Saint Alexander of Alexandria (250 – 328)
Purple
Alexander played an important role in the growth of the catechetical school at Alexandria. He fought against the heretical teachings of Arius. Alexander died in 328.
Entrance Antiphon : Ps 25: 11-12
Redeem me, O Lord, and have mercy on me. My foot stands on level ground; I will bless the Lord in the assembly.
Collect
O God, who have taught us to chasten our bodies for the healing of our souls, enable us, we pray, to abstain from all sins, and strengthen our hearts to carry out your loving commands. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Daniel 9:4-10
O Lord, God great and to be feared, you keep the covenant and have kindness for those who love you and keep your commandments: we have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly, we have betrayed your commandments and your ordinances and turned away from them. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, our ancestors, and to all the people of the land. Integrity, Lord, is yours; ours the look of shame we wear today, we, the people of Judah, the citizens of Jerusalem, the whole of Israel, near and far away, in every country to which you have dispersed us because of the treason we have committed against you. To us, Lord, the look of shame belongs, to our kings, our princes, our ancestors, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God mercy and pardon belong, because we have betrayed him, and have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God nor followed the laws he has given us through his servants the prophets.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm
78(79):8-9,11,13
R/ Do not treat us according to our sins, O Lord.
Do not hold the guilt of our fathers against us. Let your compassion hasten to meet us; we are left in the depths of distress.
O God our saviour, come to our help. Come for the sake of the glory of your name. O Lord our God, forgive us our sins; rescue us for the sake of your name.
Let the groans of the prisoners come before you; let your strong arm reprieve those condemned to die. But we, your people, the flock of your pasture, will give you thanks for ever and ever. We will tell your praise from age to age.
Gospel Acclamation : Jn 6:63,68
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus! The seed is the word of God, Christ the sower; whoever finds this seed will remain for ever. Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
Gospel : Luke 6:36-38
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept in your goodness these our prayers, O Lord, and set free from worldly attractions those you allow to serve the heavenly mysteries. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Lk 6: 36
Be merciful, as your Father is merciful, says the Lord.
Prayer after Communion
May this Communion, O Lord, cleanse us of wrongdoing and make us heirs to the joy of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Today Jesus is giving us guidelines for living our faith. Be compassionate! In other words, be merciful! This merciful attitude is not only exclusive to those we love or are friends with. We must be compassionate to everyone, especially our enemies and those who hurt us. It is a practical Lenten teaching. Before you judge others for their iniquities, look closely at yourselves first. On forgiveness, Jesus says we have to forgive to be forgiven. Some of us are so heartless that we have no room for forgiveness. We swear on some people we can never forgive. Jesus tells us how we can liberate ourselves from hateful emotions. We always have to forgive, which is a liberating experience; we let go of the pent-up emotions that have enslaved us for so long. In his prayer, Jesus prescribed forgiveness as a condition for heaven. Try giving wholesale forgiveness to everyone who has hurt you; you will feel the enormous burden being taken off you.