As today is Thursday, March 20, 2025, the Catholic Church observes the Thursday of the Second Week of Lent. The Mass readings for today are as follows:
First Reading: Jeremiah 17:5-10
In this passage, the Lord declares that those who place their trust in human beings and turn away from Him are cursed, likening them to a barren bush in the desert. Conversely, those who trust in the Lord are blessed, compared to a tree planted beside water that remains fruitful even in drought. The Lord emphasizes that He alone understands the human heart and will reward each person according to their deeds.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4, 6
Response: “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.”
This psalm contrasts the righteous, who delight in the law of the Lord and are like fruitful trees, with the wicked, who are like chaff blown away by the wind. It concludes by affirming that the Lord watches over the way of the just, while the way of the wicked leads to ruin.
Gospel: Luke 16:19-31
Jesus tells the parable of a rich man who lived in luxury and a poor man named Lazarus who lay at his door, longing for scraps. Upon their deaths, Lazarus is carried to Abraham’s side, while the rich man suffers in Hades. The rich man pleads for relief and for Lazarus to warn his brothers, but Abraham responds that they have Moses and the prophets to guide them, and that they would not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.
