Daily Mass Readings – Friday, 25 February 2028

9 Grudge not, brethren, one against another, that you may not be judged. Behold the judge standeth before the door.

10 Take, my brethren, for an example of suffering evil, of labour and patience, the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord.

11 Behold, we account them blessed who have endured. You have heard of the patience of Job, and you have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is merciful and compassionate.

12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath. But let your speech be, yea, yea: no, no: that you fall not under judgment.

R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and let all that is within me bless his holy name.

2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget all he hath done for thee.

R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

3 Who forgiveth all thy iniquities: who healeth all thy diseases.

4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction: who crowneth thee with mercy and compassion.

R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful: longsuffering and plenteous in mercy.

9 He will not always be angry: nor will he threaten for ever.

R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

11 For according to the height of the heaven above the earth: he hath strengthened his mercy towards them that fear him.

12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our iniquities from us.

R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

17b, 17a Your word, O Lord, is truth; consecrate us in the truth.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

1 And rising up from thence, he cometh into the coasts of Judea beyond the Jordan: and the multitudes flock to him again. And as he was accustomed, he taught them again.

2 And the Pharisees coming to him asked him: Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.

3 But he answering, saith to them: What did Moses command you?

4 Who said: Moses permitted to write a bill of divorce, and to put her away.

5 To whom Jesus answering, said: Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you that precept.

6 But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female.

7 For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother; and shall cleave to his wife.

8 And they two shall be in one flesh. Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh.

9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

10 And in the house again his disciples asked him concerning the same thing.

11 And he saith to them: Whosoever shall put away his wife and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

12 And if the wife shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

These readings place the call to fidelity within the mercy of God. Jesus points beyond the concession made for hardened hearts to God’s purpose from the beginning: a covenant in which two become one. Such faithfulness is not sustained by human strength alone. The Psalm reveals the Lord as compassionate, slow to anger, and ready to remove our sins as far as the east is from the west. His mercy is the ground on which faithful love can endure.

That same mercy shapes ordinary discipleship. We are told not to harbor grudges, to persevere through suffering, and to let our speech be truthful and simple. Patience does not mean pretending that wounds or difficulties do not exist; it means refusing to let them harden the heart. The prophets and Job witness to endurance, while Christ reveals the steadfastness of God’s own love. In our relationships, especially in promises and commitments, we can bring our failures to this merciful Lord and ask him to make our hearts whole again. His truth does not crush us; it consecrates us for a more faithful love.

Merciful Father, you are patient with our weakness and faithful to your promises. Heal every hardness in my heart that makes me resentful, impatient, or careless with my word. Teach me to honor the commitments I have made, to speak truthfully, and to persevere when love becomes difficult. Where relationships are wounded, give me humility to seek forgiveness and courage to offer it. Through your grace, make my heart more like the compassionate heart of Christ, so that my life may reflect the faithful love you have shown me. Amen.