Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection March 27, 2026

27th March 2026 (Friday)

Psalter: Week 1

Readings of the Day

First Reading: Jeremiah 20:10-13

I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side! “Denounce him! Let us denounce him!” Say all my close friends, watching for my fall. “Perhaps he will be deceived; then we can overcome him and take our revenge on him.” But the Lord is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonour will never be forgotten. O Lord of hosts, who tests the righteous, who sees the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you have I committed my cause. Sing to the Lord; praise the Lord! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers.

Psalm 18:2-3a, 3bc-4, 5-6, 7 (R. see 7)

R/. In my anguish I called to the Lord, and he heard me

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: John 10:31-42

At that time: The Jews picked up stones again to stone Jesus. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? If he called them gods to whom the word of God came and Scripture cannot be broken—do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands. He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” And many believed in him there.

Daily Gospel Reflection

Friday – Fifth Week of Lent

Main Point: Everyone will experience hardship at some point in their lives. For the sake of his faith, a faithful follower of Christ and a believer in God will in particular have to deal with a lot of challenges. How will he react?

1. People who are good and pious suffer. This is a clear reality. The prophet Jeremiah and Jesus are two examples of this in today’s readings. Opposition, rejection, persecution, and censure confront both. They both confront death and fall prey to assassination schemes.

2. It’s not a penalty, however. It was the cost of their devotion and allegiance. It is the price of their sincerity and commitment. They always have a few things that stick out. One is their complete unity with God. Jesus would say, “The Father is in me, and I am in the Father,” for this reason.

3. Second, they had this complete sense of belonging to God even in their most dire circumstances. They don’t give up. Their faith remains unwavering. Jesus firmly believed that his father would never desert him and would always be on his side. He will be strengthened and guided by the Father, who will undoubtedly exalt him. Convinced as well, Jeremiah said, “The Lord is with me as a dread warrior.”

4. Third, they fervently and persistently prayed for God’s confirmation. According to Jesus, everyone would be judged based on their level of faith or lack thereof. “My persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not succeed. They will be eternally dishonored,” declares the prophet. “The Lord will deliver the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers.”

5. They completely gave themselves up to God. They acknowledge that their hardships are trials and tests of their goodness. They don’t pursue retribution on their own. Instead, they dedicate their cause to God. They continue to give their task their whole attention. Whatever happened, they never wavered in their dedication to the purpose that God had given them.

My Practice: Jesus may pose the question, “For which of the good works I have shown you from the Father are you going to stone me?” to the Jews. Because he was genuine, he was persuaded. How many are really convincing?