March 23, 2025
Discover the deeper meaning and connections found in this week's readings, through these great commentaries written by our priests.
Explore this week's readings and hear what God is saying to us through His Word.
Find out more about how we can mark this special day in our liturgy.
See our music recommendations for the liturgy.
Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15
This morning’s reading from the book of Exodus describes a very powerful dialogue between God and Moses, an immediacy of relationship that inspires a vocational calling of immense proportions, and that gradually transforms the shepherd Moses into a leader that guides God’s people out of slavery (Egypt), into freedom; and with a clear invitation to peoples of all time to continue the dialogue - a seeking for true liberation.
Such is the developing relationship/dialogue, reminiscent of Exodus 30:11, where ‘Yahweh would speak with Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend’, suggests that the ‘burning bush’ revelation of chapter 3, with its promises of continuity by way of a God that hears the cry of his people, and intervenes on numerous occasions through his servant Moses. This same cry is also our experience of today’s world conflicts, and blessed are those who minister to a suffering world
The second feature of intimacy/dialogue, is the choice of a young man, a shepherd guiding his flock. Being concerned about his calling and the significance of the expectations, Moses exclaims ‘Who am I to go to Pharaoh and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?’ ‘I shall be with you’ was the answer.
The question and the answer here are perennial images of God’s intentional fidelity throughout biblical history, and not just to a chosen few, but an invitation to dialogue with all people of good will.
I Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12
Paul reminds the Corinthians that dialogue with God is a serious matter. The history of that dialogue is littered with the memories of those who turned away from dialogue. Free to dialogue, free to refuse to dialogue, humanity needs to heed the lessons of those who have gone before.
Luke 13:1-9
Repentance and recommitment are the words spoken by Jesus - a reinforcement through dialogue and the gift of freedom are the opportunities to move from complacency to a steady, but determined faith that continues to engage with the world, through many obstacles; with care and application of faith the withered tree has the potential to become the tree of life - a lifegiving freedom to seize the opportunity when it is offered.
Third Sunday of Lent
CCC 210, 2575-2577: God calls Moses, hears prayers of his people
CCC 1963-1964: observance of Law prepares for conversion
CCC 2851: evil and its works as obstacle on way of salvation
CCC 128-130, 1094: Old Testament "types" fulfilled in the New Testament
CCC 736, 1108-1109, 1129, 1521, 1724, 1852, 2074, 2516, 2345, 2731: bearing fruit
NB: If the parish has members of Elect, in which case the First Scrutiny must be celebrated, the readings for Year A (with the Gospel of the Woman at the Well) are used instead of the Year C readings.
Today’s scriptures move from gratitude for God’s merciful love (1st Reading, Responsorial Psalm, 2nd Reading) to a call to repentance (Gospel Acclamation, Gospel). The way in which they are proclaimed should reflect this difference in tone.
Penitential Act IV (p. 1530) is appropriate for today.
Eucharistic Prayer I for Reconciliation (p. 788) is most suitable for today, or Preface II of Lent (p. 582) and Eucharistic Prayer III (p. 684).
Prayer over the People 4 (p. 722) could be used today.
Sample intercessions:
We pray for those who have difficulty in believing in a loving God,
Lord, in your mercy — hear our prayer.
Let us pray for our catechists, and for all who pass on the Word of God to others,
Lord, in your mercy — hear our prayer.
That we may be tolerant of other people’s imperfections, and respond with prayer rather than reproach.
Lord, in your mercy — hear our prayer.
Note: These hymns have been chosen from different sources.
The Spirit of the Lord (CFE716, L308, LHON673)
Be still for the presence of the Lord (CFE72, L720, LHON165)
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God almighty (CFE259, L468, LHON337, TCH96)
O God of earth and altar (CFE527, L935, LHON512, TCH248)
Key
CFE - Celebration Hymnal for Everyone
L – Laudate
LHON – Liturgical Hymns Old and New (Mayhew, 1999)
TCH – The Catholic Hymnbook (Gracewing)
Do you have questions about the liturgy and how we are called to participate in it? Explore how the Church councils, saints, and popes have answered this key question and many more.
Every movement of the Mass is rich in meaning but we can become over-familiar with it. Rediscover the Mass and explore how it relates to the Exodus story, where many of its rituals come from, and how it makes Jesus present to us today.
