Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection March 11, 2026

11th March 2026 (Wednesday)

Psalter: Week 3

Readings of the Day

First Reading: Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9

Moses spoke to the people, saying, “And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today? “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children.

Psalm 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20 (R. 12a)

R/. O Jerusalem, glorify the Lord!

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: Matthew 5:17-19

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Daily Gospel Reflection

Wednesday – Third Week of Lent

Main Point: We often look at and treat God’s commands like a heavy chain meant to hold us down. But God’s commands are actually meant to protect us. Jesus demonstrates that the commands serve as a map to freedom. God’s rules protect us from crashing.

1. If we’re being honest, most of us don’t like rules at all. The sight of the word “commandments” brings about negative feelings. We picture God as an unapproachable, strict police officer hiding behind a billboard and waiting to catch us speeding.

2. With today’s first reading we see Moses begging the people to follow the commands of God; people Moses considered to be rude and self-destructive, people he thought would ignore him, win no prizes, and avoid no strikes from God’s lightning. He explains to people to obey the commands so they can actually live.

3. When God’s commands are given, they are like the paper instructions given when buying a sophisticated piece of machinery. They are not meant to ruin the fun. They are meant to help the machine operate correctly and not be destroyed. God’s law is like the instructions, so we don’t ruin ourselves.

4. Unlike how many of us have treated God’s commandments, to Jesus, they are fulfilling and not burdensome. He didn’t come to throw the old instructions away; he came to fulfill them, give us a perfect example of how to live the commandments, be a perfect role model to follow, and most importantly, obey all commandments!

5. The law, in the eyes of the religious leaders of that time, was treated as a cold checklist. Out of the law’s most rigid elements, Jesus created something alive, something that pulsated with purpose. Jesus created a sense of law that was now described in terms of love. Jesus’ law became a law of love. Each law is designed to maximize the potential for love to not just be an emotion but to be an action, a gift in its purest form.

6. Salvation is not an outcome of earning a checklist of perfect religious accomplishments. Following the religious rules is not an act of earning God’s love, but instead, it is the gracious result of God’s love. God’s love is what makes the rules feel less like an exigent duty and more like a pleasure. God’s love, ultimately, is what lights the path to the most joyous outcome, the end of the journey: God’s home.

7. Remember what Moses warned us: not to forget the things unchecked from the list of things God did not want us to see. Remember, and you will see the paths. Remembering the paths of mercy that God has freely given to us makes it easier to see how obeying God is a way to express gratitude to God rather than being a burden.

My Practice: God gave the laws to protect me and give me the gift of love, not an annoying burden. What specific laws of God feel the heaviest? Which feels the most like a burden? God’s grace is, and has to be, my starting point. It is from grace that I will always see how the rules are a gift—a gift that protects me from pain.