Monday, March 28, 2011 (Lenten Weekday)

READINGS FOR THE DAY

First Reading: 2 Kings 5:1-5
1     Na'aman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.
2     Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little maid from the land of Israel, and she waited on Na'aman's wife.
3     She said to her mistress, "Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Sama'ria! He would cure him of his leprosy."
4     So Na'aman went in and told his lord, "Thus and so spoke the maiden from the land of Israel."
5     And the king of Syria said, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten festal garments.

Psalms: Psalm 42:2-3; 43:3-4
Psalm 42:2-3
2     My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?
3     My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me continually, "Where is your God?"
Psalm 43:3-4
     Oh send out thy light and thy truth; let them lead me, let them bring me to thy holy hill and to thy dwelling!
4     Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and I will praise thee with the lyre, O God, my God.

Gospel: Luke 4:24-30
24     And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country.
25     But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Eli'jah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land;
26     and Eli'jah was sent to none of them but only to Zar'ephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.
27     And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Eli'sha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Na'aman the Syrian."
28     When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath.
29     And they rose up and put him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong.
30     But passing through the midst of them he went away.

REFLECTIONS FOR THE DAY
Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.

-- Simeon at the presentation of Jesus (Lk 2:29-32)