TODAY'S MASS READINGS: PALM SUNDAY: YEAR A

Isaiah 50: 4 - 7
4The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him that is weary. Morning by morning he wakens, he wakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.
5The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I turned not backward.
6I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I hid not my face from shame and spitting.
7For the Lord GOD helps me; therefore I have not been confounded; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame;
Psalms 22: 8 - 9, 17 - 20, 23 - 24
8"He committed his cause to the LORD; let him deliver him, let him rescue him, for he delights in him!"
9Yet thou art he who took me from the womb; thou didst keep me safe upon my mother's breasts.
17I can count all my bones -- they stare and gloat over me;
18they divide my garments among them, and for my raiment they cast lots.
19But thou, O LORD, be not far off! O thou my help, hasten to my aid!
20Deliver my soul from the sword, my life from the power of the dog!
23You who fear the LORD, praise him! all you sons of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you sons of Israel!
24For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; and he has not hid his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.
Philippians 2: 6 - 11
6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,7but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.8And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.9Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name,10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Matthew 27: 11 - 54
11Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus said, "You have said so."
12But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he made no answer.
13Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?"
14But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge; so that the governor wondered greatly.
15Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted.
16And they had then a notorious prisoner, called Barab'bas.
17So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you, Barab'bas or Jesus who is called Christ?"
18For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up.
19Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much over him today in a dream."
20Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the people to ask for Barab'bas and destroy Jesus.
21The governor again said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And they said, "Barab'bas."
22Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Let him be crucified."
23And he said, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Let him be crucified."
24So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves."
25And all the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!"
26Then he released for them Barab'bas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.
27Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the praetorium, and they gathered the whole battalion before him.
28And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe upon him,
29and plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on his head, and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"
30And they spat upon him, and took the reed and struck him on the head.
31And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe, and put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.
32As they went out, they came upon a man of Cyre'ne, Simon by name; this man they compelled to carry his cross.
33And when they came to a place called Gol'gotha (which means the place of a skull),
34they offered him wine to drink, mingled with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.
35And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots;
36then they sat down and kept watch over him there.
37And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, "This is Jesus the King of the Jews."
38Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.
39And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads
40and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross."
41So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying,
42"He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.
43He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him; for he said, `I am the Son of God.'"
44And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.
45Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.
46And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, la'ma sabach-tha'ni?" that is, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
47And some of the bystanders hearing it said, "This man is calling Eli'jah."
48And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink.
49But the others said, "Wait, let us see whether Eli'jah will come to save him."
50And Jesus cried again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
51And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom; and the earth shook, and the rocks were split;
52the tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,
53and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
54When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe, and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!"

Comments