Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection March 10, 2026
Tuesday – Third Week of Lent
10th March 2026 (Tuesday)
Psalter: Week 3
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Daniel 3:25, 34-43
In those days: Azariah stood and offered this prayer; in the midst of the fire he opened his mouth and said: For your name’s sake do not give us up utterly and do not break your covenant and do not withdraw your mercy from us, for the sake of Abraham your beloved and for the sake of Isaac your servant and Israel your holy one, to whom you promised to make their descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as the sand on the shore of the sea. For we, O Lord, have become fewer than any nation and are brought low this day in all the world because of our sins. And at this time there is no prince or prophet or leader, no whole burnt offering or sacrifice or oblation or incense, no place to make an offering before you or to find mercy. Yet with a contrite heart and a humble spirit may we be accepted, as though it were with whole burnt offerings of rams and bulls and with tens of thousands of fat lambs; such may our sacrifice be in your sight this day, and may it accomplish after you, for there will be no shame for those who trust in you. And now with all our heart we follow you, we fear you and seek your face. Do not put us to shame, but deal with us in your forbearance and in your abundant mercy. Deliver us in accordance with your marvellous works and give glory to your name, O Lord!
Psalm 25:4-5ab, 6 and 7cd, 8-9 (R. 6a)
R/. Remember your compassion, O Lord.
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ
R/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ
V/. Even now, declares the Lord, return to me with all your heart, for I am gracious and merciful.
R/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ
Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35
At that time: Peter came up and said to Jesus, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
Daily Gospel Reflection
Tuesday – Third Week of Lent
Main Point: We embrace the concept of divine favor for our own situation, yet demand rigid fairness when dealing with others. Genuine love starts when we extend to others the precise compassion God has just granted us.
1. We frequently view redemption as wages we must merit. We feel the urge to track accounts. However, God’s mercy doesn’t function like a ledger, and frankly, this discomforts our human ego.
2. In the Gospel narrative, a man owes his sovereign an enormous, unpayable sum. He drops to his knees and pleads. The ruler doesn’t merely offer installments; he bestows complete clearance. He totally cancels the offense purely through kindness.
3. Yet, moments later, this same man encounters someone who owes him a small amount. He entirely overlooks his own plea. He actually squeezes the person, insisting on immediate repayment. He was delighted to receive a pardon but resolutely declined to pass it on.
4. We often fall into this very pitfall. We go to reconciliation, present our weighty burden of faults to God, and He cleanses my spirit. But then we leave the sanctuary and harbor deep resentment toward an acquaintance who irritated me.
5. The initial passage reveals the sole authentic remedy for this arrogance. Azariah is situated within an intense blaze. His community has lost everything. They lack a sanctuary and have no offerings to present to God for their shortcomings. They are spiritually destitute.
6. So, Azariah presents God with a “penitent spirit and a humble disposition.” He acknowledges his complete destitution. And God readily acknowledges that genuine act of atonement. God doesn’t require flawlessness; He requires our truthful yielding.
7. Here’s the crucial point. You cannot retain God’s favor if your hands are occupied squeezing your neighbor. Once we truly grasp that our very existence depends on God’s everyday compassion, releasing another person from blame ceases to be a duty. It transforms into the only rational response.
My Practice: As I recite the “Lord’s Prayer” during the day, I will pause at the phrase, “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” I will petition the Lord for the strength to embody those words genuinely.
