Daily Mass Readings – Thursday, 2 March 2028

15 Consider that I have set before thee this day life and good, and on the other hand death and evil:

16 That thou mayst love the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways, and keep his commandments and ceremonies and judgments, and thou mayst live, and he may multiply thee, and bless thee in the land, which thou shalt go in to possess.

17 But if thy heart be turned away, so that thou wilt not hear, and being deceived with error thou adore strange gods, and serve them:

18 I foretell thee this day that thou shalt perish, and shalt remain but a short time in the land, to which thou shalt pass over the Jordan, and shalt go in to possess it.

19 I call heaven and earth to witness this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Choose therefore life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

20 And that thou mayst love the Lord thy God, and obey his voice, and adhere to him (for he is thy life, and the length of thy days,) that thou mayst dwell in the land, for which the Lord swore to thy fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that he would give it them.

R. (40: 5a) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

1 Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the chair of pestilence.

2 But his will is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he shall meditate day and night.

R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

3 And he shall be like a tree which is planted near the running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit, in due season. And his leaf shall not fall off: and all whatsoever he shall do shall prosper.

R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

4 Not so the wicked, not so: but like the dust, which the wind driveth from the face of the earth.

6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the just: and the way of the wicked shall perish.

R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

17 Repent, says the Lord; the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.

22 Saying: The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the ancients and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day rise again.

23 And he said to all: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

24 For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; for he that shall lose his life for my sake, shall save it.

25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, and cast away himself?

Scripture places a decisive choice before us: life is found in loving the Lord, listening to his voice, and remaining close to him. The psalm portrays this faithfulness as a tree planted beside running water, quietly receiving what it needs and bearing fruit in its season. Hope in the Lord is not a passing feeling; it is a rooted way of living.

Jesus shows us what this choice requires. The path of life passes through repentance, self-denial, and the daily cross. He himself will suffer, be rejected, killed, and rise again, so following him cannot mean protecting ourselves from every cost. Trying to secure life on our own terms can leave us having gained the world while losing our true selves. Each day brings an opportunity to choose life again: to turn from what draws us away from God, to obey his voice, and to entrust ourselves to Christ. The cross may ask for sacrifice, but in Christ it becomes the road by which life is preserved and made fruitful.

Lord God, you are my life and the length of my days. Turn my heart away from every false promise and teach me to hear your voice with faith. When repentance is difficult, give me courage to begin again. When the cross feels heavy, keep my eyes fixed on Jesus, who passed through suffering into resurrection. Plant me beside the living waters of your word, so that my life may bear fruit in its proper season. Help me release whatever keeps me from following Christ and to trust that surrender to you leads to true freedom and lasting life. Amen.