting is not just about having an empty stomach as it is all about having a heart full of mercy. God is not impressed if we skip a meal but never stop fighting, gossiping or ignoring those in need.
1. In the first reading the people are complaining to God. They say “Why have we fasted, and you see it not?” They are acting like they have done God a favor by being hungry and now they want a reward. They believed that religion was a transaction – I give you fasting, You give me blessings.
2. But God calls them out. He says, “Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers.” They were starving their bodies from food, but they were feasting on anger and selfishness. They were fighting each other with “wicked fists.”
3. God shouts in “Is this the fast that I choose?” Do you think I want you to just droop your head like a droopy flower, and sit in the sackcloth? No.
4. God defines true fasting: “to loose the bonds of wickedness. . . . to share your bread with the hungry – and bring the homeless poor into your house. . . .” This is powerful. It is vertical (between me and God) but also horizontal (between me and my neighbor) now. Real fasting is not just between me and God (i.e., horizontal between me and my neighbor).
5. If we fast meat, but we bite our neighbour with sharp words, our fast is a fake. It is easier to ignore going to lunch than it is to miss the judgment of someone. God desires an empty stomach and a good heart instead of an empty stomach and a sour spirit.
6. In the Gospel, people question Jesus as to why his disciples don’t fast like others. They believe that being religious is looking gloomy. Jesus reminds them that He is the Bridegroom. Being with Him is like attending a wedding. It is the time of joy and not mourning.
7. We fast during the season of Lent not to punish ourselves, but to wake ourselves up. We say “no” to food in order to say “yes” to love. If we feel crankish and mean after fasting, then we should eat a sandwich, and try values of being kind instead.
My Practice: Today, in addition to simply giving up some kind of food, can I “fast” from complaining or criticizing? Can I “share my bread”, doing a little act of kindness for someone that is not able to pay me back?
