Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection March 02, 2026

02nd March 2026 (Monday)

Psalter: Week 2

Readings of the Day

Second Reading: Daniel 9:4b-10

O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

Psalm 79:8, 9, 11, 13 (R. see Psalm 103:10a)

R/. O Lord, do not treat us according to our sins.

Gospel Acclamation

V/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ

R/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ

V/. Your words, Lord, are spirit and life, you have the words of eternal life.

R/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ

Gospel: Luke 6:36-38

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

Daily Gospel Reflection

Monday – Second Week of Lent

Main Point: Instead of living like stingy accountants, keeping track of who does us wrong, and judging who deserves our judgment, Jesus invites us to stop taking life so seriously and live life with grace, lots of it, even if it might be a little messy.

1. You may have noticed this, but fingers are so often used to keep track of everything, and if you don’t notice it, it’s probably because you are so used to it. Who paid for dinner last, who texted who first, who said what, and who started an argument; such things are often held onto and turned into a grudge, as if it’s a wallet holding onto a valuable coin.

2. Jesus talks about judgment and measuring things in today’s Gospel reading. Jesus talks about judgment and measuring things in today’s Gospel reading. Jesus talks about judging and measuring things in today’s Gospel, and what he says is quite different. He talks about measuring, and it may come as ou a shock, but he talks about judging and measuring things in today’s world. Jesus talks about judging and measuring things in today’s Gospel reading, and even if it may come as a shock, this isn’t quite what you might happen to expect.

3. Imagine living like this for a moment, because in all honesty, it is terrifying. Why are we so stingy when it comes to offering mercy to others? We are stingy with what we can do, and this is an accurate description of judgment. It feels stingy, and with mercy, and it may seem strange, but this is, in a way, an accurate description of judgment.

4. When we stop judging, we think we are losing. It is the fear of a person becoming weak or a person becoming a target for others to walk all over them. It feels stingy to offer mercy, and it may seem strange, but this is an accurate description of justice. It is the fear of a person becoming weak or a person becoming a target for others to walk all over them.

5. The prophet Daniel demonstrates the meaning of strength today. He does not blame anyone for the condition of his country. He remarked, ‘We have sinned. We have rebelled. We have shamed ourselves as he stood before God. He has completely stripped himself of pride.

6. An overflowing bucket of grace cannot be caught if your hands are full of your own criticism and anger. Daniel had to get rid of his excuses before God’s mercy could fill him. He understood God to be a compassionate Father, not a calculating judge waiting to punish.

7. Today, Jesus is daring us to get rid of our measuring cups. Stop counting. Stop measuring. Stop condemning. When you forgive someone, you are not letting them off the hook. You are emptying your hands for God to fill you with peace.

My Practice: Is there a relationship where I have kept a score? Today, I am going to get rid of the scorebook. I will do something generous for the person’s score without an expectation in return.