Wednesday of the First Week of Lent

Send us Fan MailWednesday, 12 March 2025Wednesday of the First Week of Lent Antiphons and Readings on p. 210 of the Daily Missal.First Reading: Jonah 3:1-10The word of the Lord came to Jonah  the second time, saying,  “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city,  and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.”  So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh,  according to the word of the Lord.  Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city,  three days’ journey in breadth.  Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey.  And he cried,  “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”  And the people of Nineveh believed God;  they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth,  from the greatest of them to the least of them.  Then tidings reached the king of Nineveh,  and he arose from his throne,  removed his robe, and covered himself  with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.  And he made proclamation and published through Nineveh,  “By the decree of the king and his nobles:  Let neither people nor beast, herd nor flock,  taste anything;  let them not feed, or drink water,  but let people and beast be covered with sackcloth,  and let them cry mightily to God;  yes, let every one turn from his evil way and  from the violence which is in his hands.  Who knows, God may yet repent and  turn from his fierce anger so that we perish not?”  When God saw what they did,  how they turned from their evil way,  God repented of the evil which he had said he would do to them,  and he did not do it.Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51:3-4.12-13.18-19 (R. 19b)R/. A broken and humbled heart, O God, you will not spurn.Have mercy on me, O God, according to your merciful love; according to your great compassion, blot out my transgressions. Wash me completely from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.Create a pure heart for me, O God; renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence; take not your holy spirit from me.For in sacrifice you take no delight; burnt offering from me would not please you. My sacrifice to God, a broken spirit: a broken and humbled heart, O God, you will not spurn.R/. A broken and humbled heart, O God, you will not spurn.Gospel: Luke 11:29-32At that time:  When the crowds were increasing, Jesus began to say,  “This generation is an evil generation;  it seeks a sign, but no sign shall be given to it  except the sign of Jonah.  For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh,  so will the Son of man be to this generation.  The queen of the South will arise at the judgment  with the people of this generation and condemn them;  for she came from the ends of the earth  to hear the wisdom of Solomon,  and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.  The people of Nineveh will arise at the judgment  with this generation and condemn it; f or they repented at the preaching of Jonah,  and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.”