Readings

First Reading
Is 42:1-7

He will not cry out, nor make his voice heard in the street. (First oracle of the Servant of the Lord)

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Here is my servant whom I uphold,
   my chosen one with whom I am pleased,
Upon whom I have put my Spirit;
   he shall bring forth justice to the nations,
Not crying out, not shouting,
   not making his voice heard in the street.
A bruised reed he shall not break,
   and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,
Until he establishes justice on the earth;
   the coastlands will wait for his teaching.

Thus says God, the LORD,
   who created the heavens and stretched them out,
   who spreads out the earth with its crops,
Who gives breath to its people
   and spirit to those who walk on it:
I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice,
   I have grasped you by the hand;
I formed you, and set you
   as a covenant of the people,
   a light for the nations,
To open the eyes of the blind,
   to bring out prisoners from confinement,
   and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 27:1, 2, 3, 13-14

R. :

℟. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.

The LORD is my light and my salvation;
   whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
   of whom should I be afraid?

℟. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

When evildoers come at me
   to devour my flesh,
My foes and my enemies
   themselves stumble and fall.

℟. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Though an army encamp against me,
   my heart will not fear;
Though war be waged upon me,
   even then will I trust.

℟. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
   in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
   be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.

℟. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Acclamation before the Gospel

Hail to you, our King;
you alone are compassionate with our faults.

Gospel
Hail to you, our King; you alone are compassionate with our faults.

Let her keep this for the day of my burial.

✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany,
   where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served,
   while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him.
Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil
   made from genuine aromatic nard
   and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair;
   the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
Then Judas the Iscariot, one of his disciples,
   and the one who would betray him, said,
   “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages
   and given to the poor?”
He said this not because he cared about the poor
   but because he was a thief and held the money bag
   and used to steal the contributions.
So Jesus said, “Leave her alone.
Let her keep this for the day of my burial.
You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

The large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came,
   not only because of him, but also to see Lazarus,
   whom he had raised from the dead.
And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too,
   because many of the Jews were turning away
   and believing in Jesus because of him.

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:

The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Then he kisses the book, saying quietly:

Through the words of the Gospel
may our sins be wiped away.