Reading time: 6 minutes

Read and listen to The Word of March 16, 2023

Content index

Summary

Thursday of the third week of Lent

First Reading

This is the nation that does not listen to the voice of the Lord, its God.

From the book of the prophet Jeremiah
Jer 7,23-28

Thus says the Lord:
«This I commanded them: “Listen to my voice, and I will be your God and you will be my people; always walk on the path that I will prescribe for you, so that you may be happy."

But they did not listen or give ear to my word; rather, they stubbornly proceeded according to their wicked hearts and, instead of turning towards me, they turned their backs on me.

From the time your fathers came out of Egypt until now, I have sent you with diligence all my servants the prophets; but they did not listen to me or listen to me, but rather they hardened their necks, becoming worse than their fathers.

You will tell them all these things, but they will not listen to you; you will call them, but they will not answer you. Then you will say to them: This is the nation that does not listen to the voice of the Lord, his God, nor accepts correction. Loyalty has disappeared, it has been banished from their mouths."

God's word.

Responsorial Psalm
From Psalm 94 (95)

R. Listen to the voice of the Lord today: do not harden your heart.

Come, let us sing to the Lord,
we hail the rock of our salvation.
Let us draw near to him to give him thanks,
we acclaim him with songs of joy. R.

Come in: prostrate yourself, let us adore,
on our knees before the Lord who made us.
He is our God
and we the people of his pasture,
the flock he leads. R.

If you would listen to his voice today!
«Do not harden your heart as in Meriba,
as on the day of Massa in the desert,
where your fathers tempted me:
they put me to the test
despite having seen my works." R.

Gospel acclamation

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

Return to me with all your heart, says the Lord,
because I am merciful and compassionate. (Cf. Joel 2,12-13)

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

Gospel

Whoever is not with me is against me.

La Parola del 16 marzo 2023 — *Jesus versus Satan*

From the Gospel according to Luke
Luke 11:14-23

At that time, Jesus was casting out a demon who was mute. Once the devil came out, the dumb man began to speak and the crowds were struck by amazement. But some said: "It is through Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that he casts out demons." Others then, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.

He, knowing their intentions, said: «Every kingdom divided against itself falls into ruin, and one house falls upon another. Now, if Satan is also divided within himself, how will his kingdom be able to stand? You say that I cast out demons through Beelzebul.

But if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, who do your children cast them out by? For this reason they will be your judges. But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.

When a strong, well-armed man guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But if someone stronger than him comes and defeats him, he snatches away the weapons he trusted in and divides the spoils.
Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters."

Word of the Lord.

Saint John Mary Vianney (1786-1859)

priest, curate of Ars

Sermon for the second Sunday after Easter (trad. cb© evangelizo)

The Christian's weapons against the devil

A Christian who makes holy use of prayer and the sacraments is as fearsome to the devil as a dragon on his horse, with lightning eyes, armed with armour, saber and pistols, facing an unarmed enemy: the mere presence makes him change direction and runaway.

But if he dismounts and leaves his weapons, the enemy immediately mounts him, tramples him and becomes his master; while, with his weapons, his mere presence seemed to annihilate the enemy. Sensitive image of a Christian who is equipped with the weapons of prayer and the sacraments.

No, no, a Christian who prays and attends the sacraments with the necessary dispositions is more feared by the devil than this dragon I told you about. (…) Why?

It is that the sacraments give us so much strength to persevere in the grace of God that we have never seen a saint turn away from the sacraments and from persevering in the friendship of God; in the sacraments the saints found all the strength not to let themselves be overcome by the devil: this is the reason. When we pray God gives us friends, now he sends us a saint or an angel to console us (...), he makes us feel his graces more abundantly to encourage us and make us stronger.

But in the sacraments it is not a saint or an angel, it is he himself who arrives with his lightning to destroy our enemy. The devil, seeing it in our heart, rushes like a desperate man into the abyss; this is exactly why the devil does everything to distance us from them and make us desecrate them. Yes, my brothers, when a person frequents the sacraments the devil loses all his power.

WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER

This episode contains a warning that serves all of us. In fact, it can happen that a strong envy for the goodness and good works of a person can lead to falsely accusing them.

Here there is a truly deadly poison: the malice with which one premeditatedly wants to destroy the good reputation of another. God deliver us from this terrible temptation!

And if, examining our conscience, we realize that this evil weed is sprouting within us, let us immediately go and confess it in the sacrament of Penance, before it develops and produces its evil effects, which are incurable.

Be careful, because this attitude destroys families, friendships, communities and even society. (Angelus, June 10, 2018)